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Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
and raised in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). He had his breakthrough role in the science fiction comedy '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989), and he reprised his role in its sequels. He gained praise for playing a hustler in the independent drama '' My Own Private Idaho'' (1991) and established himself as an action hero with leading roles in '' Point Break'' (1991) and ''
Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quant ...
'' (1994). Following several box office failures, Reeves's performance in the horror film '' The Devil's Advocate'' (1997) was well received. Greater stardom came for playing
Neo Neo or NEO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * Neo (''The Matrix''), the alias of Thomas Anderson, a hacker and the protagonist of the Matrix film series * Neo (''Marvel Comics'' species), a fictional race of superhumans * ...
in the science fiction series '' The Matrix'', beginning in 1999. He played
John Constantine John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John To ...
in '' Constantine'' (2005) and starred in the romantic drama '' The Lake House'' (2006), the science fiction thriller '' The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (2008), and the crime thriller '' Street Kings'' (2008). Following another commercially down period, Reeves made a successful comeback by playing the titular assassin in the '' John Wick'' film series, beginning in 2014. In addition to acting, Reeves has directed the film '' Man of Tai Chi'' (2013). He has played bass guitar for the band Dogstar and pursued other endeavours such as writing and philanthropy.


Early life

Keanu Charles Reeves was born in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
, on September 2, 1964, the son of Patricia (née Taylor), a costume designer and performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. His mother is English, originating from
Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...
. His American father is from Hawaii, and is of Native Hawaiian, Chinese, English, Irish, and Portuguese descent. His grandmother from his father's side is Chinese Hawaiian. His mother was working in Beirut when she met his father, who abandoned his wife and family when Reeves was three years old. Reeves last met his father on the Hawaiian island of
Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest islan ...
when he was 13. After his parents divorced in 1966, his mother moved the family to Sydney, and then to New York City, where she married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director, in 1970. The couple moved to
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Canada, and divorced in 1971. When Reeves was nine, he took part in a theatre production of ''
Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., dur ...
''. Aaron remained close to Reeves, offering him advice and recommending him a job at the Hedgerow Theater in Pennsylvania, United States. Reeves' mother married Robert Miller, a rock music promoter, in 1976; the couple divorced in 1980. She subsequently married her fourth husband, a hairdresser named Jack Bond; the marriage lasted until 1994. Reeves and his sisters grew up primarily in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto, with a nanny caring for them frequently. Because of his grandmother's ethnicity, he grew up with Chinese art, furniture, and cuisine. Reeves watched British comedy shows such as ''
The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, ser ...
'', and his mother imparted English manners that he has maintained into adulthood. Describing himself as a "private kid", Reeves attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was expelled. Reeves said he was expelled because he was "just a little too rambunctious and shot my mouth off once too often...I was not generally the most well-oiled machine in the school". At De La Salle College, he was a successful
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
goalkeeper. Reeves had aspirations to become a professional ice hockey player for the Canadian Olympic team but decided to become an actor when he was 15. After leaving De La Salle College, he attended Avondale Secondary Alternative School, which allowed him to get an education while working as an actor. He dropped out of high school when he was 17. He obtained a green card through his American stepfather and moved to Los Angeles, United States three years later. Reeves holds Canadian citizenship by naturalization.


Career


1984–1990: Early work

In 1984, Reeves was a correspondent for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the governmen ...
(CBC) youth television program ''
Going Great ''Going Great'' is a Canadian newsmagazine type show that originally aired on CBC and premiered in the United States on Nickelodeon on October 1, 1983. Produced by Michael Maclear and hosted by Chris Makepeace, ''Going Great'' focused on kids of ...
''.YouTube clip
, CBC RetroBites: Keanu Reeves. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
That same year, he made his acting debut in an episode of the television series, called '' Hangin' In''. In 1985, he played Mercutio in a stage production of '' Romeo and Juliet'' at the Leah Posluns Theatre in North York, Ontario. He made further appearances on stage, including Brad Fraser's cult hit '' Wolfboy'' in Toronto. He also appeared in a
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...
commercial in 1983, and in the
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...
(NFB)
coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can be ...
, short film ''One Step Away''. Reeves made a foray into television films in 1986, including NBC's '' Babes in Toyland, Act of Vengeance'' and ''
Brotherhood of Justice ''The Brotherhood of Justice'' is a 1986 Canadian-American television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of ...
''. He made his first motion picture appearances in Peter Markle's '' Youngblood'' (1986), in which he played a
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...
, and in the low-budget romantic drama, '' Flying''. He was cast as Matt in '' River's Edge'', a crime drama about a group of high school friends dealing with a murder case, loosely based on the 1981 murder of Marcy Renee Conrad. The film premiered in 1986 at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
to a largely positive response.
Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' describes the performances of the young cast as "natural and credible", with Reeves being described as "affecting and sympathetic". Towards the end of the 1980s, Reeves starred in several dramas aimed at teen audiences, including as the lead in '' The Night Before'' (1988), a comedy starring opposite Lori Loughlin, ''
The Prince of Pennsylvania ''The Prince of Pennsylvania'' is a 1988 comedy drama film written and directed by Ron Nyswaner. It stars Fred Ward, Keanu Reeves, Bonnie Bedelia and Amy Madigan. It premiered at the 1988 Toronto International Film Festival (then the Toronto ...
'' (1988) and '' Permanent Record'' (1988). Although the latter received mixed reviews, ''Variety'' magazine praised Reeves' performance, "which opens up nicely as the drama progresses". His other acting efforts included a supporting role in '' Dangerous Liaisons'' (1988), which earned seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, winning three:
Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design. This was followed by '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989), in which he portrays a slacker who travels through time with a friend (portrayed by Alex Winter), to assemble historical figures for a school presentation. The film was generally well received by critics and grossed $40.5 million at the worldwide box office. Film
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
gave the film a 79% approval rating with the critical consensus: "Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are just charming, goofy, and silly enough to make this fluffy time-travel Adventure work". In 1989, Reeves starred in the comedy-drama '' Parenthood'' directed by
Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...
. Nick Hilditch of the BBC gave the film three out of five stars, calling it a "feelgood movie" with an "extensive and entertaining ensemble cast". In 1990, Reeves gave two acting performances; he portrayed an incompetent
hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may b ...
in the
black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to disc ...
''
I Love You to Death ''I Love You to Death'' is a 1990 American black comedy film directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring an ensemble cast featuring Kevin Kline, Tracey Ullman, Joan Plowright, River Phoenix, William Hurt, and Keanu Reeves. The screenplay by John ...
'', and played Martin, a
radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
employee in the comedy '' Tune in Tomorrow''. He also appeared in Paula Abdul's music video for '' Rush Rush'' which featured a '' Rebel Without a Cause'' motif, with him in the James Dean role.


