‘The Matrix’ Cast Then and Now, 25 Years After Keanu Reeves Became Neo
The Matrix cast and crew revolutionized movies 25 years ago with a mesmerizing story and cutting-edge technology. Directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix became a surprise hit in 1999 and launched a franchise that extended to movies, comics, and video games.
Keanu Reeves gave a career-defining performance as Neo, paving the way for his status as a bonafide action star and fan-favorite actor. His supporting cast in The Matrix included Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and Hugo Weaving. Together, they delivered a movie that influenced a generation of filmmaking and holds up 25 years later. The Matrix may have been a surprise then, but now it’s no wonder the cast remains active in movies and TV.
Keanu Reeves
Before being cast in The Matrix, Keanu Reeves was best known for the Bill and Ted comedies and action movies like Point Break and Speed. However, his career turned when he landed the role of Neo in The Matrix, taking over a part that had Will Smith, Nicolas Cage, and Leonardo DiCaprio attached to it at various stages.
Twenty-five years later, Reeves is still making massive action movies. He starred in three Matrix sequels and four John Wick films. Reeves, 59, returns as John Wick in the 2025 spinoff Ballerina, then has starring roles in the comedies Good Fortune, directed by Aziz Ansari, and Outcome directed by Jonah Hill.
Carrie-Anne Moss
Carrie-Anne Moss admitted she didn’t have much of a career before joining the Matrix cast. She had guest roles on TV series such as Baywatch and Due South while also picking up supporting roles in B movies.
Janet Jackson and Sandra Bullock were both offered the role of Trinity. Actors Salma Hayek, Rosie Perez, and Jada Pinkett-Smith auditioned for the part before directors cast Moss. In 2024, she co-starred in the comedy/drama Accidental Texan. The 56-year-old Moss also plays the Jedi master Indara in the Star Wars series The Acolyte.
Laurence Fishburne
On instruction from the Wachowskis, Laurence Fishburne based his performance as Morpheus on the character of the same name in the Sandman comics. Fishburne reportedly understood The Matrix from the jump but wasn’t convinced the complicated story would get made.
Samuel L. Jackson, Val Kilmer, and Gary Oldman were also considered for the role of Morpheus. Fishburne reprised his part in two Matrix sequels but did not return for 2021’s Matrix Resurrections. The actor, now 62, had a busy year in 2024, appearing in four movies: Slingshot, Megalopolis, Transformers One, and The Amateur. In 2025, he returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dr. Bill Foster in Thunderbolts.
Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving added his name to the list of greatest movie villains playing Agent Smith in the Matrix cast. Before The Matrix, the actor primarily worked on Australian films but soon found mainstream success in America.
Weaving earned the role after actor Jean Reno turned it down. Weaving returned as Smith in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, but like Fishburne, he did not reprise his role in Resurrections. He had supporting roles in the 2023 Australian films The Royal Hotel and The Rooster. At 63, Weaving joins the cast of the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses for season 4.
Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano played a secondary antagonist in The Matrix cast as Cypher. The human regretted leaving the Matrix and ultimately betrayed Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus. Pantoliano’s work in the Wachowskis’ 1996 film Bound helped him land the role.
In 2024, the 72-year-old Pantoliano reprises his role as Captain Conrad Howard in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. It’s his fourth time playing the character for the franchise led by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Matrix by streaming the sci-fi classic on Max.
