Carrie-Anne Moss
I've had moments where it's like being in the Matrix.
It's never a surprise to me that a job that I'm doing reflects what I'm going through or what I'm thinking about.
You try not to judge the characters you're playing.
I'm not one of those people that needs to have all of the new gadgets or wants any of that.
'Revolutions' was beyond my wildest dreams. I just really enjoyed it so much visually, the action and then the story and the characters, the beauty of that. The love in the film really inspired me.
When I realised that what I do really well is play women who are tough and vulnerable, it was a moment of clarity. Many female characters either have one trait or the other, but I play both. I don't need to play characters who are like me. I can just do that with my life.
It's extremely difficult and very challenging to be a woman in film and television. Just showing up in this business forces you to know yourself. But I learned how to deal with rejection and get tough when I was working as a model - it taught me how to put myself out there. In a way, my time modelling was a preparation for life.
I have no major regrets. I've made the conscious decision not to look at life that way. I always try to learn something - to take something away from the situation.
I grew up in a very middle-class life. I'm grateful for it - it has given me a lot of stability.
I trained for months to figure out how to ride a motorcycle. I have kind of a major fear of them. I have a major fear of going at fast speeds without any kind of protection, no helmet, an actor on the back with no helmet. I felt very afraid to do it. I love that I did it and overcame the fear and was able to do that.
'Chocolat' was a joy to make, as we were filming in beautiful locations in France and England. Lasse Hallstrom is such an amazing director - overall it was a wonderful experience.
I feel so lucky that I had so many opportunities.
I love 'The Matrix' a lot - I am lucky and blessed to be a part of it, and I believe in it.
'Field of Dreams' made me realize that I wanted to live my dreams, to risk things for what I felt and what I dreamt of.
I quit steaks for a while, but it's a hard habit to break.
I guess when you're carrying a film, you feel the weight of that because you're there every day, and you feel the weight of your character that way.
I just know when I read something if it's something that I want to do.
When I first had kids, I had a suitcase under my bed that I didn't even put away, and I was excited about going to all of these new places all of the time.
Who could have imagined that a platform like - I'll use Netflix as a example - that it could be so good?
When I did 'Memento,' independent film was where all the really good stuff was.
One of the things that impacted me the most was in the 12th grade. I just assumed I would get the lead in the musical. Well, I didn't get it; I got the second lead, and I was devastated... my mom said something like, 'Often the supporting character is better.'
I want to feel creative when I'm working. I don't want to just work for the sake of working.
There is so much conflicting advice for mothers. Women finding out what works for them is the most important aspect. For me, being connected to myself helps me make decisions better to take care of my children.
I had my children, fell in love with mothering, yet couldn't find what I was looking for in terms of support or community. It felt isolating. I couldn't find 'my people.'
Feeling strong is important, and to feel in your body is a vital part of being a woman, regardless of whether you're a mother or not.
When I was a kid, I don't think I even knew what being gay was, and now it's just part of our culture. It's changing so rapidly right now. It's great.
Jessica Jones isn't dressed in a sexy outfit to turn people on. She's gritty. She's a human being.
I will never do another kung fu movie again.
I think that Trinity's just the greatest character that I could ever play. I don't expect to ever play another woman that wonderful. I have a lot of Trinity in me, for sure.
When I was seven, my mom would come home every day, and I would have the phone book open to talent agencies, and I would have them highlighted.
I'm not a horror fan. I get scared easily.
For a while, I was feeling so creative in motherhood that I had no longing to work. I felt that my children needed me, that I couldn't leave them for a second.
Before that film, I was nobody. Each job I got, I was so excited. Each paycheck I got, I thought, 'Wow, I'm getting paid to act.' But 'The Matrix' gave me so many opportunities. Everything I've done since then has been because of that experience. It gave me so much.
When the fights were over for the second and third 'Matrix,' I thought, 'Okay, I never have to do that again.' It's incredibly stressful.
I am thrilled to be on a Marvel Netflix show. I'm excited that we're getting to watch this kind of content... It's groundbreaking.
For me, I always nurse out in public. It never crossed my mind, because I was taking care of my child, and I was living my life. We need to know as women that that is normal and great and beautiful and OK. And I want to be part of that conversation - not making anyone feel wrong if they don't do it.
I think you have to take each movie for its own value. There will be those you'll roll your eyes over and others you can't wait to see. It all has to do with the intention. If someone's intention is just to make money and exploit something for profit, then it's not good. If it's thoughtfully done, the proof's in the pudding.
I have absolutely no problem being thought of as an action chick because, quite frankly, very few women have ever done that.
Everyone has different issues, and I think for a great deal of women, those issues are self-esteem. And for me, I really wanted to understand it and get through it because I didn't want to be an actress afraid of getting older. I refuse to live that way.
Even though I thought of myself as soft and squishy, I always had this great will and focus and was just so driven.
Marriage is a lot more challenging when you have a demanding career.
I learned how to act working in TV.
I think a lot of acting is having the confidence to be open enough to try things and not be afraid of falling on your face and looking like a fool.
In TV, I did scripts that were not well-written, and I learned how to make bad material okay. That's a hard thing to do; you can learn bad habits, but you can also learn to find something in anything.
When I work, obviously the material is the first and most important thing. Then the director and who I'll be working with. And then the location comes into it. Where is it shooting? Because I have a family that has to uproot to do that with me.
The thing I love about music is that if a singer is good, let's say, you are instantly transported to that emotion. Acting is a more drawn-out process.
When I do work, I choose to see every job as an opportunity to grow, as an actor and as a person. My favourite part of it is being part of a team, with everyone pulling in the same direction.
Tell me that I can't do something, and I'll do it.
Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.Collection: Design