Keanu Reeves' Life Story is Quite Unbelievable

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Keanu Reeves' Life Story is Quite Unbelievable

By Adam E.

 - 

2019-06-16

 

 

 

 

From techno-messiah Neo through international super-assassin John Wick, time travelling metalhead Ted, surfer-bank robber-undercover FBI agent Johnny Utah and bomb-rigged-bus-saving SWAT officer Jack Traven, it seems Keanu Reeves has played some of the most exciting, heroic and downright strange characters in movie history. 

 

But while it may be hard to believe it, Reeves' personal life is just as colorful as the lives of the characters he portrays.

 

Full of globe-trotting adventure, artistic experimentation and, yes, even tragedy, the events that have shaped Keanu's life are enough to fuel an entire film saga. Despite this, Reeves remains notoriously humble and charitable, and often - mysterious. 

 

So who is Keanu Reeves, and what secrets does his life hold?

 

Read on to find out.

 

 

Image via Imgur

 

 

A Cosmopolitan Baby

 

It seems Keanu Reeves was destined to lead a colorful life since before he was born.

 

His mother, Patricia Taylor, met his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., while she was working in a casino in Beirut, Lebanon.

 

Taylor and Samuel's relationship wasn't only international due to the location in which they met; Patricia hailed from Essex, England, while Samuel was from Hawaii, and was of Chinese-Hawaiian, English, Irish and Portuguese descent. 

 

With a background like that, it's difficult to imagine Keanu not becoming a citizen of the world - but over the course of his life, he would manage to outdo both of his parents in that respect.

 

 

Image by Charbonneau/BEI/Shutterstock (438763d)

 

 

A Turbulent Childhood

 

Keanu, along with his sister, Kim, didn't stay in touch with his father for long.

 

A mere two years after Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. and Patricia Taylor met, Keanu's Hawaiian father ended the relationship and abandoned his family.

 

The year was 1966, and Keanu was barely three years old.

 

Patricia didn't let this difficult situation deter her from living her best life, however, and pursuing her dream of becoming a costume designer, moved the family to Sydney, Australia, and later to New York City - where she met, and later married, Paul Aaron, a Hollywood and Broadway director.

 

 

Image by Bei/Shutterstock (5140748j)

 

 

A Proud Canadian

 

With a British mother, an absent Hawaiian-American father and a Chinese grandmother, Lebanon as his birthplace and both New York and Sydney being cities he grew up in, Keanu could practically choose to adopt any national identity he wanted.

 

But despite the exotic locales he's visited during his somewhat hectic childhood, by 1970, Keanu was living in Toronto with his mother Patricia and her husband Paul Aaron - and proudly calling himself a Canadian.

 

Still, he didn't forsake his rich cultural background.

 

 

Image by New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock(5868393c)

 

 

Proud of His Heritage

 

Despite his turbulent relationship with his father, whom he last met in Hawaii when he was 13 years old, Keanu doesn't shy away from his cultural heritage.

 

"My grandmother is Chinese and Hawaiian," Keanu said in one interview, "so I was around Chinese art, furniture, and cuisine when I was growing up."

 

But his mother's British influence hasn't passed him by, either. During his globetrotting childhood, Keanu grew up watching British television classics like The Two Ronnies, and the English manners she's taught him have stayed with him well into adulthood.

 

 

Image by Imagine China/Shutterstock(2594902a)

 

 

Hopping Between Schools

 

When he was 15, Keanu had his first encounter with Hollywood, when he began to work as a production assistant on his stepfather's Paul Aaron's films - but that, too, didn't last long, as Patricia and Paul split up after a short while as well.

 

Because of his mother's tumultuous relationships, Keanu and his sisters were raised with the help of multiple nannies and grandparents, but Keanu's schoolwork suffered from the constant changes.

 

Within five years, Keanu had attended four high schools, getting expelled from one of them.

 

Soon, though, he would find his calling as an actor - and get his life on track.