1991–1994: Breakthrough with adult roles

In 1991, Reeves starred in '' Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'', a sequel to ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'', with his co-star Alex Winter. Michael Wilmington of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' wrote that the sequel was "more imaginative, more opulent, wilder and freer, more excitingly visualized", praising the actors for their "fuller" performances. Film critic Roger Ebert thought it was "a riot of visual invention and weird humour that works on its chosen sub-moronic level  ..It's the kind of movie where you start out snickering in spite of yourself, and end up actually admiring the originality that went into creating this hallucinatory slapstick". The rest of 1991 marked a significant transition for Reeves' career as he undertook adult roles. Co-starring with River Phoenix as a street hustler in the adventure '' My Own Private Idaho'', the characters embark on a journey of personal discovery. The story was written by
Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, producer, photographer, and musician. He has earned acclaim as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultu ...
, and is loosely based on
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and ''
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...
''. The film premiered at the 48th Venice International Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on September 29, 1991. The film earned $6.4 million at the box office. ''My Own Private Idaho'' was positively received, with Owen Gleiberman of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' describing the film as "a postmodern road movie with a mood of free-floating, trance-like despair ..a rich, audacious experience". ''The New York Times'' complimented Reeves and Phoenix for their insightful performances. Reeves starred alongside Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty and Gary Busey in the action thriller '' Point Break'' (1991), directed by Kathryn Bigelow. He plays an undercover FBI agent tasked with investigating the identities of a group of bank robbers. To prepare for the film, Reeves and his co-stars took surfing lessons with professional surfer Dennis Jarvis in Hawaii; Reeves had never surfed before. Upon its release, ''Point Break'' was generally well-received, and a commercial success, earning $83.5 million at the box office. Reeves' performance was praised by ''The New York Times'' for "considerable discipline and range", adding, "He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanour that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles". Writing for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'', Hal Hinson called Reeves the "perfect choice" and praised the surfing scenes, but opined that "the filmmakers have their characters make the most ludicrously illogical choices imaginable". At the 1992 MTV Movie Awards, Reeves won the Most Desirable Male award. In 1991, Reeves developed an interest in a music career; he formed an
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
band called Dogstar, consisting of members
Robert Mailhouse Robert Kenneth Mailhouse (born January 22, 1962) is an American actor and musician. He has also appeared in television series including the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' and the situation comedy '' Seinfeld''. He is the drummer for the grunge- ...
, Gregg Miller and Bret Domrose. Reeves played the bass guitar. A year later, he played Jonathan Harker in Francis Ford Coppola's Gothic horror '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'', based on Stoker's 1897 novel '' Dracula''. Starring alongside
Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy F ...
, Winona Ryder and
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
, the film was critically and commercially successful. It grossed $215.8 million worldwide. For his role, Reeves was required to speak with an English accent, which drew some ridicule; "Overly posh and entirely ridiculous, Reeves's performance is as painful as it is hilarious", wrote Limara Salt of Virgin Media. In a retrospective interview in 2015, director Coppola said, " eevestried so hard  ..He wanted to do it perfectly and in trying to do it perfectly it came off as stilted". ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning three in Best Costume Design,
Best Sound Editing This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
and Best Makeup. The film also received four nominations at the British Academy Film Awards. In 1993, he had a role in '' Much Ado About Nothing'', based on
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's play of the same name. The film received positive reviews, although Reeves was nominated for a
Golden Raspberry Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy ...
for Worst Supporting Actor. ''
The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...
'' magazine thought his casting was "unfortunate" because of his amateur performance. In that same year, he starred in two more drama films, '' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'' and '' Little Buddha'', both of which garnered a mixed-to-negative reception. ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' critic gave ''Little Buddha'' a mixed review but opined that Reeves' part as a prince was "credible". The film also left an impression on Reeves; he later said, "When I played this innocent prince who starts to suspect something when he has the first revelations about old age, sickness and death, it hit me. ..That lesson has never left me." He starred in the action thriller ''
Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quant ...
'' (1994) alongside Sandra Bullock and
Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...
. He plays police officer Jack Traven, who must prevent a bus from exploding by keeping its speed above 50 mph. ''Speed'' was the directorial debut of Dutch director Jan de Bont. Several actors were considered for the lead role, but Reeves was chosen because Bont was impressed with his ''Point Break'' performance. To look the part, Reeves shaved all his hair off and spent two months in the gym to gain muscle mass. During production, Reeves' friend River Phoenix (and co-star in ''My Own Private Idaho'') died, resulting in adjustments to the filming schedule to allow him to mourn. ''Speed'' was released on June 10 to a critically acclaimed response. Gene Siskel of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' lauded Reeves, calling him "absolutely charismatic  ..giving a performance juiced with joy as he jumps through elevator shafts  ..and atop a subway train". David Ansen, writing for ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'', summarized ''Speed'' as, "Relentless without being overbearing, this is one likely blockbuster that doesn't feel too big for its britches. It's a friendly juggernaut". The film grossed $350 million from a $30 million budget and won two Academy Awards in 1995Best Sound Editing and Best Sound.


