Keanu Reeves
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| Keanu Reeves | |
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| Birth name | Keanu Charles Reeves |
| Born | September 2, 1964 (age 42) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Years active | 1985–Present |
| Notable roles | Neo in The Matrix Trilogy Officer Jack Traven in Speed Kevin Lomax in The Devil's Advocate Ted "Theodore" Logan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Alex Wyler in The Lake House FBI Agent Johnny Utah in Point Break |
Keanu Charles Reeves (first name pronounced ki'anu) is a Canadian actor, born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is well known for playing Neo in the action film trilogy The Matrix. He also has played Scott Favor in My Own Private Idaho alongside River Phoenix, Kevin Lomax in The Devil's Advocate, and starring roles in Speed, Constantine and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He played bass in a grunge band, Dogstar, during the 1990s and more recently in the band Becky.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Reeves was born to Patricia Taylor, an English showgirl and costume designer who was working in Beirut when she met Reeves' father (Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., born 1942) at a local nightclub. His father was born in Hawaii the son of Charles Reeves, an Irish American from Tennessee, and Rose Miguel of Portuguese, Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry.[1] Reeves' father worked as an unskilled laborer and earned his GED while imprisoned in Hawaii for selling heroin at the Hilo airport. Reeves does not currently have any relationship with his biological father.[2]
Reeves was named after his uncle Henry Keanu Reeves. "Keanu" is a derivation of Reeves' great-great-uncle Keaweaheulu, whose name means "the soft breeze raising" in Hawaiian. When Reeves first arrived in Hollywood, his agent thought his first name was too exotic, so during the early days of his film career he was sometimes credited as K.C. Reeves, Norman Kreeves or Chuck Spadina (an avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
Reeves has one full sister named Kim (born 1966 in Beirut). Kim has been battling leukemia for several years. Reeves visits her often at the home he purchased for her on the island of Capri, Italy. Through his mother he has a half-sister named Karina Miller (born 1976 in Toronto). Through his father he has a half-sister named Emma Reeves (born 1980 in Hawaii).
Reeves' parents divorced in 1966. In 1969, his mother moved to New York City with her children where she met and married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director. The couple then moved to Toronto but would divorce in 1971. Reeves' mother was later married to Robert Miller (between 1976 and 1980). Subsequently, Reeves grew up primarily in Toronto and worked at a pasta shop, sharpened skates at an ice rink, and was voted MVP on his high school ice hockey team (De La Salle College "Oaklands").
Within a span of five years, Reeves attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was later expelled. Reeves began his acting career at the age of 15, appearing in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre. After leaving the Roman Catholic boys' high school where he played ice hockey, he attended a free school, which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor; he later dropped out, never obtaining his high school diploma.[3]
[edit] Citizenship
Keanu Reeves is eligible for U.S. citizenship through his American father[4] and British citizenship through his English mother.[5] While living in Canada, Reeves became a naturalized Canadian citizen.[6]
[edit] Career
Reeves made his screen acting debut in Alberta, Canada, in a 1979 CBC production, Hanging In. Throughout the early 1980s, he appeared in commercials (including one for Coca-Cola), short films including the NFB drama One Step Away[7] and stage work in Toronto.
His first studio movie appearance was in the Rob Lowe ice hockey film Youngblood, which was filmed in Canada. In it, he played an ice hockey goalie. Shortly after the movie's release, Reeves obtained his green card and drove from Toronto to Los Angeles in his 1969 Volvo. His ex-stepfather Paul Aaron, a stage and television director, gave him a place to stay and got him Erwin Stoff as a manager and agent before he even arrived in Los Angeles.
After a few minor roles, he gained the notice of the critics in 1986's River's Edge, a teenage drama that received positive reviews. Following the film's success, he spent the late 1980s appearing in a number of movies aimed at teenage audiences, including Permanent Record, a dark film about teenage suicide, and the successful 1989 comedy, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which (along with its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) typecast Reeves somewhat during the next few years, as much of his subsequent portrayal in the press has been influenced by his portrayal of the comically airheaded character, Ted. Reeves was originally offered the role of Pvt. Chris Taylor in Platoon (1986) but turned it down as he disliked the violence involved; the role went to Charlie Sheen.[citation needed]At the same time, Reeves also played a notable role in the Oscar-winning film Dangerous Liasons.
