15 best films with the beloved Keanu Reeves

It's hard to find an actor who is discussed more than Keanu Reeves. He is praised for his roles in cool action films, for his voice acting in cartoons and his work with motion capture in games. They also remember modest behavior, full dedication when working on roles and charity. Recently, there was even a petition Make Keanu Reeves 2020 Times Person of the Year, in which fans invite Time magazine to choose Reeves as the person of the year. And more than 150 thousand people have already signed it.

The life hacker figures out why viewers fell in love with this actor so much. First of all, of course, for the bright roles. But not only.

For teen films - serious and not so serious

Nowadays they remember this less and less, but young Keanu Reeves became famous thanks to his roles in films for young people. Moreover, even then he showed completely versatile talents.

His first work was the painting “On the River Bank” (1986). This is the story of several school friends who find out that their friend has killed a girl. Keanu played an informal leader who decided to support his comrade and help cover up the crime. At the same time, the remaining members of the company believe that they must act according to the law and hand the young man over to the authorities.

This film was followed by a series of works about school and teenagers: “Last Night”, “Eternal Song” and other less noticeable films. A couple of years later, Reeves appeared in the comedy Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure about two absurd friends who travel back in time to write a report on history. It's funny that Keanu originally auditioned for the role of Bill, but ended up playing Ted.

And another film about youth that is impossible not to mention is “My Own Private Idaho.” It's about two call boys from Portland who go looking for the mother of one of them. Reeves doubted for a long time whether he could play such a deep and serious role. But he still agreed, and it was this picture that allowed him to say goodbye to his youthful works.

Even then, he began to fully immerse himself in the upcoming roles. Reeves and his partner River Phoenix tried to find out as much as possible about the lifestyle of their on-screen characters. As a result, both began to take drugs. Keanu later had to undergo treatment for addiction, and Phoenix died of an overdose two years after the film's release.

Keanu Reeves's first roles

Keanu got even with school at the age of 16 and immediately left home for an independent life. He settled in the basement of Brenda Davis, a high school sweetheart, and made money by sharpening skates at one of the hockey rinks. Another source of his income was work in an Italian restaurant, where Keanu cooked 50 kilos of spaghetti a day. He also trimmed trees - and all this so that he could study at the drama school at the same time.

His first appearance on screen was by no means triumphant: it was a Coca-Cola commercial. But the exotic beauty of Keanu Reeves could not go unnoticed; invitations to two local television series immediately followed. And then the movie took off, and the role was clear - a hockey player in the film “Young Blood”. This is where the youthful hobby came in handy.

Keanu Reeves in a Coca-Cola commercial

However, Keanu decided not to waste his energy on conquering the Canadian cinematic Olympus - he set higher goals for himself. Having sold his simple belongings, he got into his broken-down Volvo and headed to Hollywood. In his pocket were $3,000 accumulated through back-breaking labor—Keanu was the stepson of one of his many stepfathers, Patricia’s ex-husband, director Paul Aaron.

Then there is some space. Some sources claim that Aaron helped his former stepson and provided him with a good agent, who got the boy his first roles. Others say that he burst into heartless laughter and sent Keanu away, so Reeves entered Hollywood another way - through the gay scene. Fortunately, such a lobby at the dream factory is very powerful, and Keanu’s beauty in his youth had a feminine touch.

Adherents of the latest version point to some of Keanu's debut roles with clear homoerotic overtones. Like, for example, the role of the wolf boy in the play “Werewolf,” which Reeves brilliantly performed on the Canadian stage. The director of the play, John Palmer, wanting to please the audience, in the climactic episodes, released Keanu on stage in only translucent white panties, forcing him to move his hips.

“Imagine, on stage in front of you is this embodiment of innocence, moreover, so pretty that you have hardly ever seen anything like it, and even in white panties, which we have soaked in oil to enhance the effect. What else could you ask for for 10 bucks?” — the director himself cynically explained the rapid success of the play.

They also say that in Hollywood Keanu was patronized by David Gaffin himself, one of the owners of the Warner Brothers concern, and an open homosexual. It is to him that Keanu allegedly owes the fact that he received the main role in the comedy “The Incredible Adventures of Billy and Ted.”

David Gaffin in his youth

So, to be honest, I don’t care how Keanu got this role. The main thing is that he played it so well that overnight he became an idol of American teenagers in the late 80s. The film's characters were imitated, their manner of communication, their clothes were copied, cultural experts and all art critics wrote more than one scientific paper, trying to unravel the secret of the film's popularity. As a result, the hysteria around the film got to Reeves so much that he angrily said in one interview: “I have been haunted for many years by an obsessive guardian that when I die, there will be an inscription on the grave: here lies the actor who played in the film about Bill Ted.”

Still from the movie "Billy and Ted's Excellent Adventure"

However, the fact remains: it was after this picture that Reeves’ roles began to fall apart. Directors inviting him to their films became more and more venerable: Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant...

Keanu himself has always been above confirming or denying any rumors around his name. He's not arrogant, he just doesn't want to play Hollywood games and follow the lead of the tabloids. The actor never talks about his personal life. Well, when it comes to creativity, he generally doesn’t care what shade - homo or heterosexual - critics will look for in his actions. If the role is tempting and the script is talented, he’s on the set.

