| Keanu Reeves | |
|---|---|
Reeves at The Lake House London premiere, September 2006 |
|
| Born | Keanu Charles Reeves September 2, 1964 Beirut, Lebanon |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
Keanu Charles Reeves ( /keɪˈɑːnuː/ kay-ah-noo; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix. He has worked under major directors, such as Stephen Frears (in the 1988 period drama Dangerous Liaisons); Gus Van Sant (in the 1991 independent film My Own Private Idaho, also written by Van Sant); and Bernardo Bertolucci (in the 1993 film Little Buddha). Referring to his 1991 film releases, The New York Times’ critic, Janet Maslin, praised Reeves’ versatility, saying that he “displays considerable discipline and range. He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles.”[1]
In addition to his film roles, Reeves has also performed in theatre. His performance in the title role in a Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet was praised by Roger Lewis, the Sunday Times, who declared Reeves " … one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet." On January 31, 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A 2006 ET online survey placed him in the "Top Ten of America's Favorite Stars".
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Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of Patricia Bond (née Taylor), an English costume designer/performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., a geologist and Hawaiian-born American of English, Irish, Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Chinese descent.[2][3][4] Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Reeves' father worked as an unskilled laborer and earned his GED while imprisoned in Hawaii for selling heroin at Hilo International Airport.[5] He abandoned his wife and family when Reeves was three years old, and Reeves does not currently have any relationship with him.[5]
Reeves moved around the world frequently as a child and he lived with various stepfathers. After his parents divorced in 1966, his mother became a costume designer and moved the family to Australia and then to New York City. There she met and married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director. The couple moved to Toronto; they divorced in 1971. Reeves' mother married Robert Miller, a rock promoter, in 1976; the couple divorced in 1980. She subsequently married her fourth husband, Jack Bond, a hairdresser, a marriage that broke up in 1994. Grandparents and nannies babysat Reeves and his sisters, and Reeves grew up primarily in Toronto. Within a span of five years, he attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was later expelled. Reeves stated he was expelled "...because I was greasy and running around a lot. I 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. I was just getting in their way, I guess."
Reeves excelled more in hockey than in academics, as his educational development was challenged by dyslexia. He was a successful goalie at one of his high schools (De La Salle College "Oaklands"). While Reeves dreamed of becoming an Olympic hockey player for Canada, an injury ended his hopes for a hockey career. After leaving De La Salle College, he attended an anarchistic free school (Avondale Alternative), which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor; he later dropped out, never obtaining his high school diploma.
In January 2011, on the BBC program 'The One Show', he spoke of his English ancestry, via his mother, mentioning his happy watching of 'The Two Ronnies' comedy show amongst others when younger, and how his mother imparted English manners that he still has today.
Reeves began his acting career at the age of nine, appearing in a theatre production of Damn Yankees. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves made his screen acting debut in a CBC Television comedy series entitled Hangin' In. Throughout the early 1980s, he appeared in commercials (including one for Coca-Cola), short films including the NFB drama One Step Away[6] and stage work such as Brad Fraser's cult hit Wolfboy in Toronto. In 1984, he was a correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation TV youth program Going Great.[7]
Reeves' first studio movie appearance was in the Rob Lowe ice hockey film Youngblood, in which he played a Québécois goalie. Shortly after the movie's release, Reeves drove to Los Angeles in his 1969 Volvo. His ex-stepfather Paul Aaron, a stage and television director, had convinced Erwin Stoff to be Reeves' manager and agent before he even arrived in Los Angeles. Stoff has remained Reeves' manager, and has co-produced many of his films. After a few minor roles, Reeves received a more sizable role in the 1986 drama film River's Edge, which depicted how a murder affected a group of teens. Following this film's critical success, he spent the late 1980s appearing in a number of movies aimed at teenage audiences, including Permanent Record, and the unexpectedly successful 1989 comedy, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which, along with its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, typecast Reeves as a spaced-out teen. Much of his portrayal in the press and much of the response to his acting in the early 1990s still mentioned his portrayal of the airheaded Ted.
