Before Will Smith played Agent J in the film “Men in Black,” David Schwimmer said no to the role.
“The People v. O.J. Simpson” actor explained this occurrence during a 2016 interview for The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast. Prior to being presented with this acting opportunity, Schwimmer had planned to direct a movie in which he cast people he knew from the Chicago theatre group he co-founded, Lookingglass Theatre Company. “I told everyone in the theatre company, ‘You’re all cast, here are your roles, don’t take any other jobs for this six-week period,'” Schwimmer said. “So everyone turned down all these other opportunities … everyone was banking on doing this first film with me.”
When a lead role in “Men in Black” was then presented to Schwimmer a month before pre-production of the aforementioned film, he said “it wasn’t even like a choice,” and he had to decline the offer. “I just said, ‘I can’t. These are my closest friends in the world, this is their first shot at a movie, my first shot at directing,'” Schwimmer added. Smith was later offered the part, and although he nearly also said no to the project, “Men in Black” remains one of Smith’s most well-known films to date.