Long before Colin Farrel left the fans in awe with his role in Phone Booth, was the role supposed to go to Will Smith

Did Will Smith Turn Down the Role for a 2003 High Tense Thriller Long Before It Went on to Colin Farrell?

Over the years, a plethora of actors have tried their luck in acting. However,
only a handful of them have got close to the legacy of Colin Farrell. The list
of Hollywood’s greatest actors is incomplete without Farrell. While the actor
has had a very long career, 2003 was the year that helped establish him in
Hollywood. The actor gave the audience some very memorable films in the year.
2003 saw the actor’s best role to date in Phone Booth. However, Will Smith was
supposed to star in the film in place of Farrell.

Will Smith is inarguably one of the best actors of our generation. Throughout
his career, the Men In Black actor has always kept us entertained with his
films. Even though the actor gave us some very memorable performances, he also
rejected a plethora of iconic roles
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-three-films-will-smith-rejected-that-later-turned-out-to-be-blockbusters/].
And one such is playing the lead role of Stu Shephard in the 2003 hit film Phone
Booth.

As surprising as it sounds, the actor turned down one of the most iconic films
of its time back then. Smith apparently did not seem on-board with the villain
arc in the movie. As reported by MTV
[https://www.mtv.com/news/p3zahm/will-smith-snagged-i-am-legend-from-schwarzenegger-but-can-you-imagine-nicolas-cage-in-the-matrix],
Smith revealed, “I loved ‘Phone Booth,’ [but I passed because] I always felt
like the bad guy’s story wasn’t clear enough.”



It could have also been the first time we would witness Smith showcase his
versatility in a psychological thriller film. However, the role later went on to
Colin Farrell, who portrayed it flawlessly. Suffice to say, even after Smith
passed, the role went on to safe hands. Phone Booth went on to become a massive
success both commercially and critically. 

ALSO READ: “There is no way I’m playing….” – Was Will Smith Supposed to Play
Superman Even Before Henry Cavill?
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-there-is-no-way-im-playing-was-will-smith-supposed-to-play-superman-even-before-henry-cavill/]

Interestingly, Smith was not the only actor who turned down the role of Stu
Shephard. It might surprise you to know but Tom Cruise, Robin Williams and even
Nicolas Cage were in consideration for the role. 


PHONE BOOTH COULD HAVE REACHED OUR SCREENS MUCH EARLIER

Phone Booth recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The psychological thriller
left the fans in the awe ever since it made its way to our screens. However,
what if we tell you it could have been the film’s 60th anniversary? As
surprising as it sounds, the film could have made its way to our screens long
before.



As reported by Yahoo, Screenwriter Larry Cohen first approached Lake Alfred
Hitchcock with the script back in the 60s. However, the script did not make
sense to Hitchcock back then, since he was unable to reason why the man trapped
in the booth could not leave. Sadly, by the time Cohen found his answer, it was
too late.

How do you think the film would have looked like with Hitchcock? Comment down
below.

Hamza Qazi

Comment

Did Will Smith Turn Down the Role for a 2003 High Tense Thriller Long Before It Went on to Colin Farrell? - Netflix Junkie

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Introducing Hamza Qazi, a Hollywood and Anime News writer at Netflix Junkie. Hamza's love affair with anime began early in his life when he fell in love with Naruto, which sparked his interest in reporting. He began channelizing his inner reporter by writing for his school magazine and later for a college magazine. Since then, he has written over 400 articles for Netflix Junkie, covering everything from celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Kanye West to his true passion: comic books and hip hop. Hamza's report "Curious to See ‘Attack on Titan’ in Live Action? An Animator Working on Star Wars’ ‘Ahsoka’ Has An Exciting Surprise for Fans" showcases his love for anime reporting and highlights his ability to bring exclusive news to his readers. When he is not catching up on the latest Football matches, Hamza loves to binge-watch Peaky Blinders or Demon Slayer.

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Did Will Smith Turn Down the Role for a 2003 High Tense Thriller Long Before It Went on to Colin Farrell? - netflix-junkie

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Over the years, a plethora of actors have tried their luck in acting. However, only a handful of them have got close to the legacy of Colin Farrell. The list of Hollywood’s greatest actors is incomplete without Farrell. While the actor has had a very long career, 2003 was the year that helped establish him in Hollywood. The actor gave the audience some very memorable films in the year. 2003 saw the actor’s best role to date in Phone Booth. However, Will Smith was supposed to star in the film in place of Farrell.
Will Smith is inarguably one of the best actors of our generation. Throughout his career, the Men In Black actor has always kept us entertained with his films. Even though the actor gave us some very memorable performances, he also <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-three-films-will-smith-rejected-that-later-turned-out-to-be-blockbusters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected a plethora of iconic roles</a>. And one such is playing the lead role of Stu Shephard in the 2003 hit film Phone Booth. 
As surprising as it sounds, the actor turned down one of the most iconic films of its time back then. Smith apparently did not seem on-board with the villain arc in the movie. <a href="https://www.mtv.com/news/p3zahm/will-smith-snagged-i-am-legend-from-schwarzenegger-but-can-you-imagine-nicolas-cage-in-the-matrix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As reported by MTV</a>, Smith revealed, &#8220;I loved &#8216;Phone Booth,&#8217; [but I passed because] I always felt like the bad guy&#8217;s story wasn&#8217;t clear enough.&#8221;
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Phone Booth - Official Trailer [HD]" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JDGY8GoEbQ0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
It could have also been the first time we would witness Smith showcase his versatility in a psychological thriller film. However, the role later went on to Colin Farrell, who portrayed it flawlessly. Suffice to say, even after Smith passed, the role went on to safe hands. Phone Booth went on to become a massive success both commercially and critically. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-there-is-no-way-im-playing-was-will-smith-supposed-to-play-superman-even-before-henry-cavill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“There is no way I’m playing….” – Was Will Smith Supposed to Play Superman Even Before Henry Cavill?</a>
Interestingly, Smith was not the only actor who turned down the role of Stu Shephard. It might surprise you to know but Tom Cruise, Robin Williams and even Nicolas Cage were in consideration for the role. 
<h2>Phone Booth could have reached our screens much earlier</h2>
Phone Booth recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The psychological thriller left the fans in the awe ever since it made its way to our screens. However, what if we tell you it could have been the film’s 60th anniversary? As surprising as it sounds, the film could have made its way to our screens long before.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Top 10 Alfred Hitchcock Movies" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fVoVdKOLP04?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
As reported by Yahoo, Screenwriter Larry Cohen first approached Lake Alfred Hitchcock with the script back in the 60s. However, the script did not make sense to Hitchcock back then, since he was unable to reason why the man trapped in the booth could not leave. Sadly, by the time Cohen found his answer, it was too late.
How do you think the film would have looked like with Hitchcock? Comment down below.

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Before Henry Cavill?

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HOLLYWOOD, CA &#8211; FEBRUARY 24: Actor Will Smith attends the Warner Bros. Pictures&#8217; &#8220;Focus&#8221; premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures&#8217; &#8220;Focus&#8221; &#8211; Arrivals

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Long before Colin Farrel left the fans in awe with his role in Phone Booth, was the role supposed to go to Will Smith?

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Did Will Smith Turn Down the Role for a 2003 High Tense Thriller Long Before It Went on to Colin Farrell?

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