Carrie-Anne Moss(born August 21, 1967[1]) is a Canadian actress. After early roles on television, she rose to international prominence for her role ofTrinityinThe Matrixseries(1999–present). She has starred inMemento(2000), for which she won theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female,Red Planet(2000),Chocolat(2000),Fido(2006),Snow Cake(2006), for which she won theGenie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role,Disturbia(2007),Unthinkable(2010),Silent Hill: Revelation(2012), andPompeii(2014). She also portrayedJeri Hogarthin several television series produced byMarvel TelevisionforNetflix,most notablyJessica Jones(2015–2019).
Carrie-Anne Moss | |
|---|---|
 Moss at the 2016Peabody Awards | |
| Born | August 21, 1967 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse |
Steven Roy (m.1999) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
editCarrie-Anne Moss was born inBurnaby,British Columbia, the daughter of Barbara and Melvyn Moss. She has an older brother, Brooke. Moss's mother reportedly named her afterthe Hollies' 1967 hit song, "Carrie Anne",which had been released in May of that year. Moss lived with her mother in Vancouver as a child.[2]At the age of 11, she joined the Vancouver children's musical theatre and later went on to tour Europe with theMagee Secondary SchoolChoir in her senior year.
Career
edit1990s and breakthrough
editWhile living in Spain, Moss obtained a role as Tara, the clerk to Judge Nicholas Marshall in the drama seriesDark Justice,her first television appearance. She moved fromBarcelonato Los Angeles with the series in 1992. Moss leftDark Justicebefore the series' third and final season and was replaced by Elisa Heinsohn as Samantha "Sam" Collins. She enrolled at theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Artsin Pasadena upon her return, and she subsequently starred inFox's primetime soap operaModels Inc.,a spin-off ofMelrose Place,as a model. The series was cancelled in July 1995. She headlined a short-lived made-in-Canada series entitledMatrix.[3]For most of the 1990s, she appeared in several television series such asStreet Justice,Baywatch,F/X: The Series,andDue South,for which she scored a nomination for theGemini Awardfor Best Guest Actress in a Drama. Many of her film roles in the decade were inB movies,includingFlashfire(1994),The Soft Kill(1994),Tough Guy(1994),Lethal Tender(1996),Sabotage(1996), andThe Secret Life of Algernon(1997).
Herbreakthrough rolecame when she playedTrinityin the science-fiction thrillerThe Matrix(1999). Her role demanded extreme acrobatic actions, and she underwent a three-hour physical test during casting. The film grossed over US$460 million worldwide and was highly acclaimed by critics, some of whom have considered it one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made.[4][5]Moss asserted that prior to being cast inThe Matrix,she had "no career". It launched Moss into international recognition and transformed her career; in aNew York Daily Newsinterview, she stated, "The Matrixgave me so many opportunities. Everything I've done since then has been because of that experience. It gave me so much. "[6]Moss was nominated for aSaturn Award for Best Actress,and for theMTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance.
2000s
editMoss had four film releases in 2000—Chocolat,Red Planet,The Crew,andMemento.In the romantic comedyChocolat,she took on the role of Caroline Clairmont, a cold, devoutly pious woman living in a French village. As part of an overall positive response towards the film,The New York Timesremarked that Moss, "as an upright widowed mother swathed in mournful baby blue, radiates glimmers of hurt; she shows it's not easy to keep up such a front."[7]The film made US$152 million at the international box office.[8]The science-fiction thrillerRed Planethad her play the commander and leader of a rescue mission toMars.A.V. Clubfelt that Moss was "largely reduced to worrying while modelling a series of tight-fitting space fashions".[9]Despite a US$80 million budget, the film only grossed US$33 million worldwide.[10]She appeared as detective Olivia Neal in the crimeblack comedyThe Crew,directed byMichael Dinner.
InChristopher Nolan'sneo-noirpsychological thrillerMemento,she portrayed a manipulative bartender who meets a man suffering fromanterograde amnesia.ProducerJennifer Toddsuggested Moss for the part after being impressed by her performance inThe Matrix.Nolan decided to cast Moss as Natalie, saying, "She added an enormous amount to the role of Natalie that wasn't on the page".[11]The film became asleeper hit,being acclaimed by critics and earning US$39.7 million over a US$9 million budget.[12][13]She won theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Femalefor her performance.
