Why Joe Pantoliano Got Liposuction For His Role As Cypher In The Matrix

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Neo, Trinity and Morpheus may be the three main heroes of "The Matrix," but the movie wouldn't work without the fourth most important member of their crew, Cypher (Joe Pantoliano). Cypher (or "Mr. Reagan," as Agent Smith addresses him) is the only member of the Nebuchadnezzar to regret taking the red pill. He doesn't like the cold harshness of the real human world, and has chosen to betray his team so he can have his memory wiped and go back to enjoy the comforts of his old life. Simply put: Cypher is the worst, and it makes sense that Pantoliano — so well known for playing sleazy characters — would be picked to play him. 

The only issue Pantoliano had with the role was his weight. His character was supposed to be thin and toned, on account of the crew's risky lifestyle and their lack of access to any comfort food. The production involved months of physical training before filming even began, but Pantoliano figured he didn't stand a chance at pulling off his body goals in time. As he explained to Brian Raftery for his 2019 book, "How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen," the directors wanted Pantoliano "to be in the best shape of my life," which meant:

"No drinking, eating steamed vegetables, working out at a gym. I'm a f***ing character actor! This trainer they hired said to me, 'You can do three thousand sit-ups a day, but that ain't going nowhere.' So I talk to my buddy, a plastic surgeon, and decide I'm going to get an $8,000 liposuction procedure."

Pantoliano recalled sending the bill for the surgery to the studio, counting the liposuction as "research and development" for the role, but they never reimbursed him.

It makes sense that Pantoliano would be the least willing to go through the training the rest of the cast had to endure, as his character is the least involved in the action anyway. He isn't involved much in the groundbreaking in-Matrix fight scenes. When he betrays the team, he does it by killing them in the real world while they're essentially sleeping. He's a side-villain whose weapon is his brain, not his fists. He doesn't need to be physically imposing.  

The fact that Cypher doesn't seem as naturally thin or as toned as the rest of the crew helps to subtly foreshadow his turn to the dark side, to indicate that this is a man not quite suited to the life of austerity the others have committed to. It's a tragic fall from grace, but it's an understandable one; I too would betray humanity for the chance to eat some good steak again (please don't quote me on that). 

Making Pantoliano's decision to get liposuction more sympathetic are the stories from the rest of the cast detailing how rough the physical training was for them. "I couldn't walk for days," said Carrie-Anne Moss, talking about the aftermath of a days-long screen test that involved countless stunt practice. "I remember thinking, 'They don't really think I'm gonna do this stuff, like jumping from one building to another. Of course I'm not going to do that!'" For Pantoliano — a character actor, not an action lead — maybe putting this sort of strain on his muscles just didn't seem worth the trouble.