During the early 1990s, Reeves appeared in high-budget action films like Point Break and lower-budget independent films, including the well-received 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho, and the critically panned 1994 film, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
In 1992, Reeves starred in Bram Stoker's Dracula, which was a box office success. However, his acting was criticized by many, and director Francis Ford Coppola claims that Reeves was only cast because he wanted a male character that teenagers could look up to. In 1994, Reeves also starred in the action film Speed, which was a commercial success and raised his profile, leading to his casting in films like Johnny Mnemonic and Chain Reaction, both of which failed at the box office.
Hitting a low in his career, Reeves then did the unthinkable and turned down the role of Jack Traven in the Speed sequel (which was ultimately a critical and financial disappointment). He was reportedly offered $11 million dollars for the sequel but opted instead to star in the horror/drama The Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Reeves deferred his salary for The Devil's Advocate so that Pacino would be cast, and he did the same for The Replacements, guaranteeing the casting of Gene Hackman. Returning to theatre in 1995, Reeves performed the title role in a Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
His 1999 science fiction hit, The Matrix, re-established him as a Hollywood leading man after a few years of films that received only moderate box office success and mixed critical reception.
In between the first Matrix film and its sequels, Reeves appeared in several films that received mostly negative reviews and average box office grosses, including The Watcher, Sweet November and Hardball. However, the two Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions co-starring Carrie-Anne Moss, as well as his supporting role in the 2003 movie, Something's Gotta Give, co-starring Jack Nicholson and his 2005 horror-action film, Constantine, proved to be box office successes and brought Reeves back into the public spotlight. Movie producer Lauren Shuler Donner stated in a November 18-19, 2006 interview that writers are currently developing a script for Constantine 2. She claims that Keanu Reeves is willing to reprise his role as John Constantine.
On January 31, 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Reeves accompanied former Speed costar Sandra Bullock to the 2006 Academy Awards. This caused some controversy, as Bullock is married to motorcycle builder Jesse James. It was later revealed to be a publicity stunt to coincide with the release of their romantic film The Lake House.
His latest film, A Scanner Darkly, based on the science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, co-stars Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., and Woody Harrelson. It was released on July 7, 2006.
[edit] Personal life
In December 1999, Reeves' girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a stillborn daughter who was named Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. In April 2001, Syme was killed in a car accident. She was buried next to their daughter in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Reeves was a pallbearer at Syme's funeral.
Reeves has never reconnected with his estranged biological father,[8] who served time in prison and was paroled after serving two years of a 10-year sentence for selling heroin at Hilo Airport in 1992.
Reeves enjoys riding motorcycles and coined the term "demon ride" to describe how he often rides with no headlights at night. On one of his "demon rides" in 1988, he crashed near Topanga Canyon and broke several ribs and ruptured his spleen; he has had an abdominal scar ever since: when the paramedics arrived, an emergency medical technician trainee dropped one end of the stretcher by mistake.
For nearly a decade following his initial rise to stardom, Reeves lived a vagabond existence in hotels, opting not to buy a house or find a permanent place of residence, despite earning millions. Reeves has lived in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles since 2003, but also has an apartment in New York City. Although it is commonly assumed that he believes in Buddhism because he studied the religion while filming The Little Buddha, he has said in interviews that he does not practice any one religion or have any one set of beliefs.[citation needed] After Syme's death, he said he doesn't believe that things happen "for a reason."[9]
Reeves is fond of chess, motorcycles, ice hockey, and table tennis.
He is left-handed, but plays the bass guitar right-handed and loves punk rock bands such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash, as well as legendary R&B singers such as Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding.
In a 1992 New Year's Eve party show, Reeves filled in on bass for punk rock band The Vandals while bassist Joe Escalante was at a wedding. He began playing the bass with rock band Dogstar, which has now gone "into hibernation." Reeves also had a part in New York thrash metal band Anthrax's "Safe Home" music video. More recently, he played bass in a band called Becky with former Dogstar drummer Rob Mailhouse, guitarist Paulie Kosta and singer Rebecca Lord. In early 2005, he announced that he was leaving the band and his musical career for good.
Reeves is reported to be very generous with his time and money, lending both to a variety of causes. He took a significant amount of the profits from his Matrix series and treated the 12 stuntmen who worked on the films to motorcycles, among other things.
