Jada Pinkett-Smith: Keanu Reeves and I Had No Chemistry
Jada Pinkett-Smith was cast in the 2003 sequel to The Matrix, but did you know that she auditioned for the female lead of Trinity in the original film? In an interview with the Howard Stern Show, the actress revealed that she didn't snag the role because she and Keanu Reeves, the male lead, were missing that needed spark.
"Keanu and I didn't, uh, really click," she said. "We just didn't have any chemistry, he and I."
The film won four Oscars and raked in nearly $500 million at the box office with Carrie-Anne Moss filling the role of Trinity. However, Smith's audition impressed the Wachowski siblings so much that they created a new character just for her: the no-nonsense pilot Niobe. Her role ended up being extended into the sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Smith holds no ill-will about the casting decision, though. She even gave props to Moss, who she said was the right choice for the lead. "I do wish [I had gotten the part of Trinity]," she said. "But I look at Carrie-Anne and I just go, she's freaking amazing. There's no way to the world I would have brought that."
We have a feeling she would've done amazingly. To prove just that, take a look at how much Jada Pinkett-Smith rocks in the clip below:
(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Michael Kors)
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