From Keanu Reeves to Laurence Fishburne, the cast ofThe Matrixtrilogy is full of great movie stars who made unforgettable icons out of their characters. The Wachowskis assembled one ofthe best movie casts of the ‘90swhen they were putting together their groundbreaking sci-fi actioner, and brought in even more screen legends when they came back to direct the sequels. They recruited actors who were already big names in Hollywood, like Reeves and Fishburne, and they also gave some new actors their big break. Carrie-Anne Moss first gained international attention with her role inThe Matrix.
The Matrixalmost had a very different cast. Will Smith was approached to play Neo and Sean Connery was approached to play Morpheus. Janet Jackson came close to clinching the role of Trinity, but she had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. With these original choices in the roles,The Matrixwould still have been a star-studded movie. But the final film has an all-star line-up, andall the right people ended up playing each part. The cast ofThe Matrixtrilogy started off with a bunch of A-listers and only gained more stars from there.
Date Of Birth: June 01, 2025
Active Since:1984
Actor:Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, andfirst broke out with his role as Matt inRiver’s Edge. Reeves is best known for playing Ted “Theodore” Logan in theBill & Tedfranchise and the titular assassin in theJohn Wickfranchise. Reeves’ other action movie roles include LAPD Officer Jack Traven inSpeedand FBI Agent Johnny Utah inPoint Break. He also gave more dramatic performances as Scott Favor inMy Own Private Idahoand Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny inDangerous Liaisons.
2014
1989
1991
1988
1994
Scott Favor
Character:Reeves leads the cast ofThe Matrixtrilogy as a computer programmer named Thomas Anderson, better known by his alias “Neo.”Neo is brought out of the Matrix and into the real worldbecause he’s believed to bethe prophesized “The One,”who will end the war between the humans and the machines. By the end of the movie, Neo fulfills this prophesy and prepares to liberate humanity from their cybernetic overlords.
Date Of Birth: June 28, 2025
Active Since:1972
Actor:Laurence Fishburne was born in Augusta, Georgia, andgot his big break with the role of Tyrone “Mr. Clean” Miller in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epicApocalypse Now. He further rose to prominence when he played Jason “Furious” Styles inBoyz n the Hoodand Ike Turner inWhat’s Love Got to Do with It. More than a decade afterThe Matrixtrilogy ended, Fishburne reunited with Reeves to play“The Bowery King” in theJohn Wickfranchise.
Boyz n the Hood
1993
2017
1979
Perry White
2013
Character:InThe Matrixtrilogy, Fishburne plays Morpheus, the leader of a resistance group fighting back against the machines.Morpheus is the captain of the Nebuchadnezzarand becomes a mentor to Neo. InThe Matrix Resurrections, the role was recast with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II taking over.
Date Of Birth: July 24, 2025
Active Since:1989
Actor:Carrie-Anne Moss was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, andshe first broke out with her role inThe Matrix. She went on to play Caroline Clairmont inChocolat, Claudia Wolf inSilent Hill: Revelation, and Natalie in Christopher Nolan’s psychological thrillerMemento. On TV, Moss played Indara in theStar WarsseriesThe Acolyteand Jeri Hogarth across a handful of Marvel Television shows produced for Netflix, includingJessica Jones.
2000
2015-2019
2024
Claudia Wolf
2012
Character:Moss plays Morpheus’ first mate, Trinity, inThe Matrixtrilogy.Trinity is Neo’s love interestwho inspires him to embrace his destiny as “The One.”The Matrix Resurrectionslater revealed thatTrinity is a part of “The One”prophesy along with Neo.
Date Of Birth: August 01, 2025
Active Since:1981
Actor:Hugo Weaving was born in Ibadan, British Nigeria, andlanded his first major role as English cricket captain Douglas Jardine in the Australian TV seriesBodyline. He rose to prominence in Australian cinema, playing Martin inProofand Mitzi Del Bra inThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Weaving has since crossed over into Hollywood blockbuster roles with performances as Elrond inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, the eponymous character inV for Vendetta, Red Skull inCaptain America: The First Avenger, and Megatron in theTransformersmovies.
2001-2003
2005
Red Skull
2011
Character:Weaving playsAgent Smith, the main villain ofThe Matrixtrilogy.Smith and the other Agents are computer viruses doing the machines’ biddingwithin the Matrix. The role was taken over by Jonathan Groff inThe Matrix Resurrections.
The Matrix Trilogy Supporting Cast & Characters
Gloria Foster / Mary Alice as The Oracle:The Oracle, a sapient program capable of seeing every decision made within the Matrix, was initially played by Gloria Foster in the first two movies. InThe Matrix Revolutions, after Foster had sadly passed away, the role was recast with Mary Alice. Foster is best known for playing Camille Bell in the 1985 miniseriesThe Atlanta Child Murders; Alice is best known for playing Lettie Bostic in the sitcomA Different World.
Joe Pantoliano as Cypher:Joe Pantoliano plays Cypher, who betrays his crewmates to the Agents, in the firstMatrixmovie. Pantoliano is best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Ralph Cifaretto inThe Sopranos. He also played Teddy Gammell inMementoand Captain Conrad Howard in theBad Boysfranchise.
Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe:Niobe, the captain of the Logos, is played by Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith is best known for voicing Gloria in theMadagascarmovies. She also played Carla Purty inThe Nutty Professorand Ronnie inMenace II Society.
Harold Perrineau as Link:Harold Perrineau plays Link, the pilot of the Nebuchadnezzar, who takes over from Tank and Dozer inThe Matrix Reloaded. Perrineau is most renowned for his role as Michael Dawson inLost. He also played Mercutio inRomeo + Juliet, Augustus Hill inOz, and Sheriff Boyd Stevens inFrom.
Randall Duk Kim as the Keymaker:Randall Duk Kim plays the Keymaker inThe Matrix Reloaded. Kim is the co-founder of the American Players Theatre and the voice of Master Oogway in theKung Fu Pandafranchise.
Lambert Wilson as the Merovingian:The Merovingian, one of the oldest programs in the Matrix who provides a safe haven for exiled programs, is played by Lambert Wilson. Wilson has also played George Hedare inCatwoman, Yves Massarde inSahara, and Marquis de Chassagne inMrs. Harris Goes to Paris.
Monica Bellucci as Persephone:The Merovingian’s resentful wife, Persephone, is played by Monica Bellucci inThe Matrixsequels. Bellucci is best known for playing Alex inIrréversible, Mary Magdalene inThe Passion of the Christ, and Betelgeuse’s ex-wife Delores inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. Her role as Lucia Sciarra inSpectremade her the oldest Bond girl in the franchise’s history.
The Matrix
The Matrix is a sci-fi action franchise that launched with the Wachowskis' 1999 film. It depicts a dystopian future where humanity is unknowingly trapped in a simulated reality by sentient machines. The protagonist, Neo, discovers this truth and that he is “The One,” a being that will lead a rebellion against the machines and restore freedom to humanity.