 

 

Image by Hemdale/Kobal/Shutterstock(5878382h)

 

 

Dropping Out

 

By the time he was 17, Keanu had dropped out of high school, and decided to pursue a career in acting.

 

He had first started acting when he was nine, appearing in a theater production of Damn Yankees - and later, at the age of 15, he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre - but he began to act in earnest when he was 17.

 

Making his screen debut in an episode of the Canadian sitcom Hangin' In, by the time he was twenty he had obtained a green card with the help of his American stepfather, and moved to Los Angeles.

 

 

Image by Moviestore/CollectionShutterstock(1619553a)

 

 

Breaking Through

 

In 1986, Keanu got his first big break, and acted - alongside Hollywood stars Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze, in Youngblood - sports drama about hockey.

 

Back in high school Keanu had played hockey and hoped to pursue a career in the sport professionally, but had to give up on that dream due to an injury. In the film however, he got to reprise his position as goalie, which greatly lent to his portrayal of his character, Heaver.

 

This role, while relatively small, would pave his way to bigger parts - and soon, he would be starring in movies as a main character.

 

 

Screenshot from "Youngblood"

 

 

An Excellent Adventure

 

After a few more minor roles, Keanu landed a significant part in the drama River's Edge.

 

The film was a critical success, and Keanu soon found himself appearing in lead roles in films like Permanent Record, The Prince of Pennsylvaniaand Dangerous Liaisons.

 

But it was 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure which really put him on the map.

 

Nearly immediately after its release, Bill & Tedbecame a cult hit, and Keanu would reprise his role as Ted "Theodore" Logan in its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

 

 

Screenshot from "Bill & Ted"

 

 

Not Just a Teen Star

 

While originally thought of as an actor in teen movies, by the early 1990s Reeves had managed to break out of being typecast as a teen character. In 1991 he appeared in Point Break as an undercover FBI agent infiltrating a gang of surfers/bank robbers - a role which landed him MTV's "Most Desirable Male" award in 1992.

 

But Keanu wasn't interested in just Hollywood blockbusters. In addition to big films like the Francis Ford Coppola-directed blockbuster, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Keanu also took the time to appear in several low budget indie productions, like 1991's My Own Private Idaho.

 

 

Screenshot from "My Own Private Idaho"

 

 

Winona and Keanu Forever

 

Dracula ended up meaning so much more than just another movie role for Reeves as it was on the set of the film that Reeves got married! 

 

According to Winona Ryder, the wedding scene that took place in the film was actually a real wedding – with a real priest conducting the ceremony. “We actually got married in Dracula,” the actress told Entertainment Weekly.

 

In a 2019 interview with The Talk, Reeves confirmed the story, saying, “once in a while, I will get a text, ‘Hello, husband.’ I didn’t really believe her, and then Francis Ford Coppola, the director of Dracula, contacted Winona and said publicly that, yeah, that really happened, the priest did a full ceremony, and Winona and I got married.” 

 

He concluded by saying “yeah, it’s awesome.”

 

 

Screenshot from "Dracula" (1992)

 

 

River Phoenix

 

Winona and Keanu remain friends today and appeared in a movie together in 2019 but she wasn’t the only celebrity friend he had made during these years. 

 

Keanu had first met River Phoenix on the set of the film I Love You to Death, and the two quickly became best friends. When Reeves finished reading the script for My Own Private Idaho, he felt like Phoenix would be perfect for the leading role of Michael "Mike" Waters.

 

Keanu rode more than 1,000 miles on his motorcycle in order to hand deliver the film's script to Phoenix in an attempt to convince him to take the role. Phoenix acquiesced, and took on what would be considered by many to be his greatest role. 

 

Sadly, during the movie's filming, Phoenix would develop a drug addiction - one that would claim his life a few short years down the road.

 

 

Image by Moviestore Collection/Shutterstock(1569908a)

 

 

Reaching New Hights

 

By 1994, Keanu was recognized as a major Hollywood actor - but he still wasn't the biggest out there.

 

This would change with his starring role in Speed.

 

Before Speed, Keanu was respected, but was primarily known for his roles in comedies and indie dramas. Other than Point Break, he'd never acted in any action movie. 