Moss reprised the role of Trinity in theback-to-backsequelsThe Matrix ReloadedandThe Matrix Revolutions,both released in 2003. Like the original,The Matrix Reloadedreceived positive critical reception,[14]and became a major box office hit, grossing US$742.1 million worldwide.[15]The Matrix Revolutionsreceived a lukewarm critical reception, but made US$427.3 million globally.[16][17]During an interview withBBC Online,Moss expressed her pride for starring in the franchise, which she described as a "segment of [her] life": "It's deep and it's beautiful to have been part of it for so long. It's pretty spectacular".[18]She provided voiceovers for video game and animated spin-offs of the films.
In 2005, Moss starred in the little-seen thrillerSuspect ZeroasFBIagent Fran Kulok, and was part of anensemble castin the independent dramedyThe Chumscrubber,which premiered at theSundance Film Festival.Moss next appeared in the zombie comedyFido(2006), playing a housewife in a 1950s-esquealternate universewhere radiation from space has turned the dead into zombies. She noted the "very rich" and "very visual" script for the film, and became drawn to the project for its "underlying messages about control and domination".[6][19]Fidowas an opening night film at theToronto International Film Festival,[20]and received largely favourable reviews, with theLos Angeles Timescalling it a "crafty mixture ofGeorge A. RomeroandDouglas Sirk."[21]Moss played the neighbour of anautisticwoman in the small-scale romantic dramaSnow Cake(2006). It was released in selected theatres, to positive reviews from critics. Moss earned a nomination forGenie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.[22]
In the Hitchcockian thrillerDisturbia(2007), Moss portrayed the mother of a troubled teenager who suspects one of his neighbours is a serial killer. The film was met with a positive critical reception and made US$117.8 million around the globe.[23][24]She played one of the people who are brought together in the wake of a deadly car accident in the independent dramaNormal(2007), released for selected theatres. Moss appeared in the dramaFireflies in the Garden,which revolved around the inner lives and affairs of a family. The production premiered at the 2008Berlin International Film Festivaland was released theatrically in the United States in October 2011.[25]She starred in the straight-to-DVD romantic comedyLove Hurts(2009).
2010s
editIn the thrillerUnthinkable(2010), directed byGregor Jordan,Moss played the leader of an FBI counter-terrorism team assigned to interrogate a man who threatens to detonate three nuclear bombs in the United States.[26]The film was released direct-to-DVD and generated controversy over its subject matter.[26]She took on the role of antagonistClaudia Wolfin the sequel to the 2006 horror filmSilent Hill,Silent Hill: Revelation(2012). Budgeted at US$20 million, the film grossed US$52.3 million worldwide,[27][28]but garnered an overwhelmingly negative reception among film critics and fans alike.[29]Mentioning Moss in its review for the film,The New York Timesremarked that the supporting actors "deserve much, much better".[30]She voiced the character Aria in the video gamesMass Effect 2(2010) andMass Effect 3(2012).
She had a four-episode arc in the seriesChuckbetween 2011 and 2012, and played the regular role of Las Vegas Assistant District Attorney Katherine O'Connell in theCBSperiod drama seriesVegas,which premiered in September 2012, but was cancelled after its first season, despite an overall positive response.[31]Writing forThe New York Times,Mike Hale felt that Moss "feels out of place in this frontier tale, but looks great in snug wool suits".[32]Moss obtained the role of Penelope, a California candidate for governor who runs a free health clinic, in the political thrillerKnife Fight(2012), directed byBill Guttentag.The film premiered at theTribeca Film Festivaland was released for a two-theater run and digital platforms.[33]Moss headlined the psychologicaldark comedyCompulsion(2013),[34]in which she played one of two people occupying neighbouring apartments, each one grappling with psychological disorders that begin to overtake their lives.[35]The film opened for limited release.[36]She voiced the character of Admiral Wells in the fantasy animated filmThe Clockwork Girl(2014).
She starred in the3Dhistorical disaster picturePompeii(2014), produced and directed byPaul W. S. Anderson.The film, inspired by theeruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79that destroyed theRoman EmpirecityPompeii,had her portray Aurelia, the wife of the city governor.[37]In the independent dramaElephant Song(2014), directed byCharles Binamé,Moss starred as the wife of a psychiatrist. The film was screened at theToronto International Film Festival,and in its review for the film,Varietydescribed her role as "a pushily self-centered second wife" and found her part to be "a poorly integrated subplot" in the film.[38]In 2015, she voiced a widowed mother in the made-for-television animated filmPirate's Passage,was one of the narrators in the documentaryUnity,and appeared as the wife ofVictor FrankensteininFrankenstein,an updated adaptation ofMary Shelley's book.