1995–1998: Continued acting efforts

Reeves' next leading role came in the 1995
cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and ...
action thriller ''
Johnny Mnemonic "Johnny Mnemonic" is a science fiction short story by American-Canadian writer William Gibson. It first appeared in '' Omni'' magazine in May 1981, and was subsequently included in ''Burning Chrome'', a 1986 collection of Gibson's short fiction. ...
,'' directed by artist Robert Longo and based on the 1981 story of the same name by William Gibson. Set in 2021, it is about a man who has a cybernetic brain implant and must deliver a data package before he dies or is killed by the Yakuza. The film received mainly negative reviews and critics felt Reeves was "woefully miscast". Roger Ebert opined that the film is one of the "great goofy gestures of recent cinema, a movie that doesn't deserve one nanosecond of serious analysis but has a kind of idiotic grandeur that makes you almost forgive it." As part of the film studio's marketing efforts, a CD-ROM video game was also released. He next appeared in the romantic drama '' A Walk in the Clouds'' (1995), which also garnered mixed-to-negative reviews. Reeves plays a young soldier returning home from
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, trying to settle down with a woman he married impulsively just before he enlisted. Film critic Mick LaSalle opined that "''A Walk in the Clouds'' is for the most part a beautiful, well-acted and emotionally rich picture", whereas Hal Hinson from ''The Washington Post'' said, "The film has the syrupy,
Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
magic-moment look of a Bo Derek movie, and pretty much the same level of substance". Besides film work, Reeves retreated briefly to the theatre playing Prince Hamlet in a 1995 Manitoba Theatre Centre production of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
, Manitoba. '' The Sunday Times'' critic Roger Lewis believed his performance, writing he "quite embodied the innocence, the splendid fury, the animal grace of the leaps and bounds, the emotional violence, that form the Prince of Denmark ... He is one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he ''is'' Hamlet". Reeves was soon drawn to science fiction roles, appearing in '' Chain Reaction'' (1996) with co-stars Morgan Freeman, Rachel Weisz, Fred Ward, Kevin Dunn and Brian Cox. He plays a researcher of a green energy project, who has to go on the run when he is framed for murder. ''Chain Reaction'' was not a critical success and gained mostly a negative reaction; review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of 16% and described it as "a man-on-the-run thriller that mostly sticks to generic formula". Reeves' film choices after ''Chain Reaction'' were also critical disappointments. He starred in the independent crime comedy ''
Feeling Minnesota ''Feeling Minnesota'' is a 1996 American crime comedy film written and directed by Steven Baigelman. It stars Keanu Reeves, Vincent D'Onofrio, Cameron Diaz, Tuesday Weld, Dan Aykroyd, and Delroy Lindo. Plot Ex-stripper Freddie Clayton (Cameron ...
'' (1996), with Vincent D'Onofrio and
Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. With a variety of works in film, she is widely recognised for her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz has received various accolades, including nominations for fo ...
, which was described as "shoddily assembled, and fundamentally miscast" by Rotten Tomatoes. In that year, he turned down an offer to star in '' Speed 2: Cruise Control'', despite being offered a salary of $12 million. According to Reeves, this decision caused
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
to sever ties with him for a decade. Instead, Reeves toured with his band Dogstar, and appeared in the drama ''
The Last Time I Committed Suicide ''The Last Time I Committed Suicide'' is a 1997 American drama film directed by Stephen T. Kay. Based on a 1950 letter written by Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac, it stars Thomas Jane as Cassady. The cast also includes Keanu Reeves, Adrien Brody, Gr ...
'' (1997), based on a 1950 letter written by Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac. Reeves' performance gained mixed reviews; Paul Tatara of CNN called him "void of talent  ..here he is again, reciting his lines as if they're non-related words strung together as a memory exercise", whereas ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' magazine thought "Reeves gives the nearest thing to a performance in his career as the enthusiastic feckless drunk". He starred in the 1997
supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
horror '' The Devil's Advocate'' alongside
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
and Charlize Theron; Reeves agreed to a pay cut of several million dollars so that the film studio could afford to hire Pacino. Based on
Andrew Neiderman Andrew Neiderman (born October 26, 1940) is a best-selling American novelist. In 1987, he became the ghost writer for V. C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He formerly taught English at Fallsburg Jr./Sr. High School, in upstate New York. ...
's novel of the same name, the feature is about a successful young lawyer invited to New York City to work for a major firm, who discovers the owner of the firm is a
devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...
. ''The Devil's Advocate'' attracted positive reviews from critics. Film critic James Berardinelli called the film "highly enjoyable" and wrote, "There are times when Reeves lacks the subtlety that would have made this a more multi-layered portrayal, but it's nevertheless a solid job".


