Will Smith Turns 55: His 13 Best Film Performances, From ‘Ali’ to ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’

Every Single Will Smith Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

Will Smith initially said yes to starring as the lead in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained but ultimately turned down the role due to creative differences regarding the film’s focus on violence versus love. Smith explained that he wanted the film to be the “greatest love story that African Americans had ever seen”. He could not connect with the, in his view, vengeance-driven nature of the script, stating, “I don’t believe in violence as the reaction to violence... Love had to be the answer.”

Will Smith Turned Down ‘Django Unchained’ Due to ‘Violence’