An icon in the eyes of action film fans, Carrie-Anne Moss returns to television in the new Star Wars series, The Acolyte. In it, the performer will be playing Jedi Master Indara, at the height of the High Republic.
For many fans, this means seeing an exciting return to form. For the past 2 decades, Moss has lent her talent to many films, movies, and even video games that have endeared her to audiences. Viewers should be sure to tune in to watch The Acolyte when it premieres on Disney Plus on June 4. But before then, explore the many entries to her filmography that were a precursor to her upcoming role.
1. The Matrix
The Wachowskis’ dystopian film is still hugely influential. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves, and of course Carrie-Anne Moss, the film pictures a reality where the robot revolution is over. Humans have become enslaved to AI, who use their bodies as batteries.
The Matrix had a unique visual style, from its leather-clad characters to the bullet-time fighting style. The film put Moss on the map as an action star from a thematically resonant and genre-bending movie. She plays Trinity in the original trilogy of films, and its 2021 sequel, Matrix: Resurrections.
2. Jessica Jones
Moss is a respected hallmark of the entertainment industry, which is what made it such a joy to see her crop up in Netflix’s gritty Marvel universe. The actor plays Jeri Hogarth, who is historically male in the comics. In Jessica Jones, they change the gender to make the series more female-forward, which is relevant to the story’s subject material.
Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is a woman trying to make it as a private investigator in New York, all well recovering from trauma. She also happens to have superpowers. As an investigator, she takes jobs from Hogarth’s law firm as she overcomes her personal demons. Like most women in the show, Hogarth is not a one-note character. She is a complex and often shady lawyer who makes mistakes professionally and personally. It is a shame that Jessica Jones only had so many years to fly.
3. Snow Cake
Even as part of a stacked cast that includes Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver, Moss stands out in this gentle indie rom-com. The movie sees the relationship between Rickman and Weaver’s characters, with Moss playing a neighbor gradually drawn into the drama.
Snow Cake isn’t much talked about now but it’s a cozy watch that warrants a revisit. In recognition of her performance Moss would go on to pick up a Best Supporting Actress award at the 27th Genie Awards in 2007, which recognizes the very best in Canadian cinema.
4. Memento
Even earlier in his career, Christopher Nolan had a way with mind-bending storytelling. The 2000 film Memento follows Leonard (Guy Pearce), who cannot form short-term memories. Despite this significant obstacle, he still tries to solve the mystery of his wife’s murder. A precursor to Tenet, Nolan tells this story in both forward and reverse at the same time. This technique allows viewers to be in the headspace of Leonard, while also being able to figure out what is going on while he cannot.
The first big revelation is Leonard’s dynamic with Natalie (Moss). Leonard forms a relationship with her only for the audience to learn that she has ulterior motives the entire time. Moss is adept at playing both sides, showing Natalie in one moment as innocent and another as a calculating manipulator.
5. Mass Effect
Moss has also made a name for herself in the world of voiceover acting. While you may not recognize her, she adds depth as the Asari named Aria T’Loak. The character appears briefly in Mass Effect 2 but is most notable for her role in Mass Effect 3 and the Omega DLC. A villain at worst, Aria is the brutal leader of Omega. She rules without mercy, and after Cerberus takes over her fiefdom, she fights to get it back. Her role in Mass Effect is another addition to a widely appreciated sci-fi universe.
6. Silent Hill: Revelation
Silent Hill: Revelation picks up where the first film leaves off and just keeps running. After Sharon returns from the foggy landscape without her mother, she and her father keep moving. But Silent Hill won’t let them go so easily.
Even after changing her name to Heather, a cult of Silent Hill called The Order summons her back to continue the work of Alessa’s burning in the first film. The leader of The Order is Claudia (Moss), who intends to use Heather’s body to summon her god. Claudia is depicted with a ghostly pallor and white hair but ultimately transforms into a terrifying creature with saw blades in her flesh. Silence Hill: Revelation continues the terrifying work that Silent Hill started with Moss at its villainous core.
7. Disturbia
A modern take on Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, Rear Window, Disturbia stars Shia LaBeouf as Kale, a teenager under house arrest. To stave off boredom, Kale takes to spying on the neighbors with a set of binoculars. After witnessing disturbing behavior from a neighbor, Kale and his friends set out to prove that he is a murderer.
Moss plays Kale’s mother, Julie, who becomes a pawn in the game of cat and mouse. Naturally, no one believes Kale until Julie is taken hostage in the murderer’s house. A classic thriller of the mid-aughts, Disturbia adds to Moss’ genre credits.
8. Chuck
Moss brings her action skills to television with her short stint on NBC’s Chuck. Appearing in the last season of the show as Gertrude Verbanski, the character explores a romantic relationship with John Casey (Adam Baldwin) as she aids Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Chuck (Zachary Levi) in various capacities. A nice change of pace to see the performer in a more comedic role, she also gives Casey a romantic storyline as they two sail off into the sunset together.
9. Horizon Forbidden West
Moss’ work in video game voiceover is further expanded in Horizon Forbidden West. She plays the antagonist, Tilda van der Meer, who is forever motivated by the loss of her lover, Elisabet. She regrets leaving her on Earth to die in a cataclysmic event and spends her time trying to replicate her in various ways. This complex character was motion-capped by Moss, who adds depth to a layered character.
10. The Bye Bye Man
Based on the “The Bridge to Body Island” chapter in the book, The President’s Vampire, The Bye Bye Man takes many familiar elements from horror movies about curses. Like Sinister or Smile, The Bye Bye Man follows a group of people who are desperate to prevent a mysterious visage from spreading. In this case, the titular entity can spread if people say its name.
Moss plays Detective Shaw, who eventually becomes a vehicle for the curse to continue. As she investigates a group of college-age kids dying off one by one, she discovers something supernatural is going on. Though the conclusion seems to indicate that the entity is contained, the remaining survivor of the group whispers the name of the evil creation so it can continue through Shaw.
The Bye Bye Man is made more disturbing by knowing that it’s inspired by alleged real-life occurrences.