 

In Speed, an ambitious action thriller, he was cast as the headlining actor - and many questioned his ability to carry the weight of the film on his shoulders.

 

The film, however, was a huge success, and solidified Keanu's reputation as a talented, versatile actor.

 

 

Screenshot from "Speed"

 

 

A Secret Crush

 

Years after Speed was released, in 2018, Sandra Bullock, Keanu's co-star in the movie, revealed in an Ellen interview that she had had a huge crush on him all throughout filming the 1994 action thriller - but that, for whatever reason, Keanu didn't show any interest in her.

 

A year later, when Ellen interviewed Keanu on the show and showed him the interview, Keanu revealed that he, too, had a crush on her. Ellen jokingly called "Sandra, come on out," but while Ellen thought Keanu would be mortified, he was actually disappointed. "That could have been awesome!" he said, smiling.

 

So next time you're watching Speed and see the tension between Keanu and Sandra you can smile, knowing that it's real.

 

 

Peter Brooker/Shutterstock (591168bo)

 

 

Staying Humble

 

After Speed, Keanu wasn't anxious to take on other big roles. 

 

He continued to accept parts in small, experimental films, and didn't hesitate to take on supporting roles if he found the project interesting.

 

It seems that Keanu's driving motivation, even early on, wasn't money or fame, but rather, artistic accomplishment. In 1997, for instance, he refused an $11 million paycheck - the highest payday he would have received up until that point in his career - offered for his reprisal of the lead role in Speed 2: Cruise Control. His reason? He was more interested in touring with his band, Dogstar, and playing the title role in 1995's Maitoba Theatre Centre's production of Hamlet.

 

This decision would cost him more than just a check; 20th Century Fox decided to blacklist him for over a decade because of this.

 

 

Image By Maria Laura Antonelli/Agf/Shutterstock(8326198d)

 

 

A Slump

 

Over the next few years, Reeves starred in a slew of widely panned films. His performances in big budget productions like the science fiction epic Johnny Mnemonic and the action thriller Chain Reaction were not received well, and the films failed to perform at the box-office - and his forays into independent filmmaking weren't successful either. 

 

He was also still mourning the loss of his friend, River Phoenix, who had died due to a drug overdose back in 1993.

 

Things began to look up, however, when Keanu landed the leading role in The Devil's Advocatealongside Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. The film was a major success - not just thanks to Keanu's acting, but also because he had agreed to take a major pay cut, so that the production could afford to hire Al Pacino.

 

 

Screenshot from "The Devil's Advocate"

 

 

Falling in Love

 

In 1998, a mere 5 years after River Phoenix's tragic death, Keanu met Jennifer Syme.

 

Syme, who was working as David Lynch's assistant at the time, was unlike any other woman Keanu had met before.

 

The two "fell instantly in love."

 

Things seemed to be looking up for Keanu. His new relationship felt like the greatest love story in history, and on top of that, he had landed the lead role in an exciting, groundbreaking film directed by two siblings - The Matrix

 

 

Image by Y! Música/ Wikipedia

 

 

What is the Matrix?

 

When Keanu started working on 1999's The Matrix, directed by the Wachowski siblings, he knew it was an innovative, groundbreaking movie.

 

The Wachoskis' vision was revolutionary, and the filming techniques used in the movie would set an entirely new industry standard, the influences of which are felt in the aesthetics of action films today.

 

On top of its groundbreaking visuals, The Matrix's mind-bending science fiction premise helped shape the way we think about and discuss cyberspace and the internet today.

 

The Matrix changed the world - and Keanu was its star.

 

 

Screenshot from "The Matrix"

 

 

Unbearable Pain

 

In April 1999, Keanu and Jennifer Syme discovered that Jennifer was pregnant.

 

They were going to be parents. Keanu and Jennifer's hearts could almost burst from excitement. They couldn't believe they were going to bring a child into the world together, and felt truly blessed.

 

But on December 24, 1999, while Keanu was on set, filming The Matrix, Jennifer went into premature labor.

