Good or evil? Definitely evil. But in Reloaded Agent Smith's role gets a little more complicated. ''Well, I thought there was a fog of secrecy around this project,'' says Weaving, laughing. ''But things have sneaked out, so I don't think it's a secret that there's more than one Smith. That's the major development. He's also more of a free agent, but still out to get Neo. That's very clear. That's his sole purpose.''

What's it like to see 100 versions of yourself engaged in a huge kung fu battle? ''I just laugh. I think it's bizarre,'' the 43-year-old Australian says. ''When we shot it there were 13 of us -- me and 12 stunt guys who all had their heads shaved, because I have quite a high forehead -- and they all had these wigs of exactly the same hair as me, and all the same suits, and they're all of very similar height. So strange.''

What was his oddest bit of career serendipity? The actor happened to be cast in two of the biggest franchises of the last decade: The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings, in which he plays Elrond the elf lord. ''You'd expect it, but I don't get bothered a lot,'' he says. ''Of course, that could be about to change.''

So what are those reclusive Wachowski boys really like? ''Very different, but complementary. They finish each other's sentences and they round off the same sentences with the same sound effects. But the brothers make up two halves of a whole. Larry is more cerebral and Andy is more tactile.''

Does he look good in latex? N/A. Smith is more of a dark-suit-and-shades kinda guy.

So Hugo, buddy, how does it all end? [Silence]