The stunt team had a nickname forJonathan Groffduring prep forThe Matrix Resurrections: The Savage.
Something would happen to the 36-year-old actor of stage and screen once he hit the training mat.
EvenKeanu Reeves, who’s had many action roles, agrees: “Yes, lots of power.”
Jonathan Groff and Keanu Reeves spar in ‘The Matrix Resurrections.'.Murray Close/Warner Bros.
“The minute I set foot on that mat, I was there to throw it down.”
The true nature of Groff’s character inThe Matrix Resurrectionsis still being decoded.
(The Savage jumped out!)
A poster for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ featuring Jonathan Groff.Warner Bros.
Hollywood also hasn’t historically welcomed LGBTQ performers to the action space.
“To be given the opportunity to kick ass was so surreal and fun and empowering.”
“It’s like making love with someone.”
Lana Wachowski directing ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ on location.Murray Close/Warner Bros.
Groff knows how that sounds but he doubles down.
“When our fight was over, I felt deeply connected to him in a physical way.”
He remembers one particular day filmingResurrectionswhen that lesson became crucial.
During an intense sequence, Groff’s character has to smash Neo’s face against a wall.
He and Reeves rehearsed the choreography with a flat hand ahead of the shoot date.
Once they arrived on set and were going through the motions, directorLana Wachowskihad a thought.
“I look at Keanu and he just gave me the nod, like, ‘Go for it.’
I feel like there’s so much love and respect that is swapped in those moments.”
“Lana’s style of filmmaking has changed with mirroring her transition,” Groff says.
(Lana came out as a trans woman and completed her transition after 2008’sSpeed Racer.
Lilly also came out as trans in March 2016.)
Groff and the rest of the cast spent a lot of time with Wachowski through the process of makingResurrections.
Groff even remembers Wachowski setting up a “drum circle” to keep everyone feeling connected.
“She was saying, ‘These experiences are over before you know it.
It appears even someone dubbed the Savage can appreciate that.
The Matrix Resurrectionsopens in theaters and on HBO Max Dec. 22.
For more onThe Matrix Resurrections,order the January issueofEntertainment Weeklyor find it on newsstands beginning Dec. 17.