In 2015, Moss appeared inJessica JonesasJeri Hogarth,an attorney and potentially powerful ally to the title character. The gender of the character was changed from male to female for the series, and the character was written as a lesbian.[39]Moss signed on to the series after reading the first two scripts, having been pitched the character by producerJeph Loeband screenwriterMelissa Rosenberg.She described the character by saying, "she's fierce, she's strong, she's powerful, and she likes that power".[40]Theweb seriespremiered on Netflix, to critical acclaim.[41]Moss has also reprised her role of Jeri Hogarth in the second-season finale ofDaredevil,and has had recurring arcs inIron FistandThe Defenders.Moss took on the lead role of Dr. Athena Morrow, anAIresearcher invited to reverse engineer a consciousness program,[42]in the second season of the science-fiction seriesHumans.[43]Moss filmed a supporting part in the supernatural horror filmThe Bye Bye Man(2017), playing whatVarietydescribed as "the world's most soft-edged hard-bitten police detective".[44]Despite negative reviews, the film grossed US$24 million worldwide on a budget of US$7 million.[45]
2020s
editMoss returned to theMatrix film seriesin the 2021 filmThe Matrix Resurrections,in which Moss reprises her role as Trinity. The film was released on December 22, 2021, in theaters and onHBO Max.The film overall received mixed reviews from critics, yet Moss's performance as Trinity was again praised.[46]Moss welcomed her return to the role, stating, "Who am I if not Trinity?"[47][48]
Personal life
editMoss married Canadian actor Steven Roy in 1999, and they have two sons (b. 2003 and 2005) and a daughter (b. 2009).[49]As of 2020, they live inNew Hampshire.[19]She is the founder of Annapurna Living, alifestyle branddesigned to empower women throughmindfulness,meditation,and devotion.[50]Moss stresses that her spiritual practice has been instrumental in navigating the "rejection" and stresses in the Hollywood movie business.[51]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Soft Kill | Jane Tanner | |
| 1994 | Flashfire | Meredith Neal | |
| 1995 | Terrified | Tracy | Also known asEvil Never Sleeps |
| 1996 | Sabotage | Louise Castle | |
| 1997 | Lethal Tender | Melissa Wilkins | |
| 1997 | The Secret Life of Algernon | Madge Clerisy | |
| 1999 | New Blood | Leigh | |
| 1999 | The Matrix | Trinity | |
| 2000 | Chocolat | Caroline Clairmont | |
| 2000 | Red Planet | Kate Bowman | |
| 2000 | The Crew | Olivia Neal | |
| 2000 | Memento | Natalie | |
| 2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Trinity | |
| 2003 | The Animatrix | Voice only | |
| 2003 | The Matrix Revolutions | ||
| 2004 | Suspect Zero | Fran Kulok | |
| 2005 | The Chumscrubber | Jerri Falls | |
| 2005 | Confessions of an Action Star | Herself / Girlfriend in movie | |
| 2006 | Fido | Helen Robinson | |
| 2006 | Snow Cake | Maggie | |
| 2006 | Mini's First Time | Diane Drogues-Tennan | |
| 2007 | Disturbia | Julie Brecht | |
| 2007 | Normal | Catherine | |
| 2008 | Fireflies in the Garden | Kelly Hanson | |
| 2009 | Love Hurts | Amanda Bingham | |
| 2010 | Unthinkable | Helen Brody | |
| 2012 | Silent Hill: Revelation | Claudia Wolf | |
| 2012 | Knife Fight | Penelope Nelson | |
| 2013 | The Clockwork Girl | Admiral Wells (voice) | |
| 2013 | Treading Water | Psychiatrist | |
| 2013 | Compulsion | Saffron | |
| 2014 | Dragon Nest: Warriors' Dawn | Elena (voice) | |
| 2014 | Pompeii | Aurelia | |
| 2014 | Elephant Song | Olivia | |
| 2015 | Pirate's Passage | Kerstin Hawkins (voice) | |
| 2015 | Unity[52] | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2015 | Frankenstein | Elizabeth Frankenstein | |
| 2016 | Brain on Fire | Rhona Nack | |
