KEANU REEVES – BIOGRAPHY OF THE KINDEST ACTOR IN HOLLYWOOD

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and musician. Filming in the trilogy “The Matrix” brought world popularity to the actor, since then Keanu has been a favorite of the public and a Hollywood star.

Keanu Reeves is not a typical Hollywood actor, having millions in his personal account, he rides the subway and dresses more modestly. The actor even earned the title of the kindest actor in Hollywood.

Name: Keanu Charles Reeves

Date of birth: September 2, 1964

Occupation: actor, producer, director, and musician

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Height: 186

Marital status: not married

Childhood and school years

Keanu Charles Reeves was born on September 2, 1964, in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Keanu became the first child in the family of Samuel Reeves and Patricia Bond. My father was a geologist, and my mother was a costume designer and dancer. Reeves’ father did not have a higher education; it was difficult for him to find a decently paid job. Samuel received his certificate in prison, where he ended up for drug trafficking.

Keanu owes his unusual name to his Hawaiian father, which means “wind over the mountains.” The boy mixed several types of blood – Hawaiian, Chinese, English, Portuguese and Irish.

When Keanu was two years old, his younger sister Kim was born. And a year after the birth of the baby, the father left Patricia with one of two children. Since then, the children have not communicated with him.

Three years later, Keanu, his mother, and his sister moved to live in New York. Patricia began working as a costume designer and met Broadway director Paul Aaron, whom she married. Soon the family decided to move to Toronto. After that, Patricia had another marriage, in which two Keanu sisters were born – Karina and Emma.

Reeves’ home in Toronto was opposite the music studio where Alice Cooper often recorded his songs. The boy came to listen to his favorite songs, so they became friends.

Keanu had a hard time learning at school. The reason for the failure was dyslexia, a disorder in which it is difficult for a person to write and read. This not only caused poor grades, but also ridicule from classmates. But Keanu was great at chess. He played so well that he asked for a dollar from anyone who wanted to beat him.

Keanu Reeves changed several educational institutions. Having left the Catholic school for boys, the young man went to study at a free school, where he could play hockey. On the ice, Keanu became the best player in the school and was nicknamed “the wall” by his comrades for his excellent role as a goalkeeper. He seriously thought about devoting his life to hockey, but an injury closed his road to the future of a sport forever.

As a result, Keanu dropped out of school without getting his diploma. As a young man, he went on a free voyage. For some time, the future actor lived independently and worked part-time in several places at once: he sharpened skates, sold souvenirs, and starred in commercials.

Actor career

At school, Keanu tried himself in theatrical productions. The first serious role went to him in the musical “Damn Yankees” when the actor was 9 years old. Later, he played the role of Mercutio in the play, Romeo and Juliet.

For the first time in front of television cameras, Keanu Reeves appeared on the set of commercials. Then he considered the work of an actor just an opportunity to earn extra money. Then Keanu began acting in short films and soon he was offered small roles in TV shows.

Reeves got his first major role in Youngblood (1986). There he tried on the already familiar image of a hockey goalie. After the release of the picture, the young actor decided to go to Los Angeles to build a career in cinema. With this, he was helped by his stepfather, who found an agent for him.

The agent was Erwin Stoff, who to this day collaborates with the actor and sometimes acts as a producer of his films. He advised Keanu to take a pseudonym, as he considered his name too exotic. Therefore, at the beginning of his career in the credits, Keanu could be listed as Norman Reeves or Chuck Speed.

After several cameo roles, Reeves was offered to play one of the main characters in the film “By the River”. Critics responded positively to the work of an aspiring actor and he continued to work in similar films aimed at teenagers and young people. So he starred in the drama “Eternal Song” and the comedy “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”

Soon Keanu began to offer more serious roles in highly paid projects. So in 1991, the actor starred in the film “On the crest of a wave.” For this role, Reeves received an MTV Award nomination for Most Desirable Actor. He then starred in the independent film My Own Private Idaho, along with his close friend River Phoenix.

The project “Dracula” directed by Francis Ford Coppola turned out to be successful, where the actor got one of the main roles. Then Reeves reincarnated as Buddha in Bernardo Bertolucci’s film Little Buddha.

In 1994, Keanu Reeves was offered to shoot in the action movie Speed. The actor’s partner in the film was Sandra Bullock. Box office receipts were impressive – more than $1 million. The action film received two Oscar nominations for editing and sound engineering, and also entered the top 100 most spectacular films of the 20th century.

Another successful work in the career of Keanu Reeves was the film “Johnny Mnemonic”, based on the novel by William Gibson. The film was shot in the genre of fantasy and tells the story of an alternative future. The main character, played by Keanu, is an information courier whose brain has been implanted with a chip for transporting data. The original script for the movie didn’t have as many action scenes, but they decided to add them after Reeves’ huge success in Speed.