1999–2004: Stardom with ''The Matrix'' franchise and comedies

In 1999, Reeves starred in the critically acclaimed science fiction film '' The Matrix'', the first installment in what would become ''The Matrix'' franchise. Reeves portrays computer programmer Thomas Anderson, a hacker using the alias "
Neo Neo or NEO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * Neo (''The Matrix''), the alias of Thomas Anderson, a hacker and the protagonist of the Matrix film series * Neo (''Marvel Comics'' species), a fictional race of superhumans * ...
", who discovers humanity is trapped inside a simulated reality created by intelligent machines. Written and directed by
the Wachowskis Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965, formerly known as Larry Wachowski) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967, formerly known as Andy Wachowski) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans ...
, Reeves had to prepare by reading Kevin Kelly's '' Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World'', and Dylan Evans's ideas on
evolutionary psychology Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach in psychology that examines cognition and behavior from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify human psychological adaptations with regards to the ancestral problems they evo ...
. The principal cast underwent months of intense training with martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to prepare for the fight scenes. ''The Matrix'' proved to be a box office success; several critics considered it to be one of the best science fiction films of all time. Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times'' felt it was a "wildly cinematic futuristic thriller that is determined to overpower the imagination", despite perceiving weaknesses in the film's dialogue. Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' credited Reeves for being a "strikingly chic Prada model of an action hero", and thought the martial arts stunts were the film's strongest feature. ''The Matrix'' received Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound. After the success of ''The Matrix'', Reeves avoided another blockbuster in favour of a lighthearted sports comedy, '' The Replacements'' (2000). He agreed to a pay cut to enable
Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...
to co-star in the film. Against his wishes, Reeves starred in the thriller '' The Watcher'' (2000), playing a serial killer who stalks a retired FBI agent. He said that a friend forged his signature on a contract, which he could not prove; he appeared in the film to avoid legal action. Upon its release, the film was critically panned. That year, he had a supporting role in another thriller, Sam Raimi's '' The Gift'', a story about a woman (played by Cate Blanchett) with extrasensory perception asked to help find a young woman who disappeared. The film grossed $44 million worldwide. Film critic Paul Clinton of CNN thought the film was fairly compelling, saying of Reeves' acting: " aimimanaged to get a performance out of Reeves that only occasionally sounds like he's reading his lines from the back of a cereal box." In 2001, Reeves continued to explore and accept roles in a diverse range of genres. The first was a romantic drama, '' Sweet November'', a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. This was his second collaboration with Charlize Theron; the film was met with a generally negative reception. Desson Thompson of ''The Washington Post'' criticized it for its "syrupy cliches, greeting-card wisdom and over-the-top tragicomedy", but commended Reeves for his likability factor in every performance he gives. '' Hardball'' (2001) marked Reeves' attempt in another sports comedy. Directed by Brian Robbins, it is based on the book ''Hardball: A Season in the Projects'' by Daniel Coyle. Reeves plays Conor O'Neill, a troubled young man who agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of obtaining a loan. Film critic Roger Ebert noted the film's desire to tackle difficult subjects and baseball coaching, but felt it lacked depth, and Reeves' performance was "glum and distant". By 2002, his professional music career had come to an end when Dogstar disbanded. The band had released two albums during their decade together; ''Our Little Visionary'' in 1996 and ''Happy Ending'' in 2000. Sometime afterwards, Reeves performed in the band Becky for a year, founded by Dogstar band-mate Rob Mailhouse, but quit in 2005, citing a lack of interest in a serious music career. After being absent from the screen in 2002, Reeves returned to ''The Matrix'' sequels in 2003 with '' The Matrix Reloaded'' and ''
The Matrix Revolutions ''The Matrix Revolutions'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the third installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, released six months following ''The Matrix Reloaded''. The film stars ...
'', released in May and November, respectively.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as ...
for both films was completed back-to-back, primarily at Fox Studios in Australia. ''The Matrix Reloaded'' garnered mostly favourable reviews; John Powers of '' LA Weekly'' praised the "dazzling pyrotechnics" but was critical of certain machine-like action scenes. Of Reeves' acting, Powers thought it was somewhat "wooden" but felt he has the ability to "exude a charmed aura". Andrew Walker, writing for the ''
Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...
'', praised the
cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...
("visually it gives full value as a virtuoso workout for your senses") but he was less taken by the film's " dime-store philosophy". The film grossed $739 million worldwide. ''The Matrix Revolutions'', the third instalment, was met with mixed reception. According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the consensus was that "characters and ideas take a back seat to the special effects". Paul Clinton, writing for CNN, praised the special effects but felt Reeves' character was unfocused. In contrast, the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...
''s Carla Meyer was highly critical of the special effects, writing, " he Wachowskis computer-generated imagery goes from dazzling to deadening in action scenes that favor heavy, clanking weaponry over the martial-arts moves that thrilled viewers of ''The Matrix'' and ''The Matrix Reloaded''." Nevertheless, the film grossed a healthy $427 million worldwide, although less than the two previous films. '' Something's Gotta Give'', a romantic comedy, was Reeves' last release of 2003. He co-starred with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, and played Dr. Julian Mercer in the film. ''Something's Gotta Give'' received generally favourable reviews.


