Warning: This post contains minor spoilers for The Matrix Resurrections.
The Matrix Resurrections has two versions of Neo — the one who exists within the world of the Matrix and the person who exists in the real world. That means there are also two actors playing the character: Keanu Reeves and the actor who appears as his alter ego in Thomas Anderson’s reflections within the virtual reality. Here’s who plays the real Neo in The Matrix Resurrections, his connection to the film, and what other projects he’s been in.
The Matrix Resurrections begins with Neo — who has reverted to using his Matrix identity of Thomas Anderson — working on a sequel to The Matrix video game trilogy he developed two decades prior. He goes through his day-to-day activities as though he’s sleepwalking through his life, with episodes that cause him to question what is and isn’t real. To help him get through these blurry memories of a life he's seemingly never lived, Neo goes to the Analyst to talk through them. Through reflections, there are glimpses of an entirely different Neo; he’s older, grayer, and looks much different than Reeves.
There’s an in-world explanation for the differences in Neo’s appearance, with the way others perceive him radically altered so that no one realizes his true identity. While Reeves plays Neo for the majority of The Matrix Resurrections, the other actor who plays Neo is Steven Roy. In real life, Roy is the husband of Carrie-Anne Moss, who has played Trinity in all of The Matrix films. The couple married in 1999 and have three children together. Roy is also an actor and director, having helmed a short film called The Guest House. Steven Roy has appeared in his fair share of movies and TV shows as well, usually in smaller or guest-starring roles. Roy’s filmography includes movies like the romantic drama Naked in the Cold Sun, With or Without You, 7th Heaven, and the popular sci-fi series Angel and Roswell.
In The Matrix Resurrections, Roy’s turn as Thomas Anderson is meant to give the audience a sense of unease, reminding them there’s definitely something wrong with the world around Neo and his place in it. Roy’s reflection is also indicative of the passage of time, with the real Neo having actually been gone in the real world for 60 years rather than the two decades the virtual world suggests. Roy’s role is a small, but crucial one in distinguishing between the two versions of the character, especially with regards to how he’s seen by others.
The Matrix Resurrections is the first time Steven Roy’s been involved in the franchise since it began in 1999. He has no dialogue in the role, but his presence in the film does what it needs to do to establish the story of Neo, including where he’s been and what’s happened to him since the ending of The Matrix Revolutions. It’s also pretty cool that he got to be in the same film as his real-life wife. If there’s another Matrix sequel, however, it’s unlikely Roy will be included since Reeves’ Neo has abandoned his fake life in the Matrix for the real world.