Keanu Reeves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keanu Reeves
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Reeves at Primavera Sound 2024
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Keanu Charles Reeves
September 2, 1964 Beirut, Lebanon
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| Citizenship | Canada |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Rock |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1991–present |
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Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor and musician. He gained fame for his starring role performances in several blockbuster films, including comedies from the Bill and Ted franchise (1989–1991); action thrillers Point Break (1991), Speed (1994), and the John Wick franchise (2014–2023); and science fiction/action series The Matrix (1999–2003 and 2021). He has also appeared in dramatic films, such as Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Little Buddha (1993), as well as the romantic horror Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).
Critics have praised Reeves for his acting. One New York Times journalist said that he displays considerable discipline and range. However, Reeves has spent much of his later career being typecast as a character who saves the world.
His acting has earned him several awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.
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Early life
Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut the son of Patricia (née Taylor), a costume designer and performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr. His mother is English and hails from Essex. His father, an American from Hawaii, is of Chinese-Hawaiian, English, Irish, and Portuguese descent.
Reeves moved around the world frequently as a child. After his parents divorced in 1966, his mother became a costume designer and moved the family to Sydney and then to New York City. She married Paul Aaron in 1970 and they divorced in 1971, after moving to Toronto, Ontario. Reeves's mother then married Robert Miller, a rock music promoter. After their divorce, she married a hairdresser named Jack Bond. Grandparents and nannies babysat Reeves and his sisters. A larger portion of Reeves's childhood was spent in the Yorkville neighborhood of Toronto.
Within five years, Reeves attended four high schools. Reeves was challenged by dyslexia and excelled more in sports than in academics. At De La Salle College (a school for students in grades 5-12), he earned the nickname "The Wall" because of his skill as a hockey goalkeeper. He dreamed of playing ice hockey for Canada, but an injury forced him to look into other career paths. Despite not earning a high school diploma, he attended Avondale Secondary Alternative School while working as an actor.
Career
Reeves began his acting career at the age of nine, appearing in a theater production of Damn Yankees. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet. Reeves dropped out of high school when he was 17. He received a green card through his American stepfather and moved to Los Angeles three years later. He lived with his ex-stepfather, Paul Aaron, who was a stage and television director. Reeves acted on-screen in shows, commercials (one for Coca-Cola), and short films. He worked on stage as well.
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His first studio movie appearance was Youngblood (1986) in which he played a goalie from Quebec. Shortly after the movie's release, Reeves drove to Los Angeles in his 1969 Volvo. His stepfather had convinced Erwin Stoff in advance to be Reeves's manager and agent. Stoff has remained Reeves's manager and has co-produced many of his films.
After a few minor roles, Reeves received a major role in the 1986 drama film River's Edge. After the success of that film, he starred in other movies aimed at teen audiences: Permanent Record, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and Parenthood.
During the early 1990s, Reeves started to break out of his teen-film period. He was involved in various lower-budget independent films, including the 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho with River Phoenix. He also appeared in high-budget action films like Point Break and Speed.
In 1999, Reeves starred in the science fiction-action hit The Matrix. It was a box-office success, as were the following two Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
In 2019, Reeves traveled to São Paulo to produce a Netflix series, Conquest. He also filmed a fourth Matrix film, The Matrix Resurrections, which was released in 2021.
A comic book series, BRZRKR, co-written by Reeves was published in three volumes starting in March 2021 and concluding in October 2023. Issue #1 sold over 615,000 copies, making it the top-selling single issue since Star Wars #1 in 2015.
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After occasionally meeting up for jam sessions in the years following their dissolution, Dogstar began recording new material during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which turned into a finished album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees (2023). Following their first performance in 20 years at BottleRock Napa Valley music festival, Reeves and the band embarked on a 25-date tour in North America and Japan in support of the album.
In November 2023, he appeared as the host for and executive produced the 4-part documentary series Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story for Hulu and Disney+.
Reeves has starred in four John Wick movies.
In April 2024, Reeves was cast as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog in the third installment of the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which released on December 20, 2024. He also voiced the character in a DLC for the video game Shadow Generations (2024), developed as a tie-in for the aforementioned film.