2005–2013: Thrillers, documentaries and directorial debut

In 2005, Reeves played the
titular role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
in '' Constantine'', an occult detective film, about a man who has the ability to perceive and communicate with half-angels and half-demons. The film was a respectable box office hit, grossing $230 million worldwide from a $100 million budget but attracted mixed-to-positive reviews. ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
''s critic wrote that "''Constantine'' isn't bad, but it doesn't deserve any imposing adjectives. It's occasionally cheesy, sometimes enjoyable, intermittently scary, and constantly spiked with celestial blatherskite". He next appeared in '' Thumbsucker'', which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. A comedy adapted from the 1999 Walter Kirn novel of the same name, the story follows a boy with a
thumb-sucking Thumb sucking is a behavior found in humans, chimpanzees, captive ring-tailed lemurs, and other primates.Benjamin, Lorna S.: "The Beginning of Thumbsucking." ''Child Development'', Vol. 38, No. 4 (Dec., 1967), pp. 1065–1078. It usually involve ...
problem. Reeves and the cast garnered positive critical reviews, with ''The Washington Post'' describing it as "a gently stirring symphony about emotional transition filled with lovely musical passages and softly nuanced performances". Reeves appeared in the Richard Linklater-directed animated science fiction thriller '' A Scanner Darkly'', which premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Reeves played Bob Arctor/Fred, an undercover agent in a futuristic dystopia under high-tech police surveillance. Based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, the film was a box office failure. However, the film attracted generally favourable reviews; Paul Arendt of the BBC thought the film was "beautiful to watch", but Reeves was outshone by his co-star Robert Downey Jr. His next role was Alex Wyler in '' The Lake House'' (2006), a romantic drama adaptation of the South Korean film '' Il Mare'' (2000), which reunited him with Sandra Bullock. Despite its box office success, Mark Kermode of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' was highly critical, writing "this syrup-drenched supernatural whimsy achieves stupidity at a genuinely international level  ..The last time Bullock and Reeves were together on screen the result was ''Speed''. This should have been entitled Stop". Towards the end of 2006, he co-narrated '' The Great Warming'' with
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...
, a documentary about climate change mitigation. Next in 2008, Reeves collaborated with director David Ayer on the crime thriller '' Street Kings''. He played an undercover policeman who must clear his name after the death of another officer. Released on April 11, the film grossed a moderate $66 million worldwide. The film's plot and Reeves' performance, however, were met with mostly unenthusiastic reviews. Paul Byrnes of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' stated, "It's full of twists and turns, a dead body in every reel, but it's not difficult to work out who's betraying whom, and that's just not good enough". ''The Guardian'' opined that "Reeves is fundamentally blank and uninteresting". Reeves starred in another science fiction film, '' The Day the Earth Stood Still'', a loose adaptation of the 1951 film of the same name. He portrayed Klaatu, an alien sent from outer space to try to change human behaviour or eradicate humans because of their environmental impact. At the 2009
Razzie Awards The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
, the film was nominated for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel. Many critics were unimpressed with the heavy use of special effects; ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' credited Reeves' ability to engage the audience, but thought the cinematography was abysmal and the "sub- Al-Gore environment lecture leaves you light-headed with tedium". Rebecca Miller's ''
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller. The screenplay is based on her novel of the same name. It features an ensemble cast including Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Maria ...
'' was Reeves' sole release of 2009, which premiered at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. The romantic comedy and its ensemble received an amicable review from ''The Telegraph''s David Gritten; "Miller's film is a triumph. Uniformly well acted, it boasts a psychologically knowing script, clearly written by a smart, assertive human". In 2010, he starred in another romantic comedy, ''
Henry's Crime ''Henry's Crime'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy crime film directed by Malcolm Venville and starring Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, and James Caan. The film follows Henry (Reeves), who goes to jail for a bank robbery he did not commit. Once re ...
'', about a man who is released from prison for a crime he did not commit, but then targets the same bank with his former cellmate. The film was not a box office hit. Reeves' only work in 2011 was an adult picture book titled ''Ode to Happiness'', which he wrote, complemented by Alexandra Grant's illustrations. Reeves co-produced and appeared in a 2012 documentary, '' Side by Side''. He interviewed filmmakers including
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...
,
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
, and Christopher Nolan; the feature investigated digital and photochemical film creation. Next, Reeves starred in '' Generation Um...'' (2012), an independent drama which was critically panned. In 2013, Reeves starred in his own directorial debut, the martial arts film '' Man of Tai Chi''. The film has
multilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...
dialogue and follows a young man drawn to an underground fight club, partially inspired by the life of Reeves' friend
Tiger Chen Tiger Chen (; born 3 March 1975) is a Chinese martial artist and actor. Tiger Chen is Yuen Wo Ping's protege and Keanu Reeves's teacher and friend. He was also Uma Thurman's stunt double. Life Early life Tiger Chen was born on 3 March 1975 in ...
. Principal photography took place in China and in Hong Kong. Reeves was also assisted by Yuen Woo-ping, the fight choreographer of ''The'' ''Matrix'' films. ''Man of Tai Chi'' premiered at the Beijing Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival, and received praise from director John Woo. A wider, warm response followed suit; Bilge Ebiri of ''Vulture'' thought the fight sequences were "beautifully assembled", and Reeves showed restraint with the film editing to present the fighters' motion sequences. The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote, "The brutally efficient shooting style Reeves employs to film master choreographer Yuen Woo-ping's breathtaking fights  ..is refreshingly grounded and old-school kinetic", while Dave McGinn of ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' called the film "ambitious but generic". At the box office, ''Man of Tai Chi'' was a commercial disappointment, grossing only $5.5 million worldwide from a budget of $25 million. Also in 2013, Reeves played Kai in the 3D fantasy ''
47 Ronin 47, 47 or forty-seven may refer to: *47 (number) *47 BC * AD 47 *1947 * 2047 * '47 (brand), an American clothing brand * ''47'' (magazine), an American publication * 47 (song), a song by Sidhu Moose Wala *47, a song by New Found Glory from the al ...
'', a Japanese
fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular m ...
about a group of rogue
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...
. The film premiered in Japan but failed to gain traction with audiences; reviews were not positive, causing
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
to reduce advertising for the film elsewhere. ''47 Ronin'' was a box office flop and was mostly poorly received.


