The Matrix has become a sci-fi franchise unlike any other, weaving a bizarre story that has played out across decades of installments. As a new interview reveals, beloved actress Rosie Perez was briefly in contention to be in the film, only to bomb her audition. In a recent interview with Variety, Perez, who is known for her work on Do the Right Thing, White Men Can’t Jump, and Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), revealed that she auditioned to portray Trinity, who was ultimately played by Carrie Ann Moss in the film. As Perez put it, she knew in the moment that she had bombed the audfition.
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“I was horrible. As I was walking out, I was like, ‘I know I didn’t get the job. I really sucked,’ and the Wachowskis were like, ‘No,’ and the casting director was trying not to laugh,” Perez explained. “And then finally I looked at her and I go, ‘I really sucked,’ and she just burst out laughing. We all were laughing. I just gave the Wachowskis a hug and I said, ‘Well, good luck with this.’”
Will there be a Birds of Prey sequel?
While the DC Universe is expected to be reset in the coming years under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, there has been a lot of speculation about which characters and franchises from existing DC films could carry over. If 2020’s Birds of Prey were to get a sequel, it sounds like Perez would not be opposed to returning to her brief-but-memorable tenure as Renee Montoya.
“I mean, if it happens, sure,” Perez said about returning for a sequel in a late 2020 interview. “When you said that, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Oh my God, I have to lose weight and get in shape again.’ Hopefully, there won’t be any ageist type jokes in it as well. Having me called ‘grandma’. That was the only thing, I was like ‘Really, guys? really?’ I was like, ‘Would you have the nerve to say that to Helen Mirren, in her 50 million action movies?’”
What do you think of Rosie Perez bombing an audition for The Matrix? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