 

Their daughter, Ava Archer Symes-Reeves, was stillborn.

 

 

Image By Fotos International/Shutterstock(328655j)

 

 

Tragedy Strikes Again

 

Keanu and Jennifer were devastated by losing their daughter. 

 

They tried to console each other, but the event was simply too traumatic.

 

Within a few short weeks, they had decided to split up. The grief was unbearable.

 

But Keanu's pain didn't end there. A year and a half after losing their daughter, in April 2, 2001, Jennifer was killed in a car accident.

 

 

Image by Anna Hanks/ Wikipedia

 

 

Grief Stricken

 

“Grief changes shape, but it never ends,” Keanu told Parade in a 2006 interview. “People have a misconception that you can deal with it and say, ‘It’s gone, and I’m better.’ They’re wrong. When the people you love are gone, you’re alone.”

 

Since losing Ava and Jennifer, Keanu has decided to refrain from entering serious relationships and having children.

 

Still, rather than retreat from the world, Keanu decided he would pursue his art as a means of dealing with his sadness - and of growing as a person.

 

 

Screenshot from "The Matrix"

 

 

An A-List Star

 

Thanks to his work on The Matrix, Keanu's status in Hollywood changed once again. 

 

No longer just a lead actor, Keanu was now hailed as an A-list star, widely sought after by filmmakers and producers for his talent. 

 

Keanu went on to reprise his role of Neo, The Matrix's techno-messiah, in the film's two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions - where his performances were, once again critically acclaimed. He went on to appear in another widely successful action film, Constantine, and by 2005 his accomplishments had garnered him one of the most sought after honors in Hollywood - a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 

 

Screenshot from "Constantine"

 

 

Man of Tai Chi

 

In 2008, Keanu began work on what would be his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi. A multilingual, international production spanning China and the United States.

 

Patrially inspired by the life of his friend and mentor, stuntman and martial artist Tiger Chen, the film tells the story of a man forced to fight in an underground martial arts arena. 

 

The film's production took five years, during which Keanu took on roles in several B movies, as well as in 47 Ronin, which failed to make a mark on critics.

 

Still, when Man of Tai Chi hit theaters, it received widespread critical acclaim, and was even praised by John Woo, one of the genre's greatest directors.

 

 

Screenshot from "Man Of Tai Chi"

 

 

Exploring Artistic Expression

 

While he had played music with several bands in a semi-professional manner over the years, in 2011, Keanu Reeves began to explore other mediums of artistic expression, curious to branch out from acting.

 

He wrote a text entitled Ode to Happiness, which he called a "grown-up picture book," and produced a documentary film, titled Side by Side, about the shift from film to digital camera technology in the movie industry - in which he interviewed directors like James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan.

 

 

Image By Company/Kobal/Shutterstock(5883896n)

 

 

A Return to Acting

 

In 2012, screenwriter Derek Kolstad had sold an action scrip entitled Scorn to Thunder Road Pictures. The film's producers showed Keanu the script, and from that point on he became heavily involved in the writing and production of the movie. Bringing on Chad Stahelski, who had worked alongside Reeves in The Matrix film trilogy as his stunt double, Stahelski eventually became the film's director - and while original title was supposed to be Scorn, producers decided to change it after Keanu continued to refer to it as "John Wick."

 

 

Screenshot from "John Wick"

 

 

John Wick

 

John Wick - and its two subsequent sequels, John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum proved to be highly successful and hailed as some of the most innovative action filmmaking since The Matrix, and helped instate Reeves as a major pillar in the action-adventure-martial arts genre.

 

John Wick: Chapter 4 is expected to be released in 2021, and is one of the most highly anticipated films of that year.

 

 

Screenshot from "John Wick"

 

 

Bountifully Spiritual

 

Over the years, Keanu Reeves has made a name for himself in playing messiah-like characters with a penchant for saving the world. 

 

Many of his films have religious undertones - but what does Keanu himself think about religion?

 

Claims vary widely. Some state that he is an atheist, while others place him as a Buddhist.

