Keanu Reeves

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Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves 2012.jpg
Reeves at the Cloud Atlas Los Angeles premiere on October 24, 2012.
Born Keanu Charles Reeves
(1964-09-02) September 2, 1964 (age 48)
Beirut, Lebanon
Nationality Canadian
Other names K.C. Reeves
Keannu Reeves
Occupation Actor
Years active 1985–present

Keanu Charles Reeves (pron.: /keɪˈɑːnuː/ kay-AH-noo; born September 2, 1964)[1] is an American-Canadian actor. Reeves is known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break, and The Matrix trilogy as Neo. He has collaborated with major directors such as Stephen Frears (in the 1988 period drama Dangerous Liaisons); Gus Van Sant (in the 1991 independent film My Own Private Idaho); and Bernardo Bertolucci (in the 1993 film Little Buddha). Referring to his 1991 film releases, The New York Times' critic, Janet Maslin, praised Reeves' versatility, saying that he "displays considerable discipline and range. He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles."[2]

In addition to his film roles, Reeves has acted in theatre. His performance in the title role for Manitoba Theatre Centre's production of Hamlet was praised by Roger Lewis of The Sunday Times, who declared Reeves "one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet."[3] On January 31, 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Reeves worked with illustrator Alexandra Grant to author a book, Ode to Happiness. Reeves has also produced a documentary, Side by Side; and directed the film, Man of Tai Chi.

Contents

Early life

Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of Patricia Bond (née Taylor), a costume designer/performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr. His mother was English and his father was a Hawaiian-born American of Native Hawaiian, English, Irish, Portuguese, and Chinese descent.[4][5][6] Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Reeves' father worked as an unskilled laborer and earned his GED while imprisoned in Hawaii for selling heroin at Hilo International Airport.[7] He abandoned his wife and family when Reeves was three years old. Reeves does not currently have any relationship with him, and their last meeting was when he was 13.[7]

Reeves moved around the world frequently as a child and he lived with various stepfathers. After his parents divorced in 1966, his mother became a costume designer and moved the family to Sydney, Australia[8] and then to New York City. There she met and married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director. The couple moved to Toronto; they divorced in 1971. Reeves' mother married Robert Miller, a rock promoter, in 1976; the couple divorced in 1980. She subsequently married her fourth husband, Jack Bond, a hairdresser, the marriage ended in 1994. Grandparents and nannies babysat Reeves and his sisters, and Reeves grew up primarily in Toronto. Within a span of five years, he attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was later expelled. Reeves stated he was expelled because "I 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."[9]

Reeves excelled more in hockey than in academics, as his educational development was challenged by dyslexia. He was a successful goalie at one of his high schools (De La Salle College "Oaklands"), and earned the nickname "The Wall". While Reeves dreamed of playing hockey for Canada, an injury ended his hopes for a hockey career. After leaving De La Salle College, he attended Avondale Secondary Alternative School, which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor; he later dropped out, never obtaining his high school diploma.[10]

In January 2011, on the BBC program The One Show, he spoke of his English ancestry, via his mother, mentioning his happy watching of The Two Ronnies comedy show amongst others when younger, and how his mother imparted English manners that he still has today.[11]

Career

1980s

Reeves began his acting career at the age of nine, appearing in a theatre production of Damn Yankees. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves made his screen acting debut in a CBC Television comedy series entitled Hangin' In. Throughout the early 1980s, he appeared in commercials (including one for Coca-Cola), short films including the NFB drama One Step Away[12] and stage work such as Brad Fraser's cult hit Wolfboy in Toronto. In 1984, he was a correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation TV youth program Going Great.[13]

Reeves' first studio movie appearance was in the Rob Lowe ice hockey film Youngblood, in which he played a Québécois goalie. Shortly after the movie's release, Reeves drove to Los Angeles in his 1969 Volvo. His ex-stepfather Paul Aaron, a stage and television director, had convinced Erwin Stoff to be Reeves' manager and agent before he even arrived in Los Angeles. Stoff has remained Reeves' manager, and has co-produced many of his films. After a few minor roles, Reeves received a more sizable role in the 1986 drama film River's Edge, which depicted how a murder affected a group of teens. Following this film's critical success, he spent the late 1980s appearing in a number of movies aimed at teenage audiences, including Permanent Record, and the unexpectedly successful 1989 comedy, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which, along with its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, typecast Reeves as a spaced-out teen. Much of his portrayal in the press and much of the response to his acting in the early 1990s still mentioned his portrayal of the airheaded Ted.

