Keanu Reeves Gets Overwhelmed As The Matrix Clocks 25: 'It Changed My Life'

Right after its release in 1999, the sci-fi thriller became an instant pop culture phenomenon and continues to leave an impact. It is 2024 and we still haven’t moved past Lilly and Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix. Featuring Keanu Reeves as Neo, a computer programmer and hacker, the film has completed 25 years since its release. Being a special moment, Reeves recently opened up about The Matrix and its 25th anniversary. He also spoke about his emotions attached to the film.

During his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Keanu Reeves took a brief break before trying to actually find the right words to describe the film. Stating that it changed his life, Reeves also said that many more others have been touched by it positively. The actor almost appeared to have choked as he spoke his heart out.

“The Matrix changed my life, and then over these years, it’s changed so many other people’s lives in really positive and great ways. As an artist, you hope for that when you get to do a film or tell a story. So when you say these years, the amount of people that I have met who have said to me and been touched by ‘The Matrix’ in such a positive way… It’s the best,” he said while trying to gather himself.

After playing the titular role in the 1999 film, Reeves reprised his character in The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections.

Notably, the actor, who has been a part of several Hollywood action flicks, has always fondly spoken about the film, which he believes influenced cinema a lot. “I think the influences that went into The Matrix brought those influences to other filmmakers in terms of anime, camera angles, and action. It started training actors and actresses to try and do more physical acting. I think the humour, the style, and maybe, well, I don’t know about the ambition. It’s tough to make such an entertaining kind of science fiction film that’s also about philosophy and big ideals,” he told Entertainment Tonight in 2021.