 

When asked about his believes by TV Review in 1997, he said "I believe in God and the Devil but they don't have to have pitchforks and a long white beard."

 

In 2013, he reiterated this point.

 

"Do I believe in God, faith, inner faith, the self, passion, and things?" he asked in a response to a question posed to him by The Daily Beast."Yes, of course!" He continued. "I'm very spiritual. Supremely spiritual. Bountifully spiritual. Supremely bountiful."

 

 

Image By James Veysey/Shutterstock(10227413v)

 

 

Health

 

Over the years, Keanu has amassed quite a fortune thanks to his success in Hollywood.

 

But Keanu isn't one to flaunt his cash. “Money doesn’t mean anything to me," he was once quoted as saying. "I give lots away and live simply. We all know that good health is much more important.”

 

But saying that he "gives lots away" is a typically understated statement by the Hollywood giant.

 

 

Image By Rob Latour/Shutterstock(5647060an)

 

 

Charity

 

Keanu Reeves is known for many things, but charity is not one of them.

 

That's not, however, because he doesn't give to charity.

 

It's simply because, unlike many other celebrities, he does so very, very quietly.

 

Over the years, Keanu has reportedly supported PETA, the SickKids Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer - but his largest form of giving back is through a cancer charity he has chosen to set up, without attaching his name to it.

 

"Money is the last thing I think about," Keanu said once. "I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries."

 

 

Image by Agf/Shutterstock(4797607a)

 

 

Leukemia in the Family

 

Keanu's sister, Kim, is also an actress. 

 

Having made Rome her home, Kim leads a fairly quiet life. But one thing many don't realize is that Kim suffers from leukemia - a difficult, harrowing illness.

 

When Kim first fell ill, Keanu became her primary caretaker. It's an undertaking her embraces with love, and doesn't speak of it often - but many believe that it was her illness which pushed him to donate so much to charity and the fight against cancer.

 

 

Image by Bei/Shutterstock(5140748j)

 

 

Bike Lover

 

Keanu Reeves has always loved motorcycles.

 

He's ridden a bike since his early twenties, and, like many bike aficionados, has turned to customizing his ride as the hobby became more serious.

 

In 2007, Keanu met Gard Hollinger, a custom bike builder - and their mutual understanding led to a collaboration that would last more than 5 years, during which they customized a Harley Davidson bike so thoroughly, that by the time they were done, aside from the engine itself, it looked nothing like the original motorcycle they had started out with.

 

 

Image by Shutterstock(987757b)

 

 

Arch Motorcycle Company

 

When the bike was finally finished, Reeves suggested he and Hollinger start a company which would produce the model commercially.

 

At first, Hollinger refused - but Keanu convinced him by explaining the had the potential to make something great together, and leave a legacy behind them.

 

This, the Arch Motorcycle Company was born.

 

Today, Arch produces three motorcycle models, and different price ranges, which are hailed by bike lovers as some of the best motorcycles money can buy.

 

 

Image by Riccardo Giordano/Ipa/Shutterstock(9212652c)

 

 

Internet Legend

 

Over the years, Keanu Reeves has played some very memorable characters, with some very memorable scenes, and very memorable lines.

 

Over time, some of those lines - and sometimes, even a single frame from some of Keanu's performances - have been immortalized in the annals of social media, as memes.

 

Keanu is internet famous not just thanks to his acting, but also thanks to memes featuring his face.

 

Let's take a look at a few, and break them down.

 

 

Image by @9GAG/ Twitter

 

 

Sad Keanu

 

In May 2010, Splash News - a celebrity gossip tabloid - published a photo of Keanu sitting on a park bench, eating a sandwich, alone.

 

It didn't take long for the denizens of the internet to jump on the opportunities the photo had provided, and to turn it into one of the most popular memes in internet history - aptly titled "Sad Keanu."

 

 

Image by @buenosanimales/ Instagram

 

 

Vampire Keanu

 

It's difficult to deny that Keanu Reeves has been blessed with some pretty great genes. 

