One ofthe most notable scenesinThe Matrixfeatures the character of Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) betraying the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. The sequence depicts Cypher covertly meeting Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) at a restaurant in the Matrix. The important scene reveals that Cypher is a traitor to the human resistance and plans to deliver his leader, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), to the machine empire. Additionally, it shows Cypher, despite gaining his freedom from the machine empire and the Matrix, preferring the comfort ofthe simulated, false reality of the computer program.
Interestingly,the scene was nearly cut from the film, and during production, starKeanu Reevesfought to keep it. Pantoliano, having not read the script, did not realize the importance of the scene for Cypher’s character arc. In another amusing twist, the prop steaks utilized for the scene were not even real steaks. It’s time to look back at the steakhouse scene inThe Matrix.
Keanu Reeves Fought To Keep the Steak Scene Intact
Despite the steakhouse scene’s importance tothe film and the character of Cypher,Warner Bros. executives wanted it cut from the production before it was shot. It was star Keanu Reeves who lobbied hardest to keep the scene intact. However, when this transpired, Pantoliano had not yet read the script and did not understand the scene’s significance. Pantoliano explained in a September 2021 interview withThe Independent, “They said: ‘Keanu’s really upset, and he’s telling them they can’t cut it. I said: ‘Well, tell him to get the f*** over it. He’s in 99 percent of the movie.’ They just started laughing because they realized I hadn’t read it.”
Pantoliano later joked around with Reeves at a party about the steak scene, which got awkward becauseeveryone there realized that Pantoliano never read the script. Pantoliano informed The Independent, “So I say to Keanu: ‘Hey, I’m glad they kept the steak scene! We’re gonna have some fun with that!’ It goes so quiet you could hear a pin drop, except for theWachowskis, who are on the floor laughing with tears coming out of their eyes.” Pantoliano added, “Finally, they’re able to catch their breath enough forLana[Wachowski] to say: ‘He didn’t read the f***ing script!'” Thankfully, the scene remained in the film during production and remained intact for the final cut released in theaters.
The Steaks Used for the Scene Were Not Even Real
It’s quite amusing thatthe prop steaks used for the sequence were not made out of real beef. Pantoliano revealed in an October 2024 interview withEmpire Magazinethatthe “steaks” utilized during the productionwere made from shiitake mushrooms. Pantoliano was not a fan of consuming beef, sothe production crew created false steaks made out of shiitake mushrooms because they looked like steak. Other members of the film crew then consumed the leftover prop steaks,not realizing they were eating faux steaks made out of mushrooms. Pantoliano explained, “When we broke for lunch, a lot of people were eating those leftover steaks. They must have had a hundred of them!” It’s hilariously ironic because, during the scene, Cypher takes a bit out of the steak, knowing it’s a digitized program, and says, “Ignorance is bliss.” It also looks like ignorance was bliss for the crew members enjoying the leftover prop steaks.
Joe Pantoliano Thought the Scene Was a Way for the Wachowskis To Playfully Make Fun of Him
The steakhouse scene is crucial since it reveals thatCypher cannot cope with losing the false reality the Matrix provided him. He betrays his cause and Morpheus to Agent Smith and the machine empire because he wants to return to computer simulation’s fake comforts,finding the “freedom” of reality too harsh. The scene can be viewed as a broader commentary on human nature. However, Pantoliano suspects Cypher’s meeting was a way for directorsLilly Wachowskiand Lana Wachowski to playfully talk about him. The actor toldInverse in an August 2024 interview about the iconic sequence, “I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that the Wachwoskis were talking about me. I was blissfully ignorant in those days. And also the idea that Cypher would cut a deal where he said, ‘I want to be somebody important like an actor.’ I always found that to be funny.”
The Matrixis anall-time sci-fi classic, and it’s difficult to imagine the final film without this amazing scene. The wonderful acting by Weaving and Pantoliano creates a brilliant scene that enhancesthe film’s broader themes and plot. It’s even more fascinating to learn the scene was nearly cut, andPantoliano initially did not realize how important it would be to his overall role.
The Matrixis available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.
The Matrix
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth–the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