| 2017 | The Bye Bye Man | Detective Shaw | |
| 2021 | The Matrix Resurrections | Trinity | |
| 2024 | Accidental Texan | Faye | |
| 2024 | Die Alone | Mae |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1993 | Dark Justice | Tara McDonald | 9 episodes |
| 1991 | Street Justice | Jennifer | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Forever Knight | Monica Howard | Episode: "Feeding the Beast" |
| Down the Shore | Nancy | Episode: "Atlantic City" | |
| 1993 | Matrix | Liz Teel | 13 episodes |
| Doorways | Laura | Unaired TV pilot | |
| Silk Stalkings | Lisa / Lana Bannon | Episode: "The Perfect Alibi" | |
| 1994–1995 | Models Inc. | Carrie Spencer | 29 episodes |
| 1994 | Baywatch | Gwen Brown / Mattie Brown | Episode: "Mirror, Mirror" |
| 1995 | Nowhere Man | Karin Stoltz | Episode: "Something About Her" |
| 1996–1997 | F/X: The Series | Lucinda Scott | 22 episodes(Season 1) |
| 1996 | Due South | Irene Zuko | Episode: "Juliet is Bleeding" |
| 1997 | Viper | Stacy Taylor | Episode: "Triple Cross" |
| 2007 | Suspect | Lt. Chivers | TV pilot |
| 2008 | Pretty/Handsome | Elizabeth Fitzpayne | TV pilot |
| 2011 | Normal | Ann Brown | TV pilot |
| 2011–2012 | Chuck | Gertrude Verbanski | 4 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Vegas | Katherine O'Connell | 21 episodes |
| 2014 | Crossing Lines | Amanda Andrews | 4 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | Jessica Jones | Jeri Hogarth | 34 episodes |
| 2016 | Daredevil | Episode: "A Cold Day in Hell's Kitchen" | |
| Humans | Athena Morrow | 8 episodes | |
| Man Seeking Woman | Joan Dillon | Episode: "Eel" | |
| 2017 | Iron Fist | Jeri Hogarth | 3 episodes |
| The Defenders | Episode: "Mean Right Hook" | ||
| 2019–2022 | Wisting | Maggie Griffin | 11 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Tell Me a Story | Rebecca Pruitt | 10 episodes(Season 2) |
| 2024 | The Acolyte | Indara | 4 episodes |
| TBA | FUBAR | Greta Nelso | Post-production(Season 2) |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Enter the Matrix | Trinity | FMV;Motion capture |
| 2010 | Mass Effect 2 | Aria T'Loak | |
| 2012 | Mass Effect 3 | Also appears inOmega | |
| 2021 | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition | Archive audio | |
| The Matrix Awakens | Herself / Trinity | Voice and motion capture, tie-in tech demo forThe Matrix Resurrections | |
| 2022 | Horizon Forbidden West | Tilda | Voice and motion capture |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Due South | Gemini Awardfor Best Guest Actress in a Drama | Nominated |
| 1999 | The Matrix | Empire Award for Best Newcomer(tied withDamien O'Donnell) | Won |
| 1999 | MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Saturn Award for Best Actress | Nominated | |
| 2000 | Chocolat | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
| 2000 | Memento | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female | Won |
| 2000 | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| 2003 | The Matrix Revolutions | Teen Choice Awardfor Choice Movie Actress – Drama/Action Adventure | Nominated |
| 2006 | Fido | Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film | Won |
| 2006 | Snow Cake | Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | Won |
References
edit- ^Lee, Alana (November 3, 2003)."Carrie Anne Moss: The Matrix Revolutions interview".BBC.RetrievedSeptember 3,2017.
- ^"Carrie-Anne Moss – Profile".E!. Archived fromthe originalon February 10, 2009.RetrievedAugust 10,2010.
- ^"New 'Matrix'-Inspired One Sheet for 'Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D'".Bloody-disgusting.com. June 12, 2010.RetrievedAugust 10,2010.
- ^Heritage, Stuart (October 21, 2010)."The Matrix: No 13 best sci-fi and fantasy film of all time".Guardian.London.
