I've just arrived for breakfast with Carrie-Anne Moss at an LA diner. As I
plop down, the three-months-pregnant actor apologetically inhales the last
bite of her omelette. Before Memento and the life-altering role of Trinity
in The Matrix, you probably never heard of the Vancouver native, even though
she starred in Aaron Spelling's catty series Models Inc. and some weird 1993
TV show coincidentally called Matrix. Carrie-Anne's vibe is intense,
reserved and poised. The real woman behind Trinity revolves around only
three things: her baby, her husband of three years (actor Steven Roy) and
herself. The rest of Hollywood? Just a monster glitch she can do without.
J: I'm sure you have a million hotties hitting on you now, but you got
married really fast to your boy.
C: Some things are undeniable.. we both just knew. We got married pretty
quickly right after we met. He was just the guy for me and I was the girl
for him.
J: When you first read the script for The Matrix, what went through your
mind?
C: Did they actually expect me to do this? I didn't think I would get it
because I was a nobody. I just assumed it would go to somebody famous.
J: Did you read any philosophy books to inspire you for The Matrix?
C: No. Keanu and Laurence did.
J: Who the hell is Keanu's manager? First playing Siddhartha and now the
Messiah again? Jeez.
C: I think he draws that to him. He's such a neat person. He's very deep.
J: I believe it. If you weren't acting, what career would you pick?
C: Being a mom. The other thing I'm really into is childbirth. Being someone
like a labor support, like a doula.
J: Like a midwife?
C: God, I'd love to be a midwife, but no. I wouldn't want that medical
responsibility. A doula is someone who supports the woman through her labor,
emotionally or, well, you can do it in the hospital or you can do it at
home.
J: Do you feel like you have a relationship with your baby yet?
C: No. But I definitely have a sense of the soul. I've been wanting [a baby]
my whole life. It's interesting. I'm 35. I'm treated in the medical
profession as an older woman having a baby, which is so mind-blowing to me
because I feel like a kid, you know?
J: You seem very in tune with your physical side.
C: Yeah, well, I was a Pilates teacher for a while. I wanted to have a space
where women could come-- men, too- but I guess women seem to have more [body
issues], where they can come and learn about all different things. Like
having the mind/body connection.
J: What about the other women in The Matrix Reloaded? Jada Pinkett Smith
and Monica Bellucci? Were you a "mama bear" to them?
C: Not at all. But it was nice to have some other women around during
training. Jada just had her daughter, Willow. I'm always looking to people
to see how they do it, especially women. How they have a family and a
career. And then Monica is just the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I
really fell in love with her. She's so pure and so light.
J: This could be an Internet rumor, but is it true you bonded with a cow?
C: I did. I bonded with a lot of cows. I would walk every day in this
beautiful town in France where there's nothing to do but eat cheese and
bread. And as I would walk at different times od the day, I got to
understand the path for the cows. They so reminded me of my dogs, in terms
of their spirit. It stopped me from eating meat for a while.
J: Iрm a carnivore at heart.
C: Well, you know, your body might need it. I need it sometimes. But yeah, I
fell in love with the cows.
J: Who was your sexy sci-fi idol growing up?
C: Sci-fi? E.T. I was very romantic.
J: What about screen idols?
C: I was more into television. You know that movie Brooke Shields
made-Endless Love? I saw it, like, 10 times. I saw Grease about 15 times. I
was a corny kid.
J: I hear your friends call you сbreakthrough girlт яcause
of all your epiphanies.
C: Couldnрt count them. Every day, all day. I see something that
teaches me something.
J: Do you comprehend that you are in a legendary movie?
C: I comprehend the movie being really profound, affecting people on such a
deep level. I respect the character so much and I feel so grateful that I
got to play her but I donрt have any connection to how sheрs
perceived by other people. I get asked that question all the time and Iрm
like сI donрt know, I donрt know.т Iрm
somebody who wants to have a normal life with extraordinary experiences. Iрm
not looking for big glamour.
J: Do you have any creepy stories? Someone stalking you?
C: No. I donрt bring that into my world. I donрt see fan
mail-but I find that whole side of it a bit confusing.
J: Really?
C: No, I just donрt think itрs that healthy. Life, if I meet
somebody and they want my autograph, like a young girl-I learned this from
Laurence Fishburne-Iрd much rather shake their hand and say, сHi,
Iрm Carrie-Anne, whatрs your name?т and have a connection
than sign a piece of paper. And I think itрs more important, the
actual connection of saying hello.
J: You told someone once that you couldnрt wear your sunglasses out
of fear of getting recognized.
C: [laughs] It was a joke at the time, but when I wear sunglasses, I look
more like Trinity.
J: So, for you to be incognito, you gotta show your face?
C: Ha! Yeah, totally.
**Note!
