Hollywood
Jessica Henwick Almost Quit Acting Before Landing 'Matrix' Role
London, Dec 30 (IANS) Actress Jessica Henwick has shared that she was in a "weird space" prior to finding stardom and almost gave up on her acting dreams just before taking on the role of Bugs in 'The Matrix Resurrections'.## She said: "I just took a second to think, 'Am I doing this because I still want to do it and I love it, or am I doing this because it's what I'm used to?' And so, I stopped and I decided to get out of town and I bought a one-way ticket to France. And then, I just started walking".## The 'Knives Out 2' star took herself on a 40-day hike in an effort to clear her head when in-between acting roles, just before receiving the offer to star alongside Keanu Reeves in the latest 'Matrix' movie, reports femalefirst.co.uk.## She told Film: "I just started hiking and I was halfway through a 40-day hike. I turned on my phone, it was near my birthday and I wanted to tell everyone I was alive, and I got an email saying, 'Would you like to audition for the Matrix?' And I just said no, because I hadn't finished the hike and I hadn't come to an answer yet of what I wanted to do in my life.## "I turned it down. (So I) made a self-tape, flew to America a couple of days later, tested with Yahya (Abdul-Mateen II, who plays a "completely different" version of Morpheus in 'The Matrix Resurrections'), and had the phone call from (director) Lana Wachowski a few days after that".## Meanwhile, Henwick recently revealed she took a part in 'Knives Out 2' so she could study Rian Johnson's filmmaking style.## She will appear in the murder mystery sequel and admits that she was desperate to get his advice as she was helming a short film at the time.## She said: "The main reason I really signed on was that I actually wanted to study him. I was directing a short film ('Bus Girl') at the same time, which he very kindly was able to take a break in the schedule for me to fly home, shoot and then fly back to set.## "So he let me shadow him on and off throughout production, and he gave me directing advice. So it was just the best time".## Henwick explained how she has been a fan of Rian since watching his directorial debut 'Brick' during a film class and revealed that the director was "morally obliged" to cast her in the 'Knives Out' sequel after she was cut from his film 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.## The 'Underwater' actress recalled: "When I was a teenager, I watched 'Brick' in school and I loved it. So I wrote (Rian Johnson) a fan email, and he never responded.## "Cut to seven years later, I'm in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', and I'm meant to go back to 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'. But Rian cuts me out of the project!"## She continued: "Cut to this year, I finally got sent this script and I was like, 'Put me in coach. Give me a Zoom. I don't care if I get it. I just want to speak to Rian'. So I revealed all of this to him. I was like, 'I have a bone to pick with you!' And of course, he was forced - he was morally obligated - to cast me in 'Knives Out'."## Stay tuned...
