Who almost played the role of Neo in "The Matrix" instead of Keanu Reeves?
Last updated: September 13, 2024
A quarter of a century later, 1999’s "The Matrix" still feels just as relevant and exciting as ever. We’re still talking about the colors of pills, referencing glitches in the Matrix, and imagining what it would be like if this were all really just a simulation.
My personal favorite iconic reference? Saying, “There is no spoon,” anytime someone is using one near me.
With $467 million in box office revenue, we loved this movie when it first came out, too. In no small part thanks to Keanu Reeves in the part of Neo/Thomas Anderson. Few people could pull off the appropriate reaction to learning that everything is a computer sim made by evil robots, and then swing over to kicking butt with Kung Fu.
Neo is one of the great characters from all of sci-fi, yet Reeves very nearly was never cast in that role. Who almost played Neo instead of Keanu?