That is why Keanu Reeves agreed to another role with a very dubious (from the point of view of moralists) connotation - the role of a street boy prostitute in the film “My Own Idaho.” Although director Van Sant did not promise big money. In the film, Keanu played alongside his best (because only) friend River Phoenix. The audience, fixated on the topic of sodomy, immediately shouted: well, look, we said they were both gay: heterosexuals would never play so truthfully. The audience, who did not have blinders on their eyes and a fad in their brains, came to a different conclusion: Reeves, like River, are actors of the highest class.

For drama and romance

Back in the days of youth films, Keanu Reeves began to be noticed by melodrama authors. In the late eighties, he even played a small role in the film adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' novel Dangerous Liaisons. In the nineties, the actor appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula, where he played the hero-lover Jonathan Harker. And then came the drama “A Walk in the Clouds” about a former military man who met a lonely pregnant girl, decided to impersonate her husband and ended up staying with her.

Despite the fact that in parallel, Keanu Reeves was already gaining popularity as a cool action hero, he continued to star in dramas and melodramas. And his heroic lovers look every bit as good as the guys with the big guns.

Many critics consider such films with Reeves unsuccessful. For example, Feeling Minnesota (1996), Sweet November (2001) and The Lake House (2006) did not receive the highest ratings. But audiences still love them for their simple stories and excellent acting.

Moreover, the actor to this day is not afraid to star in romantic films or melodramas. In 2020, he co-starred with Winona Ryder in the film How to Marry a Bachelor, a conversational drama about the meeting of two cynics who come to their friends’ wedding. And in May 2019, the romantic comedy “You Are My Doubt” appeared on Netflix. True, Keanu only has a minor role there.

Personal life

In 1998, Reeves met actress Jennifer Syme and they began a romantic relationship. In December 1999, the couple gave birth to a stillborn girl. This shocked them, and the young people separated. Jennifer died in a car accident in April 2001. All this led to Reeves' deep conviction to never have a family or children. For 20 years, the actor did not start a serious relationship. This was until 2020, when the fact of Keanu’s romantic relationship with Alexandra Grant surfaced. This discovery created a lot of buzz among fans.

Who was able to seduce an inveterate bachelor? Alexandra is an American artist. The couple met back in 2009 and agreed on a love of creativity. They even released “Ode to Happiness” (2011), where Reeves acted as the author and Grant was the illustrator. In 2016, the collaboration was repeated - they published a joint book, “Shadows.” Thanks to Kean Reeves's million-dollar fortune, the couple can continue their joint publishing business without worrying about the commercial success of the projects. What else do creative people need to be happy?

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Because he knows how to play a cynic

“How to Marry a Bachelor” is far from the only film where Reeves played the role of an unemotional cynic. Being a rather gentle and very positive person in life, he is excellent at portraying an aloof rude person on screen.

One of these roles once even brought the actor to a new level of popularity. We are, of course, talking about “The Devil’s Advocate,” where Reeves’ hero undertakes to defend any scoundrel in order to achieve success and fame. As a result, he, as the name implies, works for Satan himself.

And no less the audience loved his image in the film “Constantine: Lord of Darkness.” There, Reeves plays a world-weary cynic who can see angels and demons. The hero has to defend the earth, maintaining the balance of good and evil, although he himself is not very happy about this activity.

Reeves was completely different from John Constantine from the original comics - a witty blond Englishman in the same beige raincoat. But after the release of the film, many cannot imagine anyone other than Keanu in this role - his version turned out to be too bright.

For being Neo and John Wick

If we talk about the coolest action heroes of the early 21st century, then we definitely can’t do without Keanu Reeves. It all started back in the nineties with the film “On the Crest of a Wave.” But action fans really first appreciated the actor in “Speed,” where he played a special services officer saving bus passengers from an explosion. According to the plot, the bomb is activated if the speed of the vehicle drops below 50 miles per hour, so Reeves' character has to jump inside while moving.

And then the Wachowskis invited him to play the main role in the experimental film “The Matrix.” Reeves, like the entire cast, studied martial arts for about six months and even suffered a displacement of the cervical vertebrae during training. But the image of the “chosen one” Neo was perfect: it combined philosophical conversations, a lot of fights, and even a love line.

Strictly speaking, Reeves was far from the first candidate for this role. At first, the script was offered to Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and even Nicolas Cage. But it was Keanu Reeves in the image of Neo who became a real pop culture icon of the early 21st century.

In addition, on the set of The Matrix, the actor worked for the first time with stuntman Chad Stahelski. They became friends, and years later Reeves invited him to direct the film John Wick, which later became one of the best action films.

To prepare for the role of a killer, Keanu Reeves trained a lot, improving his hand-to-hand combat skills and mastery of various types of weapons.

Despite the fact that the actor was already over 50 at the time of filming, he tried to work out as many scenes as possible on his own. And, as you can see, he really handles weapons very well.

