Will Smith — Passed on Neo in The Matrix

Smith has publicly admitted he turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix to make Wild Wild West — a film that grossed $222 million against a $170 million budget and won five Razzies. The Matrix grossed $463 million, spawned a $1.6 billion franchise, and made Keanu Reeves an immortal cultural icon. Smith later said the Wachowskis' pitch was so confusing he couldn't visualize it. In fairness, "we want you to dodge bullets in slow motion in a simulated reality" sounded insane in 1998. It also would have made him the biggest action star of two decades instead of one.