Salma Hayek reveals laziness made her miss The Matrix lead role

Hollywood movie The Matrix was a trendsetter and one of the defining movies of the 1990s. Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek revealed she was one of the four finalists chosen to play the lead role Trinity in the iconic movie. However, she missed the opportunity because she was 'lazy.'

“We were one of the four finalists for The Matrix. We’d jumped through many hurdles, screen testing, and many auditions,” the 54-year-old actress said while appearing on Jada Pinkett Smith’s talk show Red Table Talk.

“They brought these stunt coordinators from Asia. It was the physical test.”

An actor is required to be completely physically fit to ensure that he/she is capable enough to handle the tough requirements of the role. So, the physical test is an integral part of such auditions. But, Salma Hayek said it was too much for her to ask for.

“I’m flexible and agile, but I’m lazy,” she pointed out with a smile. “I never really went to the gym, they said, ‘You have to run!’ I go, ‘To where?’ I couldn’t even go around the room once.”

So, out of four contestants for the lead role in The Matrix, who won it? Salma Hayek has a style to account for. “Here comes Jada, a mean, lean, sexy machine! Oh my God! She was so good! It was so embarrassing! She was so fit, she was so focused, she was so disciplined. She was so capable. She was so gracious,” the excited actress said.

It was Carrie-Ann Moss who lands her hands on the role. She will reprise her role in the fourth film of the franchise. Pinkett Smith also joined the franchise as Niobe in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

Then, Salma Hayek revealed it is Jada Pinkett Smith who inspires her when she joins some action-packed flick. “Every time I'm going to do action, I say, no, I better start getting some stamina and practice the routines, you’ve got to be like Jada," she said.