Laurence Fishburne looks back on his Matrix era with grit and gratitude. Speaking about his co-stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, he notes that they were essentially among the first Western actors to perform in a Hong Kong–style action vocabulary for the franchise. The project brought in renowned martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, who was keen to know whether the trio could convincingly deliver the demanding fight sequences in this bold new approach. The Matrix demanded intense training and boundary-pushing stunt work, and Fishburne recalls being in pain throughout much of the shoot. Despite the hardship, the experience helped redefine modern action cinema by blending Western performance with East‑meets‑West martial arts choreography, delivering groundbreaking, kinetic scenes that continue to influence filmmakers and excite audiences today.