2014–present: Resurgence with ''John Wick''

After this series of commercial failures, Reeves' career rebounded in 2014. He played the titular role in the action thriller '' John Wick'', directed by
Chad Stahelski Chad Stahelski (born September 20, 1968) is an American stuntman and film director. He is known for directing the 2014 film ''John Wick'' and directing its three sequels. Stahelski also doubled for Brandon Lee after the fatal accident involving L ...
. In the first instalment of the '' John Wick'' franchise, Reeves plays a retired hitman seeking vengeance. He worked closely with the screenwriter to develop the story; "We all agreed on the potential of the project. I love the role, but you want the whole story, the whole ensemble to come to life", Reeves said. Filmed on location in the New York City area, the film was eventually released on October 24 in the United States. ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' was impressed by the director's "confident, muscular action debut", and Reeves' "effortless" performance, which marked his return to the action genre. Jeannette Catsoulis of ''The New York Times'' praised Reeves' fight scenes and wrote he is "always more comfortable in roles that demand cool over hot, attitude over emotion". ''John Wick'' proved to be a box office success, grossing $86 million worldwide. Next, Reeves starred in a smaller-scale horror feature, '' Knock Knock'' (2015), a remake of the 1977 film ''
Death Game ''Death Game'' (also known as ''The Seducers'') is a 1977 American psychological thriller film directed by Peter S. Traynor, and starring Sondra Locke, Seymour Cassel, and Colleen Camp. The film follows an affluent San Francisco businessman who ...
''. Described as "over-the-top destruction" by the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...
'', Reeves plays a father, home alone, when two young women show up and start a game of cat and mouse. His other releases in 2015 were the documentaries ''
Deep Web The deep web, invisible web, or hidden web are parts of the World Wide Web whose contents are not indexed by standard web search-engine programs. This is in contrast to the "surface web", which is accessible to anyone using the Internet. Co ...
'', about crime on the
dark web The dark web is the World Wide Web content that exists on ''darknets'': overlay networks that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. Through the dark web, private computer networks can comm ...
, and '' Mifune: The Last Samurai'', about the life of a Japanese actor ( Toshiro Mifune) famous for playing samurai characters. He narrated both films. Reeves appeared in five film releases in 2016. The first was ''
Exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website Film and TV Film * ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film * ''Exposed'' (1932 ...
'', a crime thriller about a detective who investigates his partner's death and discovers police corruption along the way. The film received negative reviews for its confused plot, and Reeves was criticized for displaying limited facial expressions. His next release, the comedy '' Keanu'', was better received. In it he voiced the eponymous kitten. Reeves then had a minor role in '' The Neon Demon'', a psychological horror directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. He played Hank, a lustful motel owner who appears in Jesse's (played by Elle Fanning) nightmare. In his fourth release, he played a charismatic leader of a settlement in '' The Bad Batch''. His final release of the year was '' The Whole Truth'', featuring
Gabriel Basso Louis Gabriel Basso III (born December 11, 1994) is an American actor, known for his roles in the Showtime series '' The Big C'', the 2011 science fiction film '' Super 8'', and the 2013 comedy-drama ''The Kings of Summer''. Early life Basso w ...
, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Renée Zellweger, and
Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom '' According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include '' Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security' ...
. He played Richard, a
defence attorney A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicitor, ...
. Noel Murray of '' The A.V. Club'' described it as "moderately clever, reasonably entertaining courtroom drama", with a skilled cast but overall a "mundane" film. Reeves also appeared in ''
Swedish Dicks ''Swedish Dicks'' is an American-Swedish comedy web television series created by Peter Stormare, Glenn Lund, Peter Settman, and Andrew Lowery. The plot follows two unlicensed Swedish private investigators trying to make a living in Los Angeles. ...
'', a two-season web television series. In 2017, Reeves agreed to reprise his role for a sequel in the ''John Wick'' franchise, '' John Wick: Chapter 2''. The story carries on from the first film and follows ''John Wick'' as he goes on the run when a
bounty Bounty or bounties commonly refers to: * Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing Bounty or bounties may also refer to: Geography * Bounty, Saskatchewan, a g ...
is placed on him. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $171.5 million worldwide, more than its predecessor. Chris Hewitt of ''Empire'' magazine praised Reeves' performance, which complemented his previous action roles (''Point Break'' and ''Speed)''. However,
Justin Chang Justin Choigee Chang (born January 3, 1983) is an American film critic and columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times''. He previously worked for ''Variety''. Early life Justin Chang graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004. Chan ...
of the ''Los Angeles Times'' described the picture as "a down-and-dirty B-picture with a lustrous A-picture soul". Besides to this large-scale feature, Reeves starred in a drama, '' To the Bone'', in which he plays a doctor helping a young woman with anorexia. It premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, followed by distribution on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
in July. Early reviews were positive, with praise for its non-glamorized portrayal of anorexia, although the ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' magazine thought it was irresponsible. That year, Reeves also made cameo appearances in the films '' A Happening of Monumental Proportions'' and '' SPF-18''. Reeves reunited with Winona Ryder in the 2018 comedy '' Destination Wedding'', about wedding guests who develop a mutual affection for each other. They had worked together previously in ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'', ''A Scanner Darkly'' and ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee''. Reeves also co-produced and starred in two thrillers. ''
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...
'', in which he plays a diamond trader who travels to
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...
to search for his Russian partner, and ''
Replicas A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. A ...
'', which tells the story of a neuroscientist who violates laws and
bioethics Bioethics is both a field of study and professional practice, interested in ethical issues related to health (primarily focused on the human, but also increasingly includes animal ethics), including those emerging from advances in biology, me ...
to bring his family back to life after they die in a car crash. ''Siberia'' was critically panned; reviewers thought the plot was nonsensical and Reeves had little chemistry with co-star
Ana Ularu Ana Ularu (born 26 June 1985) is a Romanian actress. Biography She is known for playing the role of Matilda in '' Outbound'' and West in ''Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fict ...
. ''Replicas'' did not fare well with critics either; ''The A.V. Club'' praised Reeves' performance, but gave the film a grade D−, adding it is "garbage". It was also a box office failure, earning $9.3 million from a budget of $30 million. Returning to the ''John Wick'' franchise, Reeves starred in '' John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum'' (2019), the third feature in the series directed by Stahelski. The film takes place immediately after the events of ''John Wick: Chapter 2'' and features new cast members including Halle Berry. The film was another box office hit, grossing $171 million in the United States and more than $155 million internationally. ''The Globe and Mail''s reviewer gave the film three out of four stars, praising the fight scenes, but felt there was "aesthetic overindulgence" with the cinematography. ''The Guardian''s Cath Clarke questioned Reeves' acting; she wrote that "he keeps his face statue-still ..three movies in, franchise bloat is beginning to set in". Reeves was nominated for Favorite Male Movie Star of 2019 in the
People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
, and the film itself was nominated for Best Contemporary Film in the
Art Directors Guild Awards The ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards are awards presented annually by the Art Directors Guild (ADG) to recognize excellence in production design and art direction in the film and television industries. Honorees are presented with an awa ...
. Reeves then voiced Duke Caboom in 2019's '' Toy Story 4'', the fourth instalment of Pixar's ''Toy Story'' franchise. In that same year on April 27 and 28, a film festival was held in his honour, called KeanuCon, hosted in Glasgow, Scotland. Over two days, nine of his films were screened for guests. As early as 2008, Reeves and Alex Winter had shown enthusiasm for a third ''
Bill & Ted ''Bill & Ted'' is an American science fiction comedy franchise created by Chris Matheson (screenwriter), Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. It features William "Bill" S. Preston Esquire, Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan, portrayed by Alex Winter and Ke ...
'' film, but the project went into development limbo. Finally in 2020, '' Bill & Ted Face the Music'', the third film in the franchise was released. The critic from ''
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ( ...
'' magazine was disappointed in Reeves' performance, but praised the film for its message that "music has the power to unite the world". Leah Greenblatt of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the film a grade B, and complimented the onscreen chemistry between Reeves and Winter. He also appeared in '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run'' as a tumbleweed named Sage. Reeves appears as Johnny Silverhand in the video game '' Cyberpunk 2077.'' In December 2021, Reeves returned to the screen for the fourth film in ''The Matrix'' franchise: '' The Matrix Resurrections''.
Carrie-Anne Moss Carrie-Anne Moss (born August 21, 1967) is a Canadian actress. After early roles on television, she rose to international prominence for her role of Trinity in ''The Matrix'' series (1999–present). She has starred in '' Memento'' (2000) for w ...
also reprised her role as Trinity. ''The Matrix Resurrections'' was a box office disappointment; one critic praised Reeves' and Moss' performances, but thought the film was "no game-changer".