During the early 1990s, Reeves started to break out of his teen-film period. He appeared in high-budget action films like Point Break, for which he won MTV's "Most Desirable Male" award in 1992. He was also involved in various lower-budget independent films, including the well-received 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho with his close friend, the late River Phoenix. In 1994, Reeves' career reached a new high as a result of his starring role in the action film Speed. His casting in the film was controversial since, except for Point Break, he was primarily known for comedies and indie dramas. He had never been the sole headliner on a film. The summer action film had a fairly large budget and was helmed by novice cinematographer-turned-director Jan de Bont. The unexpected international success of the film made Reeves and co-star Sandra Bullock into A-List stars.
Reeves' career choices after Speed were eclectic: despite his successes, Reeves continued to accept supporting roles and appear in experimental films. He scored a hit with a romantic lead role in A Walk in the Clouds. He made news by refusing to take part in Speed 2: Cruise Control and choosing to play the title role in a 1995 Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[8] Roger Lewis, the Sunday Times critic, wrote, "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."[9]
Reeves' other choices after A Walk in the Clouds, however, failed with critics and audiences. Big-budget films such as the sci-fi action film Johnny Mnemonic and the action-thriller Chain Reaction were critically panned and failed at the box office, while indie films like Feeling Minnesota were also critical failures. Reeves started to climb out of his career low after starring in the horror/drama The Devil's Advocate alongside Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Reeves deferred his salary for The Devil's Advocate so that Pacino would be cast, as he would do later for the less successful The Replacements, guaranteeing the casting of Gene Hackman. The Devil's Advocate did well at the box office, received good reviews, and proved that Reeves could play a grown-up with a career, although many critics felt that his poor performance detracted from an otherwise enjoyable movie. The 1999 science fiction-action hit The Matrix, a film in which Reeves had a starring role, was a box office success and attracted positive reviews.
In between the first Matrix film and its sequels, Reeves received positive reviews for his portrayal of an abusive husband in The Gift. Aside from The Gift, Reeves appeared in several films that received mostly negative reviews and unimpressive box office grosses, including The Watcher, Sweet November and The Replacements. However, the two Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Something's Gotta Give, and the 2005 horror-action film, Constantine, proved to be box office successes and brought Reeves back into the public spotlight.
His appearance in the 2006 film, A Scanner Darkly, based on the dystopian science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, received favorable reviews, but The Lake House, his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, did not do well at the box office. He went on to play the lead character in two 2008 films, Street Kings and The Day the Earth Stood Still. In February 2009 The Private Life of Pippa Lee was presented at Berlinale.
Reeves started filming the surrealist romantic comedy Henry's Crime in December 2009, with filming wrapped up in early 2010. After this he started working as producer and star on the science-fiction space drama Passengers, written by Jon Spaihts.[10]
In January 2009, it was revealed that Reeves will star in the live-action film adaptation of the anime series Cowboy Bebop,[11][12] slated for release in 2011. Other upcoming projects include the samurai film 47 Ronin, Chef – story by Reeves and written by Steven Knight, and a modern retelling of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, scripted by Justin Haythe and titled Jekyll. Nicolas Winding Refn was in negotiations to direct but was eventually replaced by Dennis Iliadis and produced by Universal Pictures.[13]
In April 2011, Reeves confirmed that a third installment of the Bill & Ted movie series was underway.[14]
For nearly a decade following his initial rise to stardom, Reeves preferred to live in rental houses and hotels. He was a long-term resident of the Chateau Marmont. Reeves bought his first house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles around 2003. He also has an apartment on Central Park West in New York City.
He is a U.S. citizen through his American father, and also holds Canadian citizenship by naturalization; he grew up as a Canadian and identifies as such. Due to April 2003 changes in the law, he is entitled to British citizenship through his English mother.
