Will Smith turned down Django

When the casting of “Django Unchained” was announced, rumors spread of Will Smith playing the role of the slave vigilante. Smith declined the role, however, since Django did not play the lead in the film. Smith commented on the idea of Django learning his trade through another character (played by Christoph Waltz). He pleaded with director, Quentin Tarantino for Django to have a more central role in the film.

Smith’s departure opened the door for Jaimie Foxx, but Smith is not offended. He claims to have still enjoyed the film, saying, “I thought it was brilliant, just not for me.”