Upcoming projects

In 2019, Reeves travelled to
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...
to produce a Netflix series, ''Conquest''. Details are being kept secret. A comic book series, ''
BRZRKR ''BRZRKR'' is a comic book series created and written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt and drawn by Ron Garney. The comic follows an immortal warrior, known as Berzerker, as he fights his way through the ages. The first issue of the 12-issue lim ...
'', co-written by Reeves was published in March 2021. He is expected to star in a film adaptation of it. Reeves will also reprise the role of John Wick in two additional sequels, to be shot back-to-back. Lionsgate announced the release date of '' John Wick: Chapter 4'' directed by Chad Stahelski. The film will premiere on March 24, 2023. Reeves will reprise his role as Johnny Silverhand in the Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, Phantom Liberty.


Personal life

In 1998, Reeves met director David Lynch's assistant
Jennifer Syme Jennifer Maria Syme (December 7, 1972 – April 2, 2001) was an American actress, personal assistant and record company executive. She was in a relationship with actor Keanu Reeves that began in 1998 and ended in early 2000, following the stillb ...
at a party thrown for his band Dogstar, and they started dating. On December 24, 1999, Syme gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to the couple's child, who was stillborn. The couple broke up several weeks afterward, but later reconciled. On April 2, 2001, Syme was killed when her vehicle collided with three parked cars on Cahuenga Boulevard in Los Angeles. Syme was reportedly impaired, and also not belted in. Reeves told investigators that they were back together, and had had
brunch Brunch is a meal eaten between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., sometimes accompanied by alcoholic drinks (typically champagne or a cocktail). The meal originated in the British hunt breakfast. The word ''brunch'' is a portmanteau of ''breakfast'' ...
together in San Francisco the day before the accident. Reeves acted as a pallbearer for Syme, who was buried next to their daughter. He was scheduled to film the sequels to ''The Matrix'' the following spring, but sought "peace and time", according to friend Bret Domrose of Dogstar. Reeves has also been romantically linked to longtime friend and filmmaker Brenda Davis, whose child he is godfather to, and model-actress China Chow. In 2009, Reeves met Alexandra Grant at a dinner party; they went on to collaborate on two books together. They went public with their relationship in November 2019. Reeves is discreet about his spiritual beliefs, saying that it is something "personal and private". When asked if he was a spiritual person, he said that he believes "in God, faith, inner faith, the self, passion, and things", and that he is "very spiritual" and "supremely bountiful". Although he does not formally practice Buddhism, the religion has left a strong impression on him, especially after filming ''Little Buddha''. He said, "Most of the things I've come away with from Buddhism have been human—understanding feelings, impermanence, and trying to understand other people and where they're coming from." When asked on '' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' in 2019 about his views on what happens after death, Reeves replied, "I know that the ones who love us will miss us".


Business and philanthropy

Reeves supports several charities and causes. In response to his sister's battle with
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
, he founded a private cancer foundation, which aids children's hospitals and provides cancer research. In June 2020, he volunteered for Camp Rainbow Gold, an Idaho children's cancer charity. Reeves has said, "Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries". It was rumoured that Reeves gave away a substantial portion, estimated to be $35–$125 million, of his earnings from ''The Matrix'' to the special effects and makeup crews. However, this has been significantly embellished; Reeves negotiated a smaller deal relinquishing his contractual right to a percentage of the sequels' profits in exchange for a more extensive special effects budget. Reeves co-founded a production company, Company Films, with friend Stephen Hamel. An avid motorcyclist, Reeves co-founded Arch Motorcycle Company, which builds and sells
custom motorcycle A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle with stylistic and/or structural changes to the 'standard' mass-produced machine offered by major manufacturers. Custom motorcycles might be unique, or built in limited quantities. While individual motorcycli ...
s. In 2017, Reeves, Jessica Fleischmann, and Alexandra Grant founded book publisher, X Artists' Books (also known as XAB). He has written two books: ''Ode to Happiness'' and ''Shadows'', both of which are collaborations with Grant; he provided the text to her photographs and art.


