That Time The Matrix Resurrections’ Jonathan Groff Thought He Peed Himself After Filming With Keanu Reeves

Jonathan Groff in The Matrix Resurrections
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Filming action movies provide a number of unique challenges. And while Keanu Reeves is definitely used to it, some of his Matrix Resurrections co-stars are less familiar. That includes Hamilton icon and Matrix newcomer Jonathan Groff, who thought he peed himself after filming an action scene with Reeves.

While The Matrix Resurrections will feature a number of returning stars from Lana Wachowski’s original trilogy, there are also a bevy of new actors. The trailers seem to hint that Jonathan Groff might be the new representation of Smith, facing off against Keanu Reeves in some wild fight scenes. And he recently shared a funny story, where he thought he accidentally urinated on himself mid-shooting. As he put it,

When it was over, I was like, ‘I think I wet my pants. I think I peed myself.’ You know when you pee yourself you feel that, like, hot urine? ... But then, it didn't go away. When you pee yourself, it's hot for a second and then it gets cold, and so [the sensation] sustained. Then I thought one of the shells from the gun had come down my shirt, which they warn you might happen. I was reaching down there looking for this shell but it wasn't down there. But for like 10 minutes, I had this heat emanating from my [groin].

Well, that’s one way of pulling a muscle. Actor’s bodies are known for having unique reactions to action sequences, especially if there’s explosions of weapons being utilized. And it looks like for Jonathan Groff, that includes one very warm groin… and a pee scare.

Jonathan Groff shared this funny story about his experience in The Matrix Resurrections during a conversation with EW about the highly anticipated sequel. While the Mindhunter star will no doubt look super badass in the movie’s theatrical cut, actually filming is a different experience entirely. Especially when you’re coming face to face with Keanu Reeves as Neo.

The question many might be asking is: did Jonathan Groff actually wet himself in the midst of The Matrix Resurrections? The answer was no, although the warmth his body felt was definitely mystifying for the Tony and Emmy nominated actor. In the same interview, Carrie-Anne Moss shared how her body physically reacts to shooting guns. Additionally, she clarified the situation for her co-star, saying:

But you didn't pee your pants. To be clear.

Glad we’re all clear on that. Although I doubt anyone would blame him for accidentally urinating. The idea of doing a fight scene opposite Keanu Reeves is enough to make most of us pee our pants. After all, we’ve seen how deadly he can be in the John Wick franchise.

The wait for The Matrix Resurrections is officially over, as the movie arrives today in both theaters and streaming on HBO Max. The reviews have been mixed to positive, with Lana Wachowski’s science fiction movie currently sitting at 69% percent on Rotten Tomatoes. We’ll just have to see how audiences react when jacking back into the Matrix for the first time in years.

The Matrix Resurrections is out now. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.