In 1997, it was decided to shoot a sequel to the film “Speed” and Keanu Reeves was called to the site again, but the actor refused. Even $ 11 million did not convince the actor. The reason for this decision was another project in which Keanu could star with Al Pacino himself. It was in order to work with the cinema meter that Reeves turned down the invitation. Al Pacino’s The Devil’s Advocate won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film.

Forever the life of Keanu Reeves was changed by the film “The Matrix”, which was released in 1999. The role of Neo brought Keanu Reeves worldwide fame and popularity. However, this might not have happened, because the role was originally offered to Will Smith, but he considered the film unpromising.

The Matrix marked a new era and entered the list of cult films. In 2003, two more parts of the action movie came out. In general, Keanu Reeves received a fee of more than $ 200 million for his work on three films. But the actor did not waste his fortune, he gave almost 80% to the technical team of the film and spent it on charity.

The success of The Matrix not only made Keanu Reeves a Hollywood star but also played a cruel joke on him. Many subsequent projects with the participation of the actor were already perceived biased. The audience expected to see a character similar to Neo on the screen, and in other roles of Reeves caused criticism and discontent.

Soon the actor managed to “rehabilitate himself” in the film “Konstantin”. The mystical thriller was released in 2005. Keanu Reeves played the main role – the exorcist and medium Constantine, who saves humanity from demons.

On January 31, 2005, Keanu Reeves received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2006, a film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s book “The Blurred” was released. Richard Linklater’s film was not quite ordinary, it was drawn. Talented actors gathered on one set – Robert Downey Jr., Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, and Keanu Reeves in the title role.

In the same year, the melodrama Lake House was released, where Keanu again worked with Sandra Bullock. The audience liked the touching story of the main characters and the dramatic plot.

This was followed by several more successful films with Keanu. And in 2013, fans saw another side of Reeves – directorial. His first film, Master of Tai Chi, was released. In general, reviews of the film are positive and Reeves’ directorial debut can be called successful.

In parallel with the work on his project, Keanu Reeves starred in the film “47 Ronin”. Among the film’s actors, Keanu was the only American, the rest of the actors were Japanese. A dynamic fantasy action movie that was liked by viewers and critics alike.

In 2014, the action movie John Wick was released. A tense plot, epic shootouts, and emotional characters brought the film a success. At the box office, the picture collected almost $ 90 million.

After such success, everyone was waiting for another high-quality picture, but it did not work out. The film “Daughter of God” was a failure. Reeves’ fans were upset that the actor agreed to shoot on a project that was immediately doomed to failure.

The film “Neon Demon” once again returned the fans’ faith in Keanu Reeves. The picture tells about the reverse side of the modeling business, which so attracts young girls. Critics were surprised that the plot, hackneyed at first glance, was so successfully beaten. The film was included in the list of contestants at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2017, the long-awaited sequel John Wick 2 was released. Again, great story and great acting. At the box office, the picture collected almost twice as much as the first part – $ 171 million. The ending of the film was left open, so the audience is looking forward to the continuation of the action.

In parallel, Keanu starred in the film “To the Bone”. His sister Karina made her debut in the project as a producer. The film tells about a girl suffering from anorexia and her treatment under the special program of Dr. Beckham. Keanu Reeves played the doctor, and young actress Lily Collins played the losing weight patient. The premiere took place at the Sundance Independent Film Festival, where the film was presented in the competition program.

As you know, not only the best are rewarded in the cinema, but also the worst. Despite many successful roles and box office projects, Keanu managed to earn a nomination for the Golden Raspberry anti-award 7 times and become one of its leaders. In 2005, the actor was nominated for the title of “Worst Loser in the First 25 Years”. 10 years later, after the release of the film “Don Wick”, the actor “cleared” his name and received a prize for restoring his reputation.

Music

Keanu Reeves is not only an actor but also a musician. He played bass in the rock band Dogstar. The musical group was founded in 1991 and for all its activities has released only 2 albums. At the same time, the group was quite popular. In 1995, they were invited to act as the opening act for Bon Jovi on a tour of Australia.

Interestingly, in ordinary life, Keanu is left-handed, but when he performed on stage, he played the guitar with his right hand. His musician friends said that Keanu was always very modest and restrained on stage, as in other things and always.

Personal life

Unlike their career, Keanu Reeves’ personal life is very tragic. He has always been withdrawn and not sociable. Even at school, he had many complexes, some of which have remained with him to this day.

In 1993, the first tragedy in the life of Keanu Reeves happened. His best friend River Phoenix died at the age of 23. The cause of death of the actor was a drug overdose.

The actor’s first serious relationship was with Jennifer Syme. They met through friends in 1998. And it was definitely love at first sight. The lovers began a serious relationship and soon they began to live in a civil marriage. A year later, Jennifer became pregnant.

