Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves (born September 2, 1964, Beirut, Lebanon) is a Canadian actor who found his greatest success in comedy, science-fiction, and action movies. Reeves’s early hits included Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and Speed (1994), and he later starred in two blockbuster franchises: The Matrix and John Wick.

Early life

Reeves’s mother was an English performer and costume designer, and his father was a Hawaiian geologist. They divorced when he was a young child, and he lived with his mother. The family moved first to Sydney, then to New York City, and finally to Toronto, where Reeves grew up. He struggled in school and attended four different high schools, one of which was focused on the arts, before leaving to pursue an acting career. His first professional appearance was in a 1984 episode of the comedy series Hangin’ In.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Point Break, and Speed

Following more roles in TV movies and shows, Reeves made his film debut as a hockey player in Youngblood (1986), set in the world of junior hockey in Canada. Later that year he gained notice for his portrayal of a disaffected teen in the bleak drama River’s Edge and as the son of an alcoholic father (Andy Griffith) in the TV movie Under the Influence. Reeves appeared in several movies over the next two years, most prominently Dangerous Liaisons (1988), before starring in the slacker comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), about two high-school students who time-travel for a history project. The movie was an unexpected and enduring hit. Later in 1989 Reeves also acted in Ron Howard’s Parenthood.

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Reeves starred in three movies in 1991, playing an FBI agent in Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break and a male prostitute in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho, which also starred River Phoenix, and reprising the role of Ted in the sequel Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. He later appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing (1993). Reeves made several disappointing movies before playing a bomb expert in Speed (1994). The thriller was a blockbuster, and it made him an action star.

The Matrix and John Wick series

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Reeves then appeared in a series of films that failed to connect with both critics and moviegoers. These included the science-fiction movie Johnny Mnemonic (1995), the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (1995), and the crime comedy Feeling Minnesota (1996). Somewhat more successful was The Devil’s Advocate (1997), in which he played a lawyer who falls under the spell of the Devil (Al Pacino). In 1999 Reeves reached a new level of stardom with his portrayal of Neo in the sci-fi cult classic The Matrix (1999). The blockbuster, which was also critically acclaimed, launched a hugely successful franchise that included two sequels (both 2003).

Continuing to pursue diverse roles, Reeves appeared in the sports movies The Replacements (2000) and Hardball (2001) before playing a supporting role in the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (2003) and in the coming-of-age drama Thumbsucker (2005). He also starred as a demonologist in Constantine (2005) and a would-be bank robber in Henry’s Crime (2010). In 2013 he made his directorial debut with Man of Tai Chi (2013), about an underground martial-arts fight club; he also starred in the drama. Reeves then received praise for his performance as a classic antihero in the title role of John Wick (2014). The movie was a huge hit, and sequels followed (2017, 2019, and 2023).

Reeves’s later films included The Whole Truth (2016), To the Bone (2017), Destination Wedding (2018), and Always Be My Maybe (2019). In 2020 he returned to his first movie franchise, starring in the well-received Bill & Ted Face the Music. Reeves turned to another iconic series when he reprised the role of Neo in The Matrix Resurrections (2021).

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Voice work

Reeves lent his voice to various projects, including the animated series Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures (1999) and the films Toy Story 4 (2019) and DC League of Super Pets (2022). In 2024 he voiced the villain Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.