Wachowski Brothers

The powerhouse duo known as the Wachowski brothers is composed of Laurence Wachowski and Andrew Wachowski, known popularly as Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski respectively. Larry was born June 21, 1965, while Andy was born December 29, 1967. Growing up in the same home, both were raised in the Chicago area. Their mother worked as a nurse, while their father pursued his career as a businessman.

Their schooling was identical, attending Kellogg Elementary School followed by Whitney Young High School, until college when they went their separate ways. Larry attended Bard College in New York, and Andy attended the prestigious liberal arts-centered Emerson College in Massachusetts. Ultimately, however, both men dropped out of college and began working carpentry together. Both displayed a keen interest in film throughout high school, and their carpentry job presented plenty of opportunities to refine their long-developing plans for what would later develop into The Matrix trilogy.

Their first Hollywood job was as writers for the 1995 thriller Assassins starring Antonio Banderas, Sylvester Stallone, Kelly Rowan, and Julianne Moore. While the film was poorly received, it didn’t faze the Wachowskis. They knew it was only a matter of time before they made a name for themselves in a big way.

The following year, they made their directorial debut. With it came the critical acclaim they desired. Starring Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, and Christopher Melani, Bound turned heads at multiple film festivals. But perhaps even more importantly, they captured the movie-going youth. With a story centered on the romantic involvement of Gershon and Tilly, the two were honored with “Best Kiss” at the MTV Movie Awards.

But it was 1999 that would make them international stars in the film arena. With their unique vision and retooling of the sci-fi genre, The Matrix burst onto the scene and stunned critics and audiences alike. Stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving attained cult icon status, instantly associated with their characters Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, and Agent Smith.

In the following years, they would continue to build and elaborate on their unique universe in the animated Animatrix series as well as the live action sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Despite the addition of strong side characters such as Monica Bellucci, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Gina Torres, the sequels failed to deliver the same thrill as the original. Further complicating matters, controversy surrounded the films. Sophia Stewart, claiming the idea was stolen from her book “The Third Eye,” initiated a lawsuit, which was later dismissed due to her inability to produce evidence quickly enough.

Post-Matrix, the brothers wrote the screenplay for the very successful Natalie Portman and Stephen Fry film V for Vendetta. They are currently in post-production for the film version of Speed Racer.

In his personal life, Andy married Alisa Blasingame in 1991, and they are currently still together.