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Joel Silver says the film's creators Andy and Larry Wachowski were never in doubt as to who they wanted to play Neo.
"The brothers only ever wanted Keanu Reeves to play Neo. That's who they wanted and that's who they asked me to get.
"Once we got Keanu, we cast around him."
Reeves stars in The Matrix: Revolutions, the third instalment of the hugely popular Matrix trilogy. Revolutions opens in Calgary on Wednesday.
Jada Pinkett Smith, who joined The Matrix family in Reloaded, the first of the two sequels, says Reeves has much in common with his cinema alter-ego.
"I think Keanu is the reluctant hero in his own life, which Neo is in the films," says Pinkett Smith, who plays the rebel force commander, Niobe.
"He's a very handsome, intelligent man who doesn't focus on any of his great qualities.
"I think he may even ask himself 'Why me? Why me?' which is what Neo does.
"They don't take things for granted. They are always questioning."
NEO-AGE MAN
Smith feels it is "because Keanu is this kind of person in his own life that he is able to play Neo so well.
"It's this quality in Keanu that makes people gravitate towards him. That's why audiences love his Neo. It's an endearing quality."
For his part, Reeves says "it's cool to play an honourable man.
"Neo may be conflicted but he is still an honourable guy."
Reeves is not conflicted about just what The Matrix trilogy has done for his career and his life.
"This role -- this movie -- is a gift from the gods.
"Just to be acting, which I love to do so much, is wonderful, but to get a role like Neo in a film event like The Matrix is the greatest gift of all for the actor in me."
Though the three Matrix films have dominated the last five years of his life, Reeves insists "every day preparing for the films, every day shooting them and every day in between were a gift."
Part of the gift was meeting his co-star Carrie-Ann Moss, who plays Neo's partner and love interest Trinity.
"Carrie-Ann and I became friends on the first film. She is such an emotionally responsible person that she became an inspiration for me," says Reeves, who adds "developing the love story between Neo and Trinity was one of the greatest things for me to play in these films."
Moss returns the complements.
"Keanu has become very dear to me. It has been an incredibly wonderful journey getting to know him."
Moss says what strikes her most about Reeves is "his incredible sense of humour.
"He's one of the funniest people I've ever met and humour is the clearest sign of intelligence.
"He's one of the funniest people I know and one of the brightest."
Moss says when she was cast in The Matrix, she was terrified.
"Though first month, every day I went to work thinking I was going to get fired.
"I was so green as an actress. I didn't know why I'd got the job of a lifetime."
She feels this insecurity, which she lost gradually as she began filming the two sequels, helped her develop the character of Trinity.
"What I was going through as an actress became what Trinity was going through as a character. As I got to know her better, I got to know myself better as a person."
Moss recalls in order to play Trinity, she "was asked to do stuff that was a challenge and sometimes those challenges brought with them a great deal of fear."
WILD STUNTS
She was particularly frightened with all the stunts she had to do on the motorcycle in Reloaded and with the film's demanding, intricate wire work.
"Being up there on the wires was scary, but having to be on them after I'd broken my leg was really challenging and frightening.
"This film made me push myself at times when I really didn't want to."
For Moss, during the good times, bad times, scary times and painful times, there was always one constant.
"Keanu supported me all the way. He was really my partner in the most incredible dance of my life. He made this experience special for me."
Reeves promises fans of The Matrix are in for a wild ride with Revolutions.
"It's the kind of movie where you just grab the biggest box of popcorn available and sit back and enjoy what's up there on the screen."
For Reeves, that means "lots of ideas, kung fu and interesting relationships.
"From the beginning, people realized these movies were unique. They are fun films, but they are also provocative and the editing and music make them really cool."