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Compiled by: Jack Foley
Q. How do you feel about being part of this huge cultural
phenomenon?
A. Well it's pretty cool, actually. Batman, Superman, Robin,
I mean, you know, we get to be superheroes and the child inside
all of us is overjoyed.
Q. This is probably the most anticipated movie sequel ever.
Did you feel the pressure of having to live up to the original?
A. I think the directors, more than anybody else, were the
ones who felt the most pressure. But I also know that they worked
really, really hard to make sure the story was exciting, and to
create things that would really satisfy the audience.
Q. The idea of The Matrix springs out of cyberpunk. Did you
explore this subculture as part of your preparations?
A. The people that are really interested in that culture are
the Wachowski brothers. The Wachowski brothers are cyberpunks.
They're very influenced by Gibson [sci-fi author William Gibson]
and all the things that are cyberpunk, in addition to other influences.
I own a computer; I know how to turn it on. And that's pretty
much it.
Q. Making the film was a long process. Are you happy it's
all over, or do you wish it could happen every day?
A. I'm very happy that it's over. Mostly because, like most
people, I am a big fan of "The Matrix" and I wanted
to see these movies and not just be in them. It's rare that you
get the opportunity to be in something that you really want to
see as well. So, I'm happy that it's over, but I miss the day
to day that we had in training together, eating together, drinking
together, laughing, playing and getting excited because "Oh!
The big fight is coming!" Days before the fight would happen,
we'd get this energy. What would happen at 4pm every day? We'd
be training all day, then at 4pm, the footballs would come out,
and the frisbees...
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Q. How different was it doing the scenes and then actually
seeing them in the film? Was it a surprise to see it with all
the special effects added?
A. It's funny, cos as Huge said earlier, the whole of the
first movie was storyboarded, which really dealt with the fight
sequences, so we did have an understanding of what it was going
to look like. With this one, it wasn't cost effective to give
us all storyboards, but we had a general idea of what we would
be seeing. But I don’t think anything can prepare you for
what you see in Matrix Reloaded and I'm sure you can't be ready
for what you'll see in Revolutions.
Q. Some people have found it difficult to get a handle on
the philosophy behind this film. Can you break down, in simple
terms, what you think the key issues of the trilogy are?
A. Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? That's are
the big questions that these movies ask, and it’s up to you
to go back and see it again and figure all that shit out. You
have the choice! The choice is yours!
Q. What's it like being directed by the Wachowski brothers?
A. It's a very, very interesting process. Somebody described
them as being one brain connected to two different bodies. They're
very passionate about their work, because they're writers first.
They're obviously very visionary men. But they also have this
incredible vision - which you see on screen - and everything is
about the detail. It's all about the framing and the visual perspective
on something, and it's about intention. And I think their intention
is about trying to challenge the audience and get the audience
to engage in a different way with an action film.
So sometimes it's challenging and sometimes it's frustrating,
because they have a secret language all of their own. But we have
a great deal of trust amongst our little family and the best word
I can use is surrender, because as you surrender to what they
ask of you, but you know you're in good hands.
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