Matrix' Actor Marcus Chong Sues Over Tank Role

Reuters ^ | Mon May 19, 2003 08:19 PM ET | Reuters

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Marcus Chong has sued the makers of "The Matrix" for allegedly reneging on a promise to recast him as a freedom fighter in the 1999 sci-fi thriller's two sequels.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Warner Bros. and parent company AOL Time Warner and the film's producers of breaching their 1998 oral agreement and a 2000 contract to revive his character, Tank, in the two sequels, and of slandering him.

Chong, 35, also accused the filmmakers of "intentionally publishing numerous false statements ... that he was a terrorist," and of conspiring to blackball him in Hollywood.

A bail receipt document posted on a fan Web site shows that Chong was arrested on Oct. 18, 2000 for allegedly making threats -- five days after his salary negotiations with the studio collapsed.

Film industry sources said the actor made repeated phone calls of a harassing nature to the filmmakers after his salary demands were not met. Tank was subsequently written out of the sequels and replaced with a character named Link.

A Warner Bros. spokesman and a spokeswoman for writer-directors Andy and Larry Wachowski declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Chong's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Released last week, "The Matrix Reloaded" enjoyed first weekend box office sales of $93.3 million -- higher than any R-rated film in U.S. history and No. 2 among all releases.

"The Matrix Reloaded" stars Keanu Reeves as a resistance fighter who battles an army of machines that seek to take control of the last human city, Zion. It will be followed in November by a third movie, "The Matrix Revolutions."

[50sDad]

Greedy, greedy, greedy!!!

[Michael Barnes]

Tank took the blue pill

[Mr.Atos]

Chong was arrested on Oct. 18, 2000 for allegedly making threats ...the actor made repeated phone calls of a harassing nature to the filmmakers after his salary demands were not met.

Who blacklisted him?

[Frohickey]

[ikka]

I liked the Tank character a lot more than the Rastafarian like Link.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Tommy Chong's son, Rae Dawn Chong's brother, also brother to four other siblings.

Obviously all those stories about pot reducing sperm count are bogus...

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Obviously all those stories about pot reducing sperm count are bogus...

while the stories about pot reducing neuron count are true.

[Pukin Dog]

So, instead of taking SOME money versus NO money, and becoming a part of movie folklore forever, this man decided to raise a stink?

He missed the talk show circuit, opening night, and lots of groupie sex.

He's a smart one.

[green team 1999]

bump

[Havoc]

Obviously all those stories about pot reducing sperm count are bogus...

But the stories about the loss of iq points seem well upheld.

[Williams]

Sad story. Maybe he had an argument about getting more bucks, but if he started threatening people and went off the deep end that was a really bad move. I think this will still put him in movie folklore. The character was likeable. I'd be interested to know how much he wanted versus the offer he got.

[joesnuffy]

One more reason to always "get it in writing" witnessed, notarized & in triplicate with one copy to your lawyer another to your mom