1990s

From 1991, Reeves played bass guitar in the grunge band Dogstar. During the early 1990s, Reeves started to break out of his teen-film period. He appeared in high-budget action films like Point Break, for which he won MTV's "Most Desirable Male" award in 1992. He was also involved in various lower-budget independent films, including the well-received 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho with his close friend, the late River Phoenix. In 1994, Reeves' career reached a new high as a result of his starring role in the action film Speed. His casting in the film was controversial since, except for Point Break, he was primarily known for comedies and indie dramas. He had never been the sole headliner on a film. The summer action film had a fairly large budget and was helmed by novice cinematographer-turned-director Jan de Bont. The unexpected international success of the film made Reeves and co-star Sandra Bullock into A-List stars.

Reeves at The Lake House London premiere, September 2006

Reeves' career choices after Speed were eclectic: despite his successes, Reeves continued to accept supporting roles and appear in experimental films. He scored a hit with a romantic lead role in A Walk in the Clouds. He made news by refusing to take part in Speed 2: Cruise Control – despite the offered $11 million paycheck, which would have been his largest to date – in favour of touring with his band and playing the title role in a 1995 Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[14] Of his performance, Roger Lewis, the Sunday Times theatre critic, wrote, "He quite embodied the innocence, the splendid fury, the animal grace of the leaps and bounds, the emotional violence, that form the Prince of Denmark... He is one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet."[15]

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

Reeves' other choices after A Walk in the Clouds, however, failed with critics and audiences. Big-budget films such as the sci-fi action film Johnny Mnemonic and the action-thriller Chain Reaction were critically panned and failed at the box office, while indie films like Feeling Minnesota were also critical failures. Reeves finally started to climb out of his career low after starring in the horror/drama The Devil's Advocate alongside Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Reeves took a paycut of $1 million for The Devil's Advocate so that Pacino would be cast, and later took a 90% paycut for the less successful The Replacements to guarantee the casting of Gene Hackman.[16] The Devil's Advocate did well at the box office, received good reviews, and proved that Reeves could play a grown-up with a career, although many critics felt that his poor performance detracted from an otherwise enjoyable movie. The 1999 science fiction-action hit The Matrix, a film in which Reeves had a starring role, was a box office success and attracted positive reviews.[16]

Reeves leaving the press conference for The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Berlinale 2009

2000s

In between the first Matrix film and its sequels, Reeves received positive reviews for his portrayal of an abusive husband in The Gift. Aside from The Gift, Reeves appeared in several films that received mostly negative reviews and unimpressive box office grosses, including The Watcher, Sweet November and The Replacements. However, the two Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, along with Something's Gotta Give and the 2005 horror-action film, Constantine, proved to be box office successes and brought Reeves back into the public spotlight. Reeves performed with the band Becky for a year, but quit in 2005, citing his disinterest in a serious music career.[17]

His appearance in the 2006 film, A Scanner Darkly, based on the dystopian science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, received favorable reviews, but The Lake House, his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, did not do well at the box office. He went on to play the lead character in two 2008 films, Street Kings and The Day the Earth Stood Still. In February 2009 The Private Life of Pippa Lee was presented at Berlinale.[18]

2010s

Beginning in 2008, Reeves began pre-production on his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi. The film is a multilingual narrative, partly inspired by the life of his friend, stuntman Tiger Chen. Filming occurred on mainland China and Hong Kong. During Man of Tai Chi's five years of scripting and production, Reeves acted in several B movies with lead roles as Henry in 2010's Henry's Crime and John in 2012's Generation Um.... Also during that time, Reeves acted as the leading role in a blockbuster film, 47 Ronin.

In 2011, Reeves wrote and published the "grown-up picture book" Ode to Happiness, with illustrations by Alexandra Grant.[19][20]

Reeves's first directorial film, Man of Tai Chi, premiered in 2013 with showings at the Beijing Film Festival[21] and Cannes Film Festival[22]. The work was awarded in Beijing and praised by recognized director of kung fu genre films, John Woo.