And just recently it became known 'Matrix 4' Officially a Go With Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Lana Wachowskithat Lana Wachowski will direct the fourth part of the legendary "The Matrix". Keanu Reeves will return to the role of Neo and I think he will do a great job.

How much does Reeves earn per month?

Thanks to the success of John Wick 3 and Toy Story 4, as well as a lucrative motorcycle business, Keanu Reeves was able to earn about $15,000,000 in 2020.

Keanu Reeves today is a brand in itself, bringing success to any project in which he is involved. But it was not always so.

For cyberpunk in all its forms

The Matrix was not the first cyberpunk film to star Keanu Reeves. In 1995, the film “Johnny Mnemonic” was released based on the story of the same name by William Gibson. The plot tells the story of a courier who transfers data downloaded by a customer in his brain.

"Johnny Mnemonic"

Initially, they wanted to make several sequels to the film, or rather film adaptations of other works by Gibson. But the failure of the first part put an end to these plans. Some critics believe that Reeves’ invitation played a significant role in the failure: having acquired a youth film star, the producers wanted to make the film lighter.

But still, Keanu fully justified himself with The Matrix, and over time, Johnny Mnemonic became a cult classic.

In 2006, the actor played in the film adaptation of the novel A Darkness by another cyberpunk classic, Philip K. Dick. This is the story of an undercover cop who is trying to find out about the supply channels of a new drug. The hero is introduced into a criminal environment, but becomes a drug addict and begins to look after himself.

This film is unusual not only in plot, but also visually. The main character wears a special suit that changes his appearance every second, and under the influence of drugs he is visited by visions. Therefore, after filming, each frame of this picture was hand-painted, which made it possible to create the atmosphere of madness that Dick described.

And in June 2020, a trailer for the game Cyberpunk 2077 was released, which also starred Keanu Reeves. His character can be seen at the very end of the video.

Of course, after Reeves appeared, everyone immediately started talking about a possible film adaptation of the game. But these rumors have not yet been confirmed.

For modesty and charity

Keanu Reeves is one of those who does not like to talk about his life and activities outside of cinema. Therefore, over time, his personality has become overgrown with many legends, and sometimes it is difficult to figure out what is truth and what is fiction.

Keanu Reeves is often interested in various sports that he encounters on set: after the release of Point Break, he took up surfing, and after the film adaptation of Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, he fell in love with equestrianism. The actor also plays the bass guitar quite well.

It is known that he is really very modest. He can be regularly seen on public transport. And the actor most often does not refuse those who want to take a selfie with him. In 2014, the story 'No one recognized him!' Keanu Reeves waits 20 minutes in the rain outside his OWN party rather than make a scene.

There's also a lot of talk about how he spent his birthday alone in the park, just buying himself a cupcake. This is true, but it should still be clarified that Reeves was then preparing for the role in the film “Three Men in New York” and getting used to the image of a man consumed by loneliness and his own insecurities.

"Three in New York"

He often agrees to lower his fee to help promote the film. This is how the authors of “The Devil’s Advocate” managed to attract Al Pacino, and the creators of “The Understudies” managed to attract Gene Hackman. The actor did exactly the same thing while working on the sequels to The Matrix. According to rumors, money from his fee went to pay for the work of costume designers, make-up artists and special effects specialists.

In addition, Keanu Reeves founded The Tragic Life of Keanu Reeves Foundation, which funds children's hospitals and cancer research. Moreover, he himself mentions this very rarely. He has also supported the animal rights organization PETA and the pediatric research foundation SickKids.

Photos of Keanu Reeves before and after plastic surgery

The appearance of the 53-year-old Hollywood actor haunts many fans who cannot understand how he maintains his youth. Keanu Reeves often looks sad, he can often be seen in the subway, in the park on a bench, he gives up his seat in public transport, is modestly dressed and does not have expensive cottages or cars. But how does he stay so young if he is already 53? Someone thinks that he resorted to facial plastic surgery, because on the Internet you can see material on the topic: “Photos of Keanu Reeves before and after plastic surgery.”

Photos of Keanu Reeves before and after plastic surgery

Nothing is known for sure about this, but if you think about the principles of the famous actor, his behavior, alienation of wealth and desire to live like ordinary people, then it would be foolish to suspect him of using plastic surgery for rejuvenation.

For memes

Well, in addition to serious acting achievements and truly respectable actions, Keanu Reeves often becomes the hero of all kinds of memes. A huge number of famous roles and different images allow them to be used in all occasions in life.

For example, here is a paparazzi shot that spread across the Internet under the name “Sad Keanu” and became a symbol of loneliness.

Or a still from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure as a reflection of confusion and misunderstanding.

There is also a photo that is often captioned “Keanu Reeves stole the camera from the paparazzi,” although in fact it is a still from the movie “Three Men in New York.” But the main thing here is the actor’s face.

Recent memes include “Mini Keanu Reeves.” This photo is from the Cyberpunk 2077 presentation at E3. Twitter user KojiMads shared the disproportionately compressed frame, which instantly went viral.

And, of course, the frame itself from Cyberpunk 2077 as an indicator of the maximum possible coolness.