The couple was looking forward to the birth of their daughter Ava Archer. But a week before the expected birth, a misfortune happened – the baby’s heart stopped beating. With the help of artificial childbirth, Jennifer gave birth to a dead girl. Keanu also attended the operation.

The tragedy had a profound effect on both parents. Jennifer tried to forget herself in noisy companies, and Keanu got depressed. Only 2 years have passed since another grief happened – Jennifer died. The girl was in a car accident. Due to not wearing a seat belt, she flew out through the windshield of her car and died immediately. After the tragedy, Keanu filmed a public service announcement about the importance of wearing a seatbelt while driving.

The actor’s depression worsened and he even tried to take cocaine but stopped in time. In 2003, fate brought him a new test – his sister Kim had an exacerbation of leukemia, which she had suffered for 10 years. Keanu spared no effort or money to somehow help his sister. Fortunately, the disease has receded. Keanu constantly donates money to funds to help people with cancer.

After Jennifer, the actor did not have a serious relationship. In 2010, Keanu and Charlize Theron were rumored to be dating, but the actors are just good friends. Charlize supported a friend during her depression.

In 2013, magazines were full of headlines about Reeves’ new romance with Russian actress Anna Skidanova. The reason was the photo of Anna and Keanu on a walk with friends on a yacht. Later, the actress said that they were just talking and nothing more.

Friends of the actor say that he is afraid of a serious relationship. The tragedies that happened in his life forever changed his attitude towards marriage and children, in one of his interviews, Keanu said that it was too late for him to be a father.

In 2010, Keanu became the subject of a meme. Who filmed him sitting on a park bench eating a sandwich. At the same time, the actor looked very sad. The photo quickly spread on the network and they began to call him “Sad Keanu.” Reeves fans have declared July 15 as Keanu Reeves Cheer Up Day.

Big fees did not “spoil” the actor, he continues to ride the subway, dress in ordinary stores, and communicate with ordinary people. Keanu does not like to advertise his charitable activities, but the actor spends almost all of his money on helping others. He repeatedly gave his fees to the workers of the set, who, in his opinion, did much more than the actors.

Filmography of Keanu Reeves

• 1986 – Youngblood
• 1986 – Act of Retribution
• 1986 – Disneyland
• 1986 – Flight
• 1986 – Brotherhood of Justice
• 1986 – Influenced
• 1986 – Children in Toyland
• 1987 – On the riverbank
• 1987 – Hard Times
• 1988 – Last night
• 1988 – Eternal song
• 1988 – Prince of Pennsylvania
• 1988 – Dangerous Liaisons
• 1989 – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
• 1989 – American Theater
• 1989 – Parents
• 1990 – I love you to death
• 1990 – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
• 1990 – Tune in for tomorrow
• 1991 – On the crest of a wave
• 1991 – The New Adventures of Bill and Ted
• 1991 – My Own Private Idaho
• 1991 – Providence
• 1992 – Dracula
• 1993 – Much Ado About Nothing
• 1993 – Poetic Justice
• 1993 – Image
• 1993 – Little Buddha
• 1994 – Even cowboy girls get sad sometimes
• 1994 – Speed
• 1995 – Johnny Mnemonic
• 1995 – A walk in the clouds
• 1996 – Chain Reaction
• 1996 – Feeling Minnesota
• 1997 – Suicide
• 1997 – The Devil’s Advocate
• 1999 – The Matrix
• 1999 – Me and Will
• 2000 – Doubler
• 2000 – Observer
• 2000 – Dar
• 2001 – Sweet November
• 2001 – Hardball
• 2003 – Animatrica
• 2003 – Entering the Matrix
• 2003 – The Matrix Reloaded
• 2003 – The Matrix: Revolution
• 2003 – Love by the rules and without
• 2005 – Constantine: Lord of Darkness
• 2005 – Echo
• 2005 – Bad habit
• 2005 – Ellie Parker
• 2006 – The Great Warming
• 2006 – House by the lake
• 2006 – Turbidity
• 2008 – Street Kings
• 2008 – The Day the Earth Stood Still
• 2009 – The Private Life of Pippa Lee
• 2009 – Easy Assembly
• 2011 – Henry’s Crime Feature
• 2012 – Three in New York
• 2013 – Master of Tai Chi
• 2013 – 47 ronin
• 2014 – John Wick
• 2015 – Who’s there
• 2015 – Only the truth
• 2015 – Daughter of God
• 2016 – Neon Demon
• 2016 – Rhine
• 2016 – Bad Batch
• 2017 – John Wick 2
• 2017 – – To the bone
• 2018 – How to marry a bachelor
• 2018 – Reproduction
• 2018 – Professional
• 2019 – John Wick 3