Future projects

In January 2009, it was announced that Reeves would star in the live-action film adaptation of the anime series Cowboy Bebop,[23][24] initially slated for release in 2011. Due to budgeting problems, the script was sent for a rewrite, and the project's status is currently unknown.

In April 2011, Reeves referenced that a third installment of the Bill & Ted series had been initiated.[25]

Personal life

Reeves' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

He is a U.S. citizen through his American father, and also holds Canadian citizenship by naturalization; he grew up as a Canadian and identifies as such.[26] He is also entitled to British citizenship through his English mother.

For nearly a decade following his initial rise to stardom, Reeves preferred to live in rental houses and hotels. He was a long-term resident of the Chateau Marmont. Reeves bought his first house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles around 2003. He also has an apartment in Central Park West, New York City.[26]

In December 1999, Reeves's girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth in her eighth month of pregnancy to a stillborn daughter, Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. Syme died in April 2001, the sole passenger in an automobile wreck.[27][28][29] Reeves, who was scheduled to begin shooting back-to-back Matrix sequels during the subsequent spring, was seeking "peace and time to deal with this," said his friend Bret Domrose, a guitarist in Reeves's alternative rock band Dogstar.[27]

Contrary to popular impression, Reeves is neither Buddhist nor atheist, despite frequent listings to the contrary.[30][31] He has previously claimed to be non-religious, while also citing an intense interest of Buddhism. In 1997, he stated, "Sure I believe in God and the Devil but they don't have to have pitchforks and a long white beard."[32]

During 2008, Reeves was sued unsuccessfully in Los Angeles Superior Court by paparazzo Alison Silva. The $711,974[33] suit claimed Reeves allegedly hit and injured Silva with a Porsche concluding a family visit at a Los Angeles medical facility.[34][35] The paparazzo's lawsuit took a year and a half to make it to trial, during which time Silva continued to attack Reeves and demand payment. At the trial, all 12 jurors rejected the suit, needing only an hour of deliberation to reach their verdict.[36]

Reeves gained some internet notoriety in 2010. Photos of him, seemingly distressed while eating alone, were posted to a 4chan forum. The images were soon distributed via several blogs and news sites. These pictures led to the "Keanu is Sad" or "Sad Keanu" meme being spread on internet forums. Furthermore, an unofficial holiday was created when a Facebook fan page declared June 15 as "Cheer-up Keanu Day".[37][38] On the one year anniversary of "Cheer-up Keanu Day", Reeves was interviewed for an article in British newspaper, The Guardian. When prompted about the unsolicited attention, he responded, "It is hopefully, in a quiet and enjoyable way, transformative. The kind of thing that takes you from this one place to another – to look at yourself and, y'know, it can always be worse. I hate that sentence: of course it can always be worse!" [39]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Letting Go Stereo Teen No.1
One Step Away Ron Petrie
1986 Youngblood Heaver
Flying Tommy Wernicke
Young Again Mike Riley, age 17
Under the Influence Eddie Talbot
Act of Vengeance Buddy Martin
River's Edge Matt
Brotherhood of Justice Derek
Babes in Toyland Jack
1988 Permanent Record Chris Townsend
The Prince of Pennsylvania Rupert Marshetta
The Night Before Winston Connelly
Dangerous Liaisons Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny
1989 Life Under Water Kip
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Ted "Theodore" Logan
Parenthood Tod Higgins
1990 I Love You to Death Marlon James
Tune in Tomorrow Martin Loader
1991 Point Break FBI Special Agent John 'Johnny' Utah MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey Ted "Theodore" Logan/Evil Ted
My Own Private Idaho Scott Favor
Providence Eric
1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula Jonathan Harker
1993 Much Ado About Nothing Don John
Little Buddha Prince Siddhartha/Lord Buddha
Poetic Justice Homeless Man (Uncredited)
Freaked Ortiz the Dog Boy (Uncredited)
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Julian Gitche
1994 Speed Officer Jack Traven MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Sandra Bullock)
Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Sandra Bullock)
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male
1995 Johnny Mnemonic Johnny
A Walk in the Clouds Sgt. Paul Sutton
1996 Chain Reaction Eddie Kasalivich
Feeling Minnesota Jjaks Clayton
1997 The Last Time I Committed Suicide Harry
The Devil's Advocate Kevin Lomax
1999 The Matrix Thