The Matrix: 20 Things You Didn't Know

5. It's A Miracle Keanu Reeves Finished The Movie

Will smith matrix thumb
Warner Bros.

Even though Neo is meant to be an unstoppable fighter, he rarely kicks anyone in the first movie. The reason why is simple; Keanu Reeves wasn't able to. Before production began, Reeves was suffering mild paralysis in his legs, forcing him to receive a two-level fusion of his cervical spine.

For the first two months of training, Reeves had to wear a neck brace and was unable to kick. However, the Hollywood heartthrob was so committed to the role, he demanded training sessions, even on his days off.

Although the fight choreographer, Woo-Ping Yuen, minimised the amount of kicks Reeves had to perform, the action star demanded to perform the triple kick in the Training Program scene. Although he failed to execute the move at first, he tried again a few days later and nailed it within three takes.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows