Red or Blue? Keanu Reeves Reveals Which Pill He Chose After Filming The Matrix
Did the actor solve the notorious Matrix dilemma for himself?
During the promotion of John Wick: Chapter 4, star Keanu Reeves participated in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, where he answered questions directly from fans.
Among the answers the actor gave was a potentially interesting one that could shed light on the perennial "red pill or blue pill" dilemma.
The concept of the pills was first introduced in the 1999 film The Matrix, which made Reeves the superstar he is today almost overnight.
The sci-fi cyberpunk film depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unwittingly trapped in the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines to distract people while using their bodies as a source of energy.
At one point in the film, the main character Neo, played by Reeves, is given a choice between two pills.
As described by the character who presents them, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne): "You take the blue pill... the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill... you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."
They represent a choice between the willingness to learn a potentially disturbing or life-changing truth, or remaining in the satisfying experience of ordinary reality.
Now, one of Keanu's answers has solidified his choice of the red pill in the movie in the eyes of fans. When asked if he ever stole anything from a set, the actor replied:
"Not stolen… the watch and wedding ring from John Wick, a sword from 47 Ronin, and the first red pill that the Wachowski's ever gave me."
Although it is only an indirect comment, Reddit users seem to take it as proof that Keanu would have taken the red pill if he had been given the choice in real life.
In other Matrix-related responses, the actor pointed out that the original trilogy was one of the few movies that changed his life.
He also noted that "nothing can ever compare to the kung-fu training from the Matrix because it was so unique and my first time… but the jiu jitsu in John Wick being integrated with judo and gunfights can never be touched in its own way," when asked about his favorite martial arts training for a movie he was starring in.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is scheduled for release on March 24, 2023.