- ^"Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time".IGN.November 15, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
- ^ab"She's walked with a zombie".New York Daily News.June 8, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
- ^Mitchell, Elvis (December 15, 2000)."FILM REVIEW; Candy Power Comes to Town".The New York Times.
- ^"Chocolat (2000)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^Phipps, Keith (November 6, 2000)."Red Planet".The A.V. Club.
- ^"Red Planet (2000)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^Mottram, p. 111.
- ^"Memento".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^"Memento (2001)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^"The Matrix Reloaded".rottentomatoes.com.RetrievedOctober 1,2016.
- ^Lang, Brent (March 29, 2016)."'Deadpool' Overtakes 'Matrix Reloaded' as Highest-Grossing R-Rated Movie ".variety.com.RetrievedOctober 1,2016.
- ^"The Matrix Revolutions".rottentomatoes.com.RetrievedOctober 1,2016.
- ^"The Matrix Revolutions (2003)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedOctober 1,2016.
- ^"Interview - Carrie-Anne Moss".BBC.
- ^abNayman, Adam."ELLE Interview: Carrie-Anne Moss - Elle Canada".
- ^Tillson, Tamsen (July 18, 2006)."Fest unleashes 'Fido'"– via Variety.
- ^Abele, Robert (June 15, 2007)."The flesh-eating farce".RetrievedJanuary 15,2022– via LA Times.
- ^"Snow Cake".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^"Disturbia".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^"Disturbia (2007)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^"Fireflies in the Garden (2011)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^abGregor Jordan'sUnthinkableArchivedNovember 9, 2012, at theWayback Machine2011-01-18, Cinematofilos.com.ar(in Spanish)
- ^"Silent Hill: Revelation".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedNovember 19,2012.
- ^"Silent Hill: Revelation 3D – Box Office Data, DVD Sales, Movie News, Cast Information".The Numbers.RetrievedJanuary 23,2013.
- ^"Silent Hill: Revelation".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^Webster, Andy (October 26, 2012)."Silent Hill: Revelation 3D".The New York Times.
- ^"Vegas".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^Hale, Mike (September 24, 2012)."'Vegas' on CBS, Starring Dennis Quaid ".The New York Times.
- ^"Knife Fight (2013)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^"Compulsion".MovieWeb.June 14, 2013.
- ^"Dimension Films Acquires Psychological Thriller Compulsion".ComingSoon. May 17, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
- ^"'Compulsion' Heather Graham new trailer ".Digital Spy.June 17, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
- ^"Pompeii (2014)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^Harvey, Dennis (September 15, 2014)."Toronto Film Review: 'Elephant Song'".
- ^Deadline, Paul Brownfield Special To (October 11, 2015)."'Jessica Jones' Details Revealed, Full Pilot Shown – New York Comic Con ".
- ^"Marvel's Jessica Jones: Carrie-Anne Moss and Mike Colter Talk Sex, Character-Building, and More Sex".September 6, 2017.
- ^"Marvel's Jessica Jones: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^"Production Begins on Humans Season 2".ComingSoon.net.April 21, 2016.
- ^"Weekly top 10 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018) | BARB".Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2014.
- ^Gleiberman, Owen (January 12, 2017)."Film Review: 'The Bye Bye Man'".
- ^"The Bye Bye Man (2017)".Box Office Mojo.
- ^"The Matrix Resurrections First Reviews: Packed with Nostalgia but Exciting in New Ways".RetrievedDecember 23,2021.
- ^""Who am I if not Trinity?" Carrie-Anne Moss on the Making of a Film Icon ".GQ.December 20, 2021.RetrievedDecember 23,2021.
- ^"Carrie-Anne Moss Was Blown Away By How Neo & Trinity Return In Matrix 4".ScreenRant.December 13, 2021.RetrievedDecember 23,2021.
- ^"Baby Boom".People.60(20). November 17, 2003.ISSN0093-7673.Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2015.RetrievedJune 7,2009.
- ^"Carrie Anne Moss: Annapurna Living".November 11, 2020.RetrievedNovember 11,2020.
- ^Moss, Carrie-Anne in interview with Tom Power, Q on CBC Radio 1, 4 Oct. 2024, c. 10:50 am (ADT to PDT, add 30 min for NLDT)
- ^Dave McNary (April 22, 2015)."Documentary 'Unity' Set for Aug. 12 Release with 100 Star Narrators".Variety.RetrievedMay 1,2015.
External links
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