Keanu Reeves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keanu Reeves
Reeves at Primavera Sound 2024
Born	Keanu Charles Reeves (1964-09-02) September 2, 1964 (age 60) Beirut, Lebanon
Citizenship	Canada
Occupation	Actor musician
Years active	1984–present
Works	Full list
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Rock
Instruments	Bass guitar
Years active	1991–present
Signature

Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor and musician. He is famous for starring in some of the most popular movies of the last few decades. Many people know him for playing Neo in The Matrix, Ted Logan in the Bill & Ted series, and the action hero John Wick.

Reeves is also known for his kind and generous personality, which has made him very popular with fans around the world. Besides acting, he plays bass guitar in the band Dogstar and has co-written a comic book. In 2022, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early life

Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His mother, Patricia, is a costume designer from England. His father, Samuel, was an American from Hawaii with Native Hawaiian, Chinese, English, and Portuguese roots. The name Keanu means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian.

His parents separated when he was three years old. After that, he lived in Sydney, Australia, and New York City before his family settled in Toronto, Canada. Growing up, Reeves had dyslexia, which made reading and studying difficult for him. He said, "Because I had trouble reading, I wasn't a good student."

Despite his struggles in school, he was a talented ice hockey goalkeeper. His team nicknamed him "The Wall," and he dreamed of playing for the Canadian Olympic team. However, he decided to become an actor when he was 15. At 17, he left high school to focus on acting and later moved to Los Angeles to start his career. Reeves is a Canadian citizen.

Acting Career

1980s–1990s: Early Success and Action Stardom

Reeves in 1986

Reeves began his acting career in 1984, appearing in television shows and commercials. His big break came in 1989 with the science-fiction comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He played Ted "Theodore" Logan, a fun-loving teenager who travels through time in a phone booth. The movie was a huge hit and made Reeves a star.

In the 1990s, Reeves became a major action hero. He starred in Point Break (1991) as an undercover FBI agent who learns to surf to catch bank robbers. In 1994, he starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the thriller Speed. He played Jack Traven, a police officer trying to stop a bomb on a bus that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per hour. Speed was a massive success and established him as a leading action star.

During this time, he also starred in the horror film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and the supernatural thriller The Devil's Advocate (1997) with Al Pacino.

1999–2003: The Matrix and Global Fame

Reeves promoting The Day the Earth Stood Still in Mexico, 2008

In 1999, Reeves starred in The Matrix, a science fiction film that changed the action genre forever. He played Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer who goes by the hacker name "Neo". Neo discovers that the world he lives in is actually a simulated reality, and he is chosen to free humanity.

To prepare for the role, Reeves and the cast trained for months in martial arts. The film was famous for its groundbreaking special effects, especially the "bullet time" sequences where the action seems to slow down. The Matrix was a worldwide phenomenon and won four Academy Awards.

Reeves returned as Neo in the sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003. He later played the role again in The Matrix Resurrections (2021).

2014–present: The John Wick Era and Voice Acting

Reeves in 2019

After a period of acting in different kinds of films, Reeves made a huge comeback with the action movie John Wick (2014). He played the title character, a legendary retired hitman who is forced back into the criminal underworld. The film was praised for its exciting action scenes and stylish look.

The success of John Wick led to several sequels, including John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). The franchise has become one of the most popular and successful of his career.

Reeves has also done voice acting. He voiced the Canadian stuntman toy Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4 (2019) and the famous video game character Shadow the Hedgehog in the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). He also appeared as the character Johnny Silverhand in the popular video game Cyberpunk 2077 (2020).

Other Creative Projects

Music with Dogstar

Reeves performing with Dogstar in 2024

Besides acting, Reeves is a musician. In 1991, he co-founded the alternative rock band Dogstar, where he plays the bass guitar. The band toured and released two albums in the 1990s and early 2000s. After a long break, Dogstar reunited and released a new album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, in 2023, followed by a tour.

Writing, Directing, and Business

Tiger Chen and Reeves at the 2013 Fantastic Fest

Reeves has explored other creative fields as well. In 2013, he directed his first film, a martial arts movie called Man of Tai Chi. He is also the co-writer of the comic book series BRZRKR, about an immortal warrior. The comic has been very successful.

An avid motorcycle fan, Reeves co-founded ARCH Motorcycle in 2011. The company builds and sells custom motorcycles.

Reputation for Kindness

Mural of Reeves in Santiago de Chile

Reeves is well known for his kindness and generosity. He supports several charities, including PETA and the SickKids Foundation. After his sister battled leukemia, he created his own private foundation that helps children's hospitals and funds cancer research. He once said, "Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries."

There are many stories about his kindness. He reportedly gave a large part of his earnings from The Matrix to the special effects and makeup crews. As a gift to the 12-person stunt team on The Matrix Reloaded, he bought each of them a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The Internet's Favorite Person

Reeves' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Reeves has been called "the internet's boyfriend" because of his humble and down-to-earth personality. In 2010, a photo of him looking sad while eating a sandwich on a park bench became a famous internet meme called "Sad Keanu." Reeves later explained he was just deep in thought and hungry.

Many stories show his kind nature. In 2019, when his flight had to make an emergency landing, he helped organize a van for the other passengers and entertained them by reading facts about the local town. Another time, he spotted a sign on a fan's lawn that said "You're Breathtaking" (a reference to a famous moment at a video game conference) and stopped his car to sign it and meet the family. These moments have helped make him one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood.

Awards and Recognition

Reeves (right) receiving the Inkpot Award in 2024

Throughout his long career, Reeves has starred in many successful films. Some of his most popular movies include Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, The Matrix, and the John Wick series.

He has won several awards, including four MTV Movie Awards. In 2005, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him number four on its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

Cool Facts About Keanu Reeves

• Keanu does many of his own stunts in movies. He has been injured many times while filming.
• He once rode his motorcycle over 1,000 miles to bring a script to his friend River Phoenix. He wanted River to star in a movie with him.
• Keanu has sometimes given up part of his own salary. This helped free up money to hire other famous actors for his movies.
• He gave the stunt teams of The Matrix movies Harley Davidson motorcycles. This was to thank them for their hard work.
• Keanu has published books of his own poetry.
• He also collects old typewriters.
• Keanu was the bassist and back-up vocalist in a band called Dogstar.
• As a musician, he has sometimes been booed off the stage by the audience.
• In 1993, Keanu was in a Coca-Cola commercial. He played a cyclist who was coached by his dad.
• In 2023, a substance that kills fungi was named after him. It is called Keanumycin.

Keanu Reeves' Famous 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.”

See also

In Spanish: Keanu Reeves para niños