 

Over the past three decades, Keanu has appeared in lead roles in films, and seems to have barely agaed a day.

 

Placing photos of Keanu taken decades apart side by side reveals the actor has aged, shall we say, extremely well - a fact which sparked a humorous conspiracy theory positing that he is, in fact, a vampire.

 

This meme has only been bolstered after a portrait of a 19th century French actor named Paul Mounet, who bears an uncanny resembelence to Reeves, surfaced in 2009.

 

 

Image by Gerald Matzka/Shutterstock(8301066c)

 

 

Conspiracy Keanu

 

In 2011, a meme bearing Keanu's face from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure surfaced.

 

In it, Keanu looks like he's just realized some earth-shattering truth about something - and has been captioned "What if we CAN breathe in space - and they just don’t want us to escape?"

 

Since then, the meme has become one of the most popular on the internet, spreading to cover anything from realizations about dating to dinosaurs, and - of course - cats.

 

 

Screenshot from "Bill & Ted"

 

 

Keanu Walking to Music

 

In May 2019, the romantic comedy film Always Be My Maybe, starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, hit Netflix.

 

The film tells the story of two childhood friends who've rekindled their friendship as adults and fallen in love - but at one point, Ali Wong's character, Sasha, begins to date Keanu Reeves. 

 

His fictionalized version is introduced by walking in to a restaurant in slow motion - and internet users soon realized his slow-mo strut looks dramatic no matter which song it's played back to. 

 

This sparked many, many short videos of the clip being played with various songs as background music, and even launched a twitter account dedicated to the meme, which, so far, boasts over 40,000 followers.

 

 

Screenshot from "Always be My Maybe"

 

 

What Does His Name Mean?

 

Let's face it. The name "Keanu" isn't as common as "John" or "Tom," to say the least. 

 

So where does the name "Keanu" originate, and what does it mean?

 

"Keanu" is, in fact, a traditional Hawaiian name. It means “cool breeze over the mountains," which, considering everything we know about the stoic actor, seems quite fitting.

 

 

Image by James Shaw/Shutterstock(10227768d)

 

 

Keanu in the Future

 

So what does Keanu's future hold?

 

Well, the actor has been keeping busy, lately.

 

In addition to a live-action film adaptation of the anime series Cowboy Bebop, which has been in the works for quite some time, Keanu hasn't left the world of science fiction just yet.

 

In mid-2019, it has been revealed that he will be playing the character of Johnny Silverhand in the highly anticipated 2020 video game, Cyberpunk 2077.

 

But that's not all.

 

 

Image by Gerald Matzka/REX/Shutterstock (8301066e)

 

 

Bill and Ted Face the Music

 

In May 2018, "Bill and Ted 3", Bill and Ted Face the Music was announced, to the joy and surprise of countless fans.

 

"I think it's pretty surreal, playing Bill and Ted at 50," Reeves said in an interview for NBC's The Today Show. "But we have a good story in that. You can see the life and joy in those characters, and I think the world can always use some life and joy."

 

 

Image by James Shaw/Shutterstock(10227768a)

 

 

KeanuCon

 

As the years pass, and Keanu's work continues to amass, his legions of fans have decided his body of work is worth celebrating in an annual festival.

 

On April 2019, in Glasgow, Scotland, a festival titled "KeanuCon" was organized.

 

On 27 and 28 of April, thousands of Keanu's fans arrived at the Glasgow School of Art to celebrate and commemorate his work, and screened over nine films starring him, including My Own Private Idaho, Speed, The Matrix, Constantine, and Keanu's directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi.

 

 

Image by @meganwm/ Instagram

 

 

A Man of Action

 

Whether it's through his work in film, his writing, his charity or his light-hearted internet meme fame, it seems Keanu is a man of little words and much action. 

 

He refrains from giving many interviews and talking about himself, but rather, chooses to place his work and the people he collaborates with center stage. His humility and humbleness have, paradoxically, turned him into a beloved icon - and we can't wait to see where his varied, eclectic and colorful career takes him next.

 

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