Positive Attitude Guides Gaye Through 'Matrix,' Beyond

When Nona Gaye's character Zee entered "The Matrix Reloaded" in May, writer-director brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski eased her into the storyline by establishing her relationship with boyfriend Link (Harold Perinneau) and ties to the first film of the blockbuster trilogy.

But now that Zee has been given the opportunity to strut her stuff and kick some serious butt in "The Matrix Revolutions," something tells me that her life in the realm of the "Matrix" fan universe is about to change.

Sure, the 29-year-old actress has been able to pick up a few items at a convenience store with relative ease of late; but Gaye also very well realizes that her blissful days of being anonymous -- unlike her co-stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Jada Pinkett-Smith -- may soon be coming to an end.

"It's starting to happen, but it's not too crazy yet," Gaye told me, laughing during a recent @ The Movies interview. "Usually when I go out, I'm wearing sweatpants, a T-shirt and no makeup. I don't think a lot of people recognize me when they see me. But when they do, what I get rather than 'That's Zee!' is, 'Do I know you from somewhere?'"

If people aren't sure about the face, they'll certainly know the name. That's because Nona Gaye is the daughter of late singing legend Marvin Gaye, who died when the actress was 9 years old.

Addressing the loss of a loved one is a very tough thing for me to do with anybody, let alone to the daughter of a man who touched millions of people with his music. After all, I'm sure reporters ask Gaye about her dad all of the time -- and no doubt some of those questions are intrusive.

But having lost my mother seven years ago, I can certainly respect the pain of anybody who has experienced the death of a parent.

While it's been 20 years since Marvin Gaye has died, Nona Gaye told me that she's always maintained her spiritual connection with her dad.

"I feel him a lot, even when I go out for roles I'll ask, 'I'll say Dad, am I going to get this one?' Every time I get a role, he'll come on the radio, and it will be 'Let's Get it On' or 'What's Goin' On' or something," Gaye explained to me. "Every single time I've landed a role he's there to say, 'Yeah, you got this one.'"

"Now, you can take that any way you want to, and maybe say it's coincidence," Gaye continued. "But it isn't to me. I receive and I embrace any kind of messages or feeling I get from my father. I grab onto them with both hands."

One thing that Gaye knows about her last name is that it doesn't guarantee automatic success. When it comes to music (she had a top 20 R&B chart hit with "I'm Overjoyed" in 1992) and working on films like "Reloaded," "Revolutions" or the upcoming big-screen adaptation of the classic children's book "The Polar Express," Gaye says the pressure is there to deliver like any other performer.

"I'm not going to lie to you and say doors haven't been opened because of my last name, but when one is opened, I have to walk through it by myself," said Gaye, whose first starring role came opposite Will Smith as one of the boxing legend's wives in 2001's "Ali." "I have to bring the goods after the door is opened. So if I suck, it could just as easily be closed on me as anybody else."

Of course, what made her role in "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" all the more difficult to approach was the circumstances under which she came in: Gaye replaced Aaliyah in the role of Zee after the singer and seven others died in a plane crash in the Bahamas in August 2001.

"After I settled into the role and got to know everybody and started doing scenes, I loosened up," Gaye recalled. "But taking the role wasn't an easy thing or a happy thing. I was grateful and excited, but there was a bit of a pall cast because we lost a wonderful and incredible person in Aaliyah. I was connected to that tragedy because there were two people that I knew and loved very much that died with her. So, it wasn't easy for me to accept the role."

Before she took the role, Gaye said she sought the acceptance of Aaliyah's family. Gaye approached them with a great deal of respect, because she knew they were in circumstances that were for a reason all too familiar to her.

"I did it because I knew what it was like to lose someone in the public eye -- to not be able to grieve or mourn properly because everyone is mourning with you," Gaye explained. "I would want that sort of respect for me if they were doing a film about my father. That's what pushed me to make that call. After her brother Rashad said it was OK, and said that Aaliyah would want the role to be filled, it lifted a bit of the sadness and apprehensiveness. I could breathe a bit more."

What made things complete for Gaye was that the cast and crew of "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" were there to accept her as well.

"They embraced me and made me part of the family," Gaye said. "Carrie-Anne, Jada, Harold, Keanu, Laurence -- everybody. They all made me feel a part of it."

Adjusting To 'The Matrix' Universe

While Gaye settled in with "The Matrix" family, she admits she's still trying to get a handle on the enormity of the trilogy's cultural impact.

"I've thought it many, many times in the middle of the night," Gaye said, laughing. "When we were doing the press junket, the most-asked question was 'How do you feel about being a part of this?' It was like asking someone how they feel about being a part of 'The Godfather,' being part of 'Star Wars.' It's crazy -- the way these movies have been received is phenomenal."

Gaye said she was overwhelmed by the fan response in Hollywood, Calif., during the simultaneous world unveiling last week of "Revolutions."

"The fans at the opening the film at Grauman's Chinese Theater were unbelievable," Gaye enthused. "There were people dressed up like all of the characters, and I was just watching it in awe thinking, 'I'm a part of this now.' I was so honored that I was involved while these people were clapping, screaming, stomping their feet and waiting to get inside the theater. To know I had something to do with a small part of it was a nice feeling."

Gaye will be with "Matrix" studio Warner Bros. again for "Polar Express," and like her "Matrix" films, she'll be working with cutting-edge computer-generated technology. Working on both productions have kept her continually fascinated with the wonders of filmmaking.

"I wasn't quite prepared for how detailed and intricate things are and how much work and blood and sweat and tears it takes to make films like 'The Matrix' trilogy and 'The Polar Express,'" Gaye said. "I don't know how these men that do CGI work get any sleep. It's brilliant."

And to make the next step on her acting journey all the more exciting, Gaye will be riding on "The Polar Express" with Tom Hanks.

"To work with Tom was just No. 1 freak-out," Gaye said, giddily. "And just to think I said to myself, 'What am I going to do after the "Matrix" movies?'" Better yet, she said, her 6-year-old son will be in the film, too.

"I'm so blessed -- I don't know what to do," Gaye said, humbly. "I wake up every morning and say 'God, thank you so much.'"

And because of those blessings, Gaye said she's going to continue living life to the fullest.

"You never know when things are going to change, or when they are going to end or when your last day on this earth is," Gaye said. "But I know now that I will be proud of what I did for the rest of my life and that it will go down in history and remembered. That should not be taken lightly. I hope I will be able to sit with my son in maybe 20 years and hear him say, 'Mom, that was pretty awesome what you did.'"

The key to the happiness in her life, Gaye told me, is attitude. And she plans on keeping hers positive -- always.

"It's a cliche, but I believe it's true: Life is what you make it," Gaye said. "If you walk down the street and don't stop to look at the sky, stop to look at your child's eyes, or stop and feel your heart beating, life will pass you by. What will you have to show for it? To me it is all about attitude."