U OUGHT TO KNOW.

Byline: - Addison Pate

LACHY HULME

Age: 32

Profession: Actor

Why U ought to know him: Australian Lachy Hulme is bursting into the ``Matrix'' universe as Sparks, the timid, neurotic operator of the ship Logos in the video game ``Enter the Matrix.''

Sparks is a brilliant but cowardly operator who must lead crew mates Niobi (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Ghost (Anthony Wong) through the twists and turns of the Matrix.

``He's the filthy coward of the Matrix universe,'' Hulme says. ``Sparks is real. He will say and do anything to avoid dangerous situations. He's this foil for Ghost and Niobi.''

Where U've seen him before: Hulme made his American debut last year as CIA Agent Bob Wheeler in the comedy ``Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course.''

``I had a couple months off from filming the 'Matrix' sequels, and my agent rang asking if I'd want to do a film with Steve Irwin! At first, I thought he was joking,'' Hulme recalls, laughing.

Hulme's first on-camera credit came in the Australian indie film ``Four Jacks,'' which earned him a Best Actor Award at the 2001 Melbourne Underground Film Festival. ``Jacks'' director Matthew George teamed up with Hulme again for his next picture, ``Let's Get Skase,'' for which Hulme also co-wrote the script.

It was ``Skase'' that earned Hulme a shot at the ``Enter the Matrix'' game and ``The Matrix Revolutions,'' the third film in the series, due out in November.

On working with Pinkett Smith and Wong: ``Great fun! We all felt this special bond because of creating this unique project. We like to think of ourselves as like the 'punk rock band' of the Matrix universe.''

On working with the Crocodile Hunter and his wife: ``Steve and Terri are great fun, very down to earth, very nice people. In fact, Terri is one of the funniest women I've ever met. I suppose you'd want to have a good sense of humor if you were married to a certifiable lunatic.''

On working with ``Matrix'' directors Larry and Andy Wachowski: ``It's a real learning curve to work with them. There is little room for deviation from what Andy and Larry want. Bottom line is that these guys know their material and there is nothing you can offer that they haven't already thought of.''

What's it like being a video game character? ``Spooky. I was over at a friend's house in L.A. and they were having a kids' birthday party. When they found out that Sparks from 'The Matrix' video game was there, they flipped out! I was swamped, and this was months before the video game had even been released.''

Do you expect your own action figure soon?: ``Yeah - wind him up and he'll talk forever.''

What does the future hold?: ``I'm hoping to work with Jada later this year on a very dark, very scary, sort of the-mother-of-all-conspiracy- thrillers project that we started to develop with the help of Phil Oosterhouse during the end of 'The Matrix' shoot.''

Where U can see him: ``Enter the Matrix'' debuted in stores the same day as ``The Matrix Reloaded.'' Hulme will also be featured in ``The Matrix Revolutions.''

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LACHY HULME