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Keanu Reeves biography, Career, Family, Networth, Marriage

Who is Keanu Reeves?

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in Youngblood (1986). He had his breakthrough role in the science fiction comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), and he later reprised his role in its sequels. He gained praise for playing a hustler in the independent drama My Own Private Idaho (1991) and established himself as an action hero with leading roles in Point Break (1991) and Speed (1994).

Following several box office failures, Reeves’s performance in the horror film The Devil’s Advocate (1997) was well received. Greater stardom came for playing Neo in the science fiction series The Matrix, beginning in 1999. He played John Constantine in Constantine (2005) and starred in the romantic drama The Lake House (2006), the science-fiction thriller The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and the crime thriller Street Kings (2008). Following a setback, Reeves made a comeback by playing the titular assassin in the John Wick film series, beginning in 2014.

Keanu Reeves’s Career

1984–1990: Early work

In 1984, Reeves was a correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) youth television program Going Great. That same year, he made his acting debut in an episode of the television series, called Hangin’ In. In 1985, he played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre in North York, Ontario. He made further appearances on stage, including Brad Fraser’s cult, hit Wolfboy in Toronto. He also appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial, and in 1985, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) coming-of-age, short film One Step Away.

Reeves made a foray into television films in 1986, including NBC’s Babes in Toyland, Act of Vengeance and Brotherhood of Justice. He made his first motion picture appearances in Peter Markle’s Youngblood (1986), in which he played a goalkeeper, and in the low-budget romantic drama, Flying. He was cast as Matt in River’s Edge, a crime drama about a group of high school friends dealing with a murder case, loosely based on the 1981 murder of Marcy Renee Conrad. The film premiered in 1986 at the Toronto International Film Festival to a largely positive response. Janet Maslin of The New York Times describes the performances of the young cast as “natural and credible”, with Reeves being described as “affecting and sympathetic”.

1991–1994: Breakthrough with adult roles

In 1991, Reeves starred in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, a sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, with his co-star Alex Winter. Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the sequel was “more imaginative, more opulent, wilder and freer, more excitingly visualized”, praising the actors for their “fuller” performances. Film critic Roger Ebert thought it was “a riot of visual invention and weird humour that works on its chosen sub-moronic level It’s the kind of movie where you start out snickering in spite of yourself and end up actually admiring the originality that went into creating this hallucinatory slapstick”. The rest of 1991 marked a significant transition for Reeves’ career as he undertook adult roles.

Co-starring with River Phoenix as a street hustler in the adventure My Own Private Idaho, the characters embark on a journey of personal discovery. The story was written by Gus Van Sant and is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. The film premiered at the 48th Venice International Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on September 29, 1991. The film earned $6.4 million at the box office. My Own Private Idaho was positively received, with Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly describing the film as “a postmodern road movie with a mood of free-floating, trance-like despair […] a rich, audacious experience”. The New York Times complimented Reeves and Phoenix for their insightful performances.

2014–present: Resurgence with John Wick

After this series of commercial failures, Reeves career rebounded in 2014. He played the titular role in the action thriller John Wick, directed by Chad Stahelski. In the first instalment of the John Wick franchise, Reeves plays a retired hitman seeking vengeance. He worked closely with the screenwriter to develop the story; “We all agreed on the potential of the project. I love the role, but you want the whole story, the whole ensemble to come to life”, Reeves said. Filmed on location in the New York City area, the film was eventually released on October 24 in the United States. The Hollywood Reporter was impressed by the director’s “confident, muscular action debut”, and Reeves’ “effortless” performance, which marked his return to the action genre.

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times praised Reeves’ fight scenes and wrote he is “always more comfortable in roles that demand cool over hot, attitude over emotion”. John Wick proved to be a box office success, grossing $86 million worldwide. Next, Reeves starred in a smaller-scale horror feature, Knock Knock (2015), a remake of the 1977 film Death Game. Described as “over-the-top destruction” by the Toronto Star, Reeves plays a father, home alone, when two young women show up and start a game of cat and mouse. His other releases in 2015 were the documentaries Deep Web, about crime on the dark web, and Mifune: The Last Samurai, about the life of a Japanese actor (Toshiro Mifune) famous for playing samurai characters. He narrated both films.

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How Old is Keanu Reeves?

Reeves was born was on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, London. He is currently 56 years old.

Keanu Reeves‘s Family

Who are Keanu Reeves’s parents?

Reeves is the son of Patricia, a costume designer and performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr.

Does Keanu Reeves have siblings?

Reeves has three siblings named Kim, Emma and Karina Reeves.

Keanu Reeves‘s Education

Reeves attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was expelled. Reeves said he was expelled because he 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”. At De La Salle College, he was a successful ice hockey goalkeeper. Reeves had aspirations to become a professional ice hockey player for the Canadian Olympic team but decided to become an actor when he was 15. After leaving De La Salle College, he attended Avondale Secondary Alternative School, which allowed him to get an education while working as an actor. He dropped out of high school when he was 17.

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Keanu Reeves‘s Relationships and Kids

On December 24, 1999, Reeves’ girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, who was stillborn. The couple broke up several weeks later. On April 2, 2001, Syme was killed when her vehicle collided with three parked cars on Cahuenga Boulevard in Los Angeles. She was being treated for depression at the time, and police found prescription medication in her car. Reeves, who was scheduled to film The Matrix sequels the following spring, sought “peace and time”, according to friend Bret Domrose of Dogstar.

Reeves has also previously been romantically linked to longtime friend and filmmaker Brenda Davis, whose child he is godfather to, and model-actress China Chow. In 2009, Reeves met Alexandra Grant at a dinner party; they went on to collaborate on two books together. They went public with their relationship in November 2019.