Censorship

In 2022, Reeves recitation of the Beat poem "
Pull My Daisy ''Pull My Daisy'' is a 1959 American short film directed by Robert Frank and Alfred Leslie, and adapted by Jack Kerouac from the third act of his play, ''Beat Generation''. Kerouac also provided improvised narration. It features poets Allen G ...
" for a virtual benefit concert for Tibet House US, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the exiled
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
an spiritual leader, the
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...
, angered Chinese nationalists. This led to a social media call to boycott his films despite past close collaboration with Chinese film authorities and Chinese "megastardom" for decades. Reeves's films have been
banned A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meanin ...
from streaming platforms in China such as iQiyi, Tencent Video and Youku.


In the media

In a 2005 article for ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine, Lev Grossman called Reeves "Hollywood's ultimate introvert". He has been described as a
workaholic A workaholic is a person who works compulsively. A workaholic experiences an inability to limit the amount of time they spend on work despite negative consequences such as damage to their relationships or health. There is no generally accepted ...
, charming and "excruciatingly shy". During the production of ''Constantine'', director Francis Lawrence commented on his personality, calling him "hardworking" and "generous". His co-star Shia LaBeouf said, "I've worked with him for a year and a couple of months, but I don't really know him that much".
Erwin Stoff Erwin Stoff (born 26 April 1951 in Vorona) is a Romanian-born American film producer. He is best known for being the president of company 3 Arts Entertainment, Inc., based in Beverly Hills, CA. Among his credits are ''The Matrix'', '' Beautiful ...
of 3 Arts Entertainment has served as Reeves' agent and manager since he was 16, and produced many of his films. Stoff said Reeves "is a really private person" and keeps his distance from other people. In 2010, an image of Reeves became an
internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
after photographs of him were published, sitting on a park bench with a sad facial expression. The images were posted on the 4chan discussion board and were soon distributed via several blogs and media outlets, leading to the "Sad Keanu" meme being spread on the internet. An unofficial holiday was created when a Facebook fan page declared June 15 as "Cheer-up Keanu Day". He would later downplay the photo, saying, "Man, I was eating a sandwich. I was thinking—I had some stuff going on. I was hungry." Reeves' casual persona and ability to establish rapport have been observed by the public, leading him to be dubbed the "Internet's boyfriend". In 2019, '' Vox'' cited Reeves' unorthodox filmography and ability to appeal to nerd culture as the primary reasons for his internet popularity. While filming ''Bill & Ted Face the Music'' in July 2019, Reeves and other cast members came across a house with a banner reading "You're Breathtaking" and "Mini Keanu", two memes that had come out of Reeves' appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2019 for the game ''Cyberpunk 2077''. Reeves took time to sign the banner, and talk to the family. Reeves appeared on ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' annual Celebrity 100 list in 2001 and 2002, at number 36 and 49, respectively. In 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry. In 2016, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' calculated that Reeves had earned $250 million for ''The Matrix'' franchise, making him one of the highest-paid actors. In 2020, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' ranked him at number four on its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.


Filmography and awards

Prolific in film since 1985, Reeves' most acclaimed and highest-grossing films, according to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, include: ''River's Edge'' (1987), ''Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989), ''My Own Private Idaho'' (1991), ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993), ''Speed'' (1994), ''The Matrix'' (1999), ''John Wick'' (2014), ''John Wick: Chapter2'' (2017), ''John Wick: Chapter 3Parabellum'' (2019), and ''Toy Story 4'' (2019). Reeves has won four MTV Movie Awards, and received two Best Actor nominations at the
Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
. He was nominated twice for a People's Choice Award: Favorite Male Movie Star and Favorite Action Movie Star, for his performance in ''John Wick: Chapter 3Parabellum'' (2019). In September 2021, Tae Kwon Do Life Magazine deemed Reeves the "#1 Martial Arts movie star in the world" based upon his multiple films in the genre, their popularity, and sheer box office gross.


Bibliography

* * *''
BRZRKR ''BRZRKR'' is a comic book series created and written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt and drawn by Ron Garney. The comic follows an immortal warrior, known as Berzerker, as he fights his way through the ages. The first issue of the 12-issue lim ...
'' (with Matt Kindt and Ron Garney, 12-issue mini-series,
Boom! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in ...
, 2021, )


Notes


References


Further reading

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External links

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Keanu Reeves performs "Pull My Daisy" on the 35th Annual Tibet House Benefit Concert March 3, 2022
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reeves, Keanu 1964 births Living people 20th-century Canadian bass guitarists 20th-century Canadian guitarists 20th-century Canadian male actors 20th-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian bass guitarists 21st-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian male actors 21st-century Canadian male musicians Alternative rock bass guitarists Alternative rock guitarists Canadian alternative rock musicians Canadian documentary film producers Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States Canadian film producers Canadian male film actors Canadian male guitarists Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian people of American descent Canadian people of English descent Canadian philanthropists Canadian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Canadian rock bass guitarists Canadian rock guitarists Canadian spiritualists Dogstar (band) members Grunge musicians Internet memes Male actors from Beirut Male actors from Ontario Male actors from Toronto Male bass guitarists Musicians from Beirut Musicians from Toronto Naturalized citizens of Canada Science fiction fans