Prior to pre-production for “The Matrix” (1999), Keanu Reeves suffered a two-level fusion of his cervical spine, which had begun to cause paralysis in his legs, requiring him to undergo neck surgery.
He was still recovering during pre-production, but insisted on training. Stunt coordinator Woo-Ping Yuen let him practice only punches and lighter moves.
Reeves trained hard, and even requested training on days off, however, the surgery left him unable to kick for two out of the four months of training.
As a result, Reeves did not kick much in the film.
Reeves and Hugo Weaving nicknamed each other “the neck” and “the leg” during preproduction in reference to their schedule-upending injuries.
According to the film’s armorer, John Bowring, the guns held by Reeves in the lobby and elevator sequences were actually plastic, lightweight weapons.
They made a very faithful cast of the MP5K, which weighs about 150-200 grams, so that Keanu could carry them without worrying about the weight.
Heavier versions were also made if they were meant to be dropped on the floor.
Will Smith turned down the role of Neo to make “Wild Wild West” (1999), because of skepticism over the film’s ambitious bullet time special effects.
He later stated he was “not mature enough as an actor” at that time, and that if given the role, he “would have messed it up.” Smith praised Reeves for his portrayal.
Nicolas Cage also turned down the part because of “family obligations.” Leonardo DiCaprio initially accepted the role, but ultimately turned it down because he did not want to do a visual effects film directly after “Titanic.” (1997). (IMDb/Wikipedia)
Happy Birthday, Keanu Reeves!