‘Matrix’ Star Carrie-Anne Moss’ Career Changed ‘Overnight’ After Being Offered Grandmother Role At Age 40

Aug 19, 2022 by apost team

Carrie-Anne Moss is a Canadian actress known for her roles in both film and television series. She has starred in films such as “Memento,” “Chocolat” and “Silent Hill: Revelation.” In the world of television, she has portrayed the character of Jeri Hogarth in several series produced by Marvel, including “Jessica Jones.”

However, Moss’ rise to fame came from her turn as Trinity in “The Matrix” film series where she starred opposite Keanu Reeves. The first film came out in 1999, and to this day, the franchise is still going strong.

Moss was born on Aug. 21, 1967, in Burnaby, British Columbia. She found a love for acting in her younger years and joined a local children’s theater. The striving star later moved around a bit, bouncing from Barcelona, Spain, to Los Angeles, California. This was also around the time Moss landed her first television appearance in the series “Dark Justice.”

As the years went by, Moss continued to find work and, soon enough, was making a real name for herself in the entertainment industry. She also started a beautiful family, marrying fellow actor Steven Roy in 1999. The pair have two sons and one daughter together. Moss also has her own lifestyle brand called Annapurna Living, which aims to empower women through mindfulness and meditation.

Nowadays, Moss is in her 50s and has certainly had an impressive career. It’s not surprising that she has played various roles over the years. However, Moss was definitely taken aback when she was offered to play the role of a grandmother — the day after she turned 40.

Before landing her role in “The Matrix,” Moss was already an up-and-coming actress. She appeared in TV shows such as “Street Justice,” “Baywatch” and “Due South.” The latter even earned her a nomination for a Gemini Award. Moss also appeared in plenty of movies during the 1990s, although many of them were not huge blockbusters.

Still, Moss proved to be a great talent in the role of Trinity in the science fiction thriller film “The Matrix” in 1999. The movie helped not only Reeves in his career but Moss as well. It gave her further recognition, leading her to what seemed like an endless amount of opportunities. Moss also received nominations for her role as Trinity, including a Saturn Award nomination and MTV Movie Award nomination.

As the decade turned, Moss continued finding brilliant work. She appeared in “Chocolat” and the Christopher Nolan-directed film “Memento.” And, of course, she returned for “The Matrix” sequel films. It was evident that Moss wasn’t afraid to take on a darker or more challenging role. She continued appearing in thrillers and horror films in the 2010s, taking on the lead role in “Silent Hill: Revelation” and supporting role in “The Bye Bye Man.”

And while it seems like there is no role that Moss cannot handle, there was one role that definitely surprised her. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moss was offered to play the role of a grandmother the day after she celebrated her 40th birthday. While it’s common for actors and actresses to take on roles that are a different age than their own or portray a character very far from their real personality, the grandmother role was something that Moss was definitely not expecting. 

apost.com

In 2021, Moss opened up about what it’s like being an actress over the age of 40 while working in superficial Hollywood. She explained:

“I had heard that at 40 everything changed. I didn’t believe in that because I don’t believe in just jumping on a thought system that I don’t really align with. But literally the day after my 40th birthday, I was reading a script that had come to me and I was talking to my manager about it. She was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no, it’s not that role (you’re reading for), it’s the grandmother. I may be exaggerating a bit, but it happened overnight. I went from being a girl to the mother to beyond the mother.”

It seemed like a slap in the face to assume that Moss would take on such a matronly role, especially because she is still playing Trinity in “The Matrix” series. The latest film in the franchise was released in December 2021 — more than 22 years after the first.

Moss also said it was difficult coming to terms with what her new roles would potentially be like. “You don’t feel like you’ve aged much, and suddenly you’re seeing yourself on-screen,” she said, explaining that it was “kind of brutal” to see it all play out. She added: “It’s not easy being in this business. There’s a lot of external pressure.”

However, Moss declared that the pressure wasn’t enough for her to consider plastic surgery. “It does nothing to make me happier or free,” she said. “It does everything to tamp all that down. It does everything to mute my life. I’m going to do the opposite, then I’ll have the opposite result.”

What do you think about Carrie-Anne Moss’ outlook on aging in Hollywood? What is your favorite film or TV show she’s starred in? Let us know, and feel free to send this to your family and friends.