[edit] Selected filmography
[edit] Television
- Night Heat - episode Crossfire (1985) as Mugge
- Night Heat - episode Necessary Force (1985) as Thug #1
- Letting Go (1985) as Stereo Teen #1
- Brotherhood of Justice (1986) asDerek
- Act of Vengeance (1986) as Buddy Martin
- Young Again (1986) as Michael Riley, Age 17 (credited as K.C. Reeves)
- Under the Influence (1986) as Eddie Talbot
- Babes in Toyland (1986) as Jack-Be-Nimble
- Trying Times - episode Moving Day (1987) as Joey
- Life Under Water (1989) - Kip
- The Tracey Ullman Show - episode Two Lost Souls (1989) as Jesse Walker
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990-93) as Ted (voice only) (season one,1990-91)
- Action 1999 - Pilot (1999) "Keanu Reeves"
[edit] Trivia
- He went to Jesse Ketchum Public school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- He has given a gift of several million dollars of his back-end deal for The Matrix and its sequels to a group of 29 technical personnel such as special-effects and costume-design workers for their work.[10]
- Reeves supported the Wachowski brothers signing away $38 million (his cut of the films' ticket sales) to cover the expenses for the special effects in The Matrix sequels so that the movies could be finished.[11]
- After filming The Matrix Reloaded Reeves had a dozen Harleys delivered to the set as a gift for his stunt men.[12]
- He was one of People's 1995 "50 Most Beautiful People of the World".
- According to an ETonline survey in 2006, he is in "Top Ten of America's Favorite Stars".
- Along with Alanis Morissette, he hosted the November 3, 2006, premiere of the environmentalist documentary The Great Warming.
- He has a tendency to re-team with actresses after a number of years:
- Charlize Theron in The Devil's Advocate and Sweet November
- Uma Thurman in Dangerous Liaisons and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
- Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker's Dracula and A Scanner Darkly. On both occasions, their characters were lovers.
- Sandra Bullock in Speed and The Lake House
- Rachel Weisz in Chain Reaction and Constantine
- Monica Bellucci in Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions
- Tilda Swinton in Constantine, Thumbsucker
- He was regarded as the savior of the universe by The Kingdom of Heaven in the cartoon series South Park episode Best Friends Forever
- He was given a try-out to join the Baltimore Ravens in the 2000-2001 preseason
[edit] Notes
- ^ [1] Keanu Reeves Family Tree; paternal grandmother from Portugal (Rose Lokalia Miguel).
- ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features: Memories of Keanu - Samuel Reeves has not seen or heard from his famous son in decades
- ^ Fleming, Michael. "Interview: Keanu Reeves, the enigma speaks", Playboy, April 2006, p. 140.
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ http://www.nfb.ca/trouverunfilm/fichefilm.php?id=16124&v=h&lg=en&exp=
- ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features: Memories of Keanu - Samuel Reeves has not seen or heard from his famous son in decades
- ^ Neo Romantic
- ^ Imdb.com - Reeves Gives Part Of His Salary To Cast, Crew
- ^ Imdb.com Keanu's Kind Gesture
- ^ Reeves Reloaded: Toronto actor spent seven weeks on key fight scene Matrix sequel set to open in movie theatres May 15
[edit] External links
- Keanu Reeves at the Internet Movie Database
- Keanu Reeves at the Notable Names Database
- Keanu Reeves at TV.com
- All About Keanu - biography
- KeanuWeb
- http://www.keanu-reeves.net/
- http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~rlrutsky/RR/BeingKeanu.pdf
[edit] References
- Fleming, Michael. Playboy Interview: Keanu Reeves, Playboy Magazine. pp. 49-52, 140-141. (April 2006)
- "Pondering the mysterious Keanu Reeves", CNN / Associated Press. (November 5, 2003)
- Makela, Bob. "Keanu Reeves: All the right moves", USA Weekend. (August 5, 2000)
- Seven magazine interview with Keanu Reeves
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1964 births | Living people | Canadian film actors | Canadian stage actors | Canadian television actors | Canadian rock bass guitarists | Canadians of American descent | Canadians of Anglo-Irish descent | Canadians of Chinese descent | Canadians of Polynesian descent | Canadians of Portuguese descent | People from Beirut | Eurasians | Eurasian actors | Hollywood Walk of Fame | People from Toronto
