Keanu Reeves pauses and chokes up during interview when asked about The Matrix

Keanu Reeves appeared to become emotional as he spoke about The Matrix 25 years on from the movie first being released.

Reeves was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as the host was telling him how long it had been since some of the major movies in his career had been released.

It was 35 years since the release of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Point Break would turn 33 this year, Speed came out 30 years ago and The Matrix released just over 25 years ago.

Newer audiences will know him more from John Wick, and the first of those movies released all the way back in 2014.

Anyhow, Colbert asked Reeves if he'd quickly rattle through those movies and reveal his fondest memory from working on them.

Wholesome fellow that he is, Keanu's answers were packed full of praise for the people he'd worked on the films with.

He had an emotional answer when asked about The Matrix. (YouTube/The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

He said the best bit about Bill and Ted was 'friendship and acting with Alex Winter', while Point Break owed much to 'the genius of Kathryn Bigelow and the beauty and professional, awesome Patrick Swayze'.

Speed on the other hand was summed up by the actor saying: "Sandra Bullock and Jan de Bont the director saying 'give me the f**king camera!"

However, he seemed to take some time considering his answer for The Matrix.

Reeves sat on the talk show sofa and pondered what the movie franchise meant to him, thinking for so long that Colbert joked that they were going to cut to an ad break.

Eventually, the actor thought of his answer, and it was a damn good one.

The Matrix just turned 25 and it still holds up. (Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)

"The Matrix changed my life, and then over these years, it’s changed so many other people’s lives in really positive and great ways," Keanu said.

"And so as an artist you hope for that, when you get to do a film or tell a story.

"So when you say these years, the amount of people that I have met who have said to me and been touched by The Matrix in such a positive way, it’s the best."

The actor appeared to be visibly emotional as he gave his answer, particularly when he was talking about people telling him how the film had impacted them.

It's certainly not the first eloquent and admirable answer Reeves has given on the show.

During an earlier appearance, he was asked by Colbert what he thinks happens to us when we die, leading the actor to respond that: "I know that the ones who love us will miss us."

Plenty of viewers thought it was a 'beautiful answer' to an 'impossible question'.