Carrie-Anne Moss has spoken about stepping away from Hollywood at the height of her career to focus on raising her children. The actress, best known for playing Trinity in The Matrix franchise, turned down major film offers following the success of the trilogy to prioritize her family.
“After The Matrix was such a big deal, I took a big, big break to have children and be with them,” Moss said in a recent interview with The Independent. “I remember being torn, having a little twinge like, ‘Gosh, I’m getting offered such great things. That would be such a huge deal.’ And I was holding my baby in my arms, and I remember thinking, ‘At the end of my life, will it matter to me that I have another movie on my résumé? Or will it matter to me that I held my baby?’ And I instantly thought, no. It was just a no-brainer. And I’m so glad I did that. I’m so glad I don’t have that regret.”
Moss starred alongside Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne in the Wachowskis’ 1999 action film and returned for The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003. She reprised her role in The Matrix Resurrections in 2021, though the film’s simultaneous theatrical and streaming release impacted its box office performance.
“It was an odd time,” Moss said of the film’s release strategy. “They put it on some streaming platform [HBO Max]. But I really don’t spend too much time thinking about what people think of things. I’ve always said this, and it’s kind of cliché, but you only have control over your own experience. That film was really such a gift, and I loved making it.”
Since returning to the industry, Moss has taken on a variety of roles, appearing in Jessica Jones, Tell Me a Story, Wisting, The Acolyte, and FUBAR. She recently played a Jedi in The Acolyte, though the Star Wars series was canceled after one season. “It’s always disappointing when something doesn’t get picked up,” she said. “But I’m never really too shocked. This is the kind of business that’s not for everybody – eventually you have to get pretty realistic about it.”
Moss shares three children with her husband, Steven Roy. While she stepped back from acting for several years, she has since reestablished herself in the industry, balancing her career with family life.
