Actress loses role in Matrix sequel after being deported
A Canadian actress has lost her chance to appear in the first Matrix sequel after being deported from Australia.
Brendalee Doen was arrested and detained in Sydney after returning from a holiday on an expired visa.
She had become a minor celebrity in Australia by appearing as a barmaid in a TV commercial.
After a nine-day holiday in Japan, Doen was arrested by immigration officers because her tourist visa had expired two days earlier.
She claims she was targeted because of her high profile in Sydney, reports said.
Doen spent three days in the prison while her case was processed.
She is now barred from visiting Australia for three years and will not be able to appear in The Matrix Reloaded.
It stars fellow Canadian Keanu Reeves and is being filmed in Sydney.
Doen says she plans a legal challenge to the deportation order because she wants to return to work in Australia.
Critics have denounced the Australian government for its policy of detaining any visitor whose visa expires.
Tourists who let their paperwork lapse can find themselves thrown into immigration jails.
They remain locked up until they can raise enough money to post a bond.