In January 2025, Reeves had an uncredited role voicing a stop-motion Lumon building in the second season of the television series Severance.
Reeves will star alongside Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari in the latter's directorial debut, Good Fortune. He will then star in Jonah Hill's upcoming black comedy film Outcome on Apple TV+. In the 2025 series spin-off film From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Reeves is set to reprise his role as the franchise's titular character. Reeves is set to star in Ruben Östlund's satire film The Entertainment System Is Down. Reeves will co-produce a documentary film about the life of Benny Urquidez, set for release in 2025. Reeves will make his Broadway debut in the fall of 2025, in a production of Waiting for Godot directed by Jamie Lloyd.
A film adaptation of BRZRKR written by Mattson Tomlin and produced by and starring Reeves is being developed for Netflix, with Reeves open to the possibility of directing. After the release of the film, a two-season anime series also planned for release on Netflix and produced by Production I.G is planned to follow. A fifth sequel to John Wick was planned by distributor Lionsgate, but franchise director Chad Stahelski had said he would like to give the franchise a "rest" for the time being. Besides plans for a fifth film, a sequel television series titled John Wick: Under The High Table is being developed with Reeves attached as an executive producer.
Personal life
Reeves is allowed to have British citizenship through his English mother. He holds Canadian citizenship by naturalization and an American green card. The reason he had to get one is that only one of his parents is an American citizen.
Reeves is non-religious and has occasionally talked about a belief in God or some other higher power. He has clarified that he has a lot of interest in and respect for Buddhism, which is why he is often described as a Buddhist or atheist.
Reeves is private about his personal life. He lost his girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, in a car accident in 2001, a year after their daughter Ava was stillborn. He is now in a relationship with Alexandra Grant, a visual artist.
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Philanthropy and business
Reeves set up a cancer charity, but he chose not to attach his name to the organization. In 2014, he said in an interview that his sister Kim had battled leukemia for more than a decade. He has also supported PETA, the SickKids Foundation, and Stand Up to Cancer.
Reeves co-founded a production company, Company Films. The company helped produce Henry's Crime, a film in which Reeves stars. An avid motorcyclist, Reeves co-founded Arch Motorcycle Company, which builds and sells custom motorcycles.
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. They are both written with Grant: He wrote the words to go with her photographs and art.
Keanu Reeves quotes
- “The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.”
- “Multi-culture is the real culture of the world — a pure race doesn’t exist.”
- “I was raised to treat people exactly how I would like to be treated by others. It’s called respect.”
- “I don’t understand why people get mad when they get rejected by somebody or something. They have done you a favor by not wasting your time and playing with you.”
- “Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to take the time out to enjoy the beauty in life.”
- “Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times, they can only make you stronger.”
Interesting facts about Keanu Reeves
- Reeves, who does many of his own stunts, has been injured many times during filming.
- Keanu convinced his friend River Phoenix to star in a movie with him by riding over 1,000 miles on his motorcycle to bring River the script.
- Keanu Reeves has been willing to give up his salary to free up money to get other more famous (and more expensive) actors in his movies.
- Reeves has given stunt teams of the Matrix movies Harley Davidson motorcycles to recognize their contributions to the movies.
- Keanu has published books of his own poetry.
- Reeves also collects vintage (from a previous time) typewriters.
- Reeves was the bassist and back-up vocalist in a band called Dogstar.
- As a musician, he has been booed off the stage.
- In 1993, Reeves was in a Coca-Cola commercial. He played a cyclist who is coached by his dad.
- In 2023, the lipopeptide Keanumycin, a substance deadly to fungi, was named in honor of Reeves.
Images for kids
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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film.
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Speed is a 1994 American action thriller film.
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The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction action film.
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John Wick is a 2014 action thriller film.
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Exposed is a 2016 American thriller film.
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John Wick: Chapter 2 is a 2017 action thriller film.
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Reeves' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Reeves leaving the press conference for The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Berlinale 2009
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See also
In Spanish: Keanu Reeves para niños
