In an era where contrived images of “strong, powerful women” are practically ubiquitous, the Trinity character in THE MATRIX
films presents something of an anomaly: a kick-ass female character that you actually believe
could kick your ass. In THE
MATRIX, Carrie-Ann Moss brought an air of credibility to the role that resonated with both male and female audiences alike.
It’s with that same credibility that Moss assumes a brand new aspect of her character in THE MATRIX RELOADED: biker babe. In
the frenetic freeway chase scene that functions as the film’s set-piece, Moss handles her Ducati so deftly that Frank
Ponchorello would be impressed. That’s not the only new aspect of her that’s revealed in the film, however. Trinity also
gets a chance to show, well, her feminine side, as her relationship with Neo develops and deepens.
The enthusiastic mother-to-be (she’s expecting her first child in the fall) sat down with us to discuss the making of this
long-awaited sequel.
What challenges did the added romantic element in RELOADED present for you?
It was beautiful. I liked finding more layers to Trinity and seeing her change. From the first MATRIX, I always thought of
her as this warrior who had this secret in regards to Neo and her purpose. In this one, we get to see a softer side of her
because of her being in love. Things change when you’re in love. Personally, my whole life changed when I fell in love.
I can certainly see that. Can you tell us how that is going?
Yes. I’m having a baby, and it’s going great. It’s a whole new part of my journey.
Jada said you practiced a little with her daughter.
I’m really interested in watching how other people live their lives. I’ve always wanted to write a book about a day in the
life of different kinds of people. I loved watching Jada with her children and how this professional woman with this
high-powered husband managed it all. She’s very inspiring – she does such a great job.
With all the fighting you did in the first film, was it easier for you to come back and do it all again in the
second?
It was much harder for me, because I knew what to expect. With the first one I didn’t know what to expect and, you know,
ignorance is bliss. This time is was much harder and took a lot longer. And I broke my leg right away, so that was tough.
It happened right at the beginning of training - about six months before shooting - so I had to basically sit out for eight
weeks and just watch. It was pretty brutal.
Why is it that Trinity never seems to doubt Morpheus or Neo?
I always had this idea about Trinity, about her backstory. One thing I think that happened with her is that she was taken
out of THE MATRIX very young – like at 11 or 12. And I always felt that her conviction was very strong. One things I
believe about Trinity - and this goes for me as well - I don’t believe that I need to have proof to believe in something. I
feel it, and if it feels true, if it rings true for me, then I don’t need facts. Neo needs facts to believe. That’s where
he and Trinity are different. That’s where she gives him a lot.
How would you say the Wachowski brothers have changed since the first film?
Well, they’ve definitely grown. They’re evolving as human beings and exploring and changing, just as all of us have.
They’re even more committed and dedicated, because they have so much more on their plate. There’s such a huge amount of
people that worked on this film – and they were so inspired to work on this film. Why? Because of the brothers.
Did you or Keanu do anything to relieve the tension during the love scenes?
Keanu and I are really good friends. We were very much partners in the film, support-wise. The love scene wasn’t a joke for
me. It was hard for me. I was nervous about it, because I’m not big on the whole love scene thing. I felt that it was
really important to treat it like any other scene and that it was important to express the love that these two people had for
each other and I had to give the brothers what they wanted. It was challenging for me – I was more nervous for that scene
than any other in RELOADED.
Were you nervous about the motorcycle sequence?
That was also really challenging for me, and I wasn’t even sure if I was going to go through with it until the day of the
shoot. I didn’t want to feel pressured. I didn’t want to endanger my life or another actor’s life just because I wanted to
please someone. So I trained like crazy to overcome my fear on the bike. On the day that I did it, I didn’t allow myself to
doubt myself for one minute. But it was absolutely terrifying.
My friends call me the “breakthrough girl.” I love overcoming challenges – be they physical, spiritual, emotional or
whatever. I take jobs for that reason. I’m not into all the hype. I’m interested in who I work with, being part of a team
that is overcoming and changing and growing. We went through so much as a group, with the deaths and everything, and it was
hard. But that’s life. I broke my leg, we had two actors that died, we had September 11th. And I started thinking, “What
am I even doing a movie for?” I had to sit down with the brothers and have them explain to me why I needed to go to
work.
What do you think of the film’s philosophy?
I love it. I believe in it strongly. Having a purpose in life, being aligned with that purpose, believing in something,
being awake, choosing to see life, being part of a team, supporting other people and their purpose.
Do you believe in destiny?
Yeah, I do. But I also believe that we have choices, like the movie talks about. One of my best friends and I, we both made
up t-shirts that say “choice” on the front, with our last names on the back, because at any moment we have a choice, about
our attitude, more than anything. I also feel it’s important to be gracious.
Tell us more about the fighting. It seems to play a much bigger role in this film.
I think Keanu’s fights are just incredible. I wish you could all see the extent of his commitment, because you would respect
him even more. He is unlike any actor I have even met. Physically, he just takes himself to the edge. He’s willing to do
whatever it takes. And he is so hard on himself. I don’t think there’s any other actor who could have played that
character. And there’s no movie star bullshit with him.
Did you ever get tired of the leather?
Yeah, a little bit. But I got to wear so many different things this time around. When we finished, the brothers gave me as
a gift a glass case with my jacket and my glasses suspended in the air and it had all these pictures of Trinity’s journey.
But I didn’t want to keep anything when I was finished, because I felt like I gave everything I had to play Trinity for two
years, and though I loved it, I was ready for a new stage of my life.
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