Reeves has never married.[15] In December 1999, his girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. Syme died in 2001, a sole driver involved in an automobile wreck, while partying in Los Angeles.[16]
Reeves was sued unsuccessfully in 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court for $711,974[17] by paparazzo Alison Silva for allegedly hitting and injuring him with his Porsche after visiting a relative at a Los Angeles medical facility.[18][19] The paparazzo's lawsuit took a year and a half to make it to trial, during which time Silva continued to attack Reeves and demand payment. At the trial, all 12 jurors rejected the suit needing only an hour of deliberation to reach their verdict. With the lawsuit rejected, Reeves was cleared of all the charges.[20]
In 2010, photos of a sad-looking Keanu Reeves eating a sandwich while alone led to the spread of the "Keanu is Sad/Sad Keanu" Internet meme and the declaration of June 15 as "Unofficial Cheer-up Keanu Day" by a Facebook fanpage.[21]
Reeves played bass guitar in the grunge band Dogstar during the 1990s. In the 2000s, he performed with the band Becky.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Letting Go | Stereo Teen No.1 | |
| One Step Away | Ron Petrie | ||
| 1986 | Youngblood | Heaver | |
| Flying | Tommy Wernicke | ||
| Young Again | Mike Riley, age 17 | ||
| Under the Influence | Eddie Talbot | ||
| Act of Vengeance | Buddy Martin | ||
| River's Edge | Matt | ||
| Brotherhood of Justice | Derek | ||
| Babes in Toyland | Jack | ||
| 1988 | Permanent Record | Chris Townsend | |
| The Prince of Pennsylvania | Rupert Marshetta | ||
| The Night Before | Winston Connelly | ||
| Dangerous Liaisons | Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny | ||
| 1989 | Life Under Water | Kip | |
| Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Ted "Theodore" Logan | ||
| Parenthood | Tod Higgins | ||
| 1990 | I Love You to Death | Marlon James | |
| Tune in Tomorrow | Martin Loader | ||
| 1991 | Point Break | FBI Special Agent John 'Johnny' Utah | MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male |
| Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Ted "Theodore" Logan/Evil Ted | ||
| My Own Private Idaho | Scott Favor | ||
| Providence | Eric | ||
| 1992 | Bram Stoker's Dracula | Jonathan Harker | |
| 1993 | Much Ado About Nothing | Don John | |
| Little Buddha | Prince Siddhartha/Lord Buddha | ||
| Poetic Justice | Homeless Man | (Uncredited) | |
| Freaked | Ortiz the Dog Boy | (Uncredited) | |
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | Julian Gitche | ||
| 1994 | Speed | Officer Jack Traven | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Sandra Bullock) Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Sandra Bullock) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male |
| 1995 | Johnny Mnemonic | Johnny | |
| A Walk in the Clouds | Sgt. Paul Sutton | ||
| 1996 | Chain Reaction | Eddie Kasalivich | |
| Feeling Minnesota | Jjaks Clayton | ||
| 1997 | The Last Time I Committed Suicide | Harry | |
| The Devil's Advocate | Kevin Lomax | ||
| 1999 | The Matrix | Thomas Anderson/Neo | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor in an Action/Science Fiction Film Golden Slate for Best Actor in a Leading Role MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Laurence Fishburne) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Laurence Fishburne) Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor |
| Me and Will | Himself | ||
| 2000 | The Replacements | Shane Falco | |
| The Watcher | David Allen Griffin | ||
| The Gift | Donnie Barksdale | ||
| 2001 | Sweet November | Nelson Moss | |
| Hardball | Conor O'Neill | ||
| 2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Thomas Anderson/Neo | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Hugo Weaving) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Monica Bellucci) |
| The Animatrix | Thomas Anderson/Neo | ||
| The Matrix Revolutions | Thomas Anderson/Neo | ||
| Something's Gotta Give | Dr. Julian Mercer | ||
| 2005 | Constantine | John Constantine | |
| Thumbsucker | Perry Lyman | ||
| Ellie Parker | Himself | ||
| 2006 | The Lake House | Alex Wyler | |
| A Scanner Darkly | Bob Arctor | ||
| The Great Warming | Narrator | Voice | |
| 2008 | Street Kings | Detective Tom Ludlow | |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still | Klaatu | ||
| 2009 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | Chris Nadeau | |
| 2010 | Passengers | Jim Preston | |
| Cartagena | Character Unknown | ||
| Henry's Crime | Henry | ||
| 2011 | Jekyll | Dr. Jekyll | |
| Hanuman | Ram[22] | ||
| 2012 | 47 Ronin | Kai | Filming |
| Cowboy Bebop | Spike Spiegel[11][12] | In Production |