Keanu Reeves Did 1 ‘Matrix’ Stunt Off a 46-Story Building 19 Times to Get It Just Right
Keanu Reeves is a national treasure — a global treasure, even. He’s enchanted and entertained fans for decades. One of his most notable roles was Neo in The Matrix trilogy. Although it will have to be called a quadrilogy, now, as the fourth Matrix is finally here. What most fans may not know is exactly how much Reeves was involved with his role in film series.
Most actors in action movies use stunt doubles to do the heavy lifting, but Reeves isn’t like most actors. He actually jumped off a building almost 20 times to get a stunt just right for The Matrix Resurrections.
‘The Matrix’ is back more than a decade later
The last installment of The Matrix trilogy (or what everyone thought was a trilogy) came out all the way back in 2003. Now, more than a decade later, fans have learned that The Matrix Revolutions wasn’t the end of Neo’s story. Now, The Matrix Resurrections is here with most of the old cast included.
Reeves is reprising his role as Neo, and Carrie-Ann Moss will be back as Trinity. Neo and Trinity were two of the most important characters in The Matrix trilogy, so the original actors returning was key. Laurence Fishburne will leave big shoes to fill as Morpheus. He wasn’t asked back, even though Morpheus was a force in the original trilogy.
Much of the out-of-this-world action in the original Matrix trilogy was made using CGI technology. The Matrix Resurrections has its fair share of animation, to be sure, but not everything is fake. Reeves did some impressive stunts during filming.
Keanu Reeves jumped off a building 19 times to film a scene in ‘The Matrix Resurrections’
Reeves went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and told the host that he’s still doing his own stunts at 57. Apparently, he had to do one stunt in particular quite a few times. Director Lana Wachowski had Reeves jump off a 46-story building at least 19 times — maybe more. Reeves says he lost count.
Of course, wires were attached to him, so he was safe. But Reeves had to do the jumps in quick succession while the light was just right. “We wanted to do it in the perfect light in the morning, so we did it around 19, 20 times,” Reeves told Colbert. Evidently, the actor enjoyed the rush of the jump. He described it as “awesome.”
This isn’t the first time Keanu Reeves has done his own stunts
When on tour promoting John Wick, his other blockbuster action movie franchise, Reeves admitted he’s almost always the one doing what audiences see on screen. According to the 57-year-old, “90%” of the action is done by Reeves himself.
However, he does have two stunt doubles who he employs. In fact, Reeves brought his stunt doubles with him from The Matrix to work on John Wick. They’re presumably back for Resurrections, too.
Reeves told Today that he does his own stunts for artistic purposes, not for the thrill. He said when he does his own stunts, “I’m maintaining the connection with the audience and with the story. If it’s wacky/crazy stuff, you’re just like, ‘Oh my god, what did I just see?'”
Reeves’ dedication to his craft is what makes his movies so enjoyable. The Matrix Resurrections looks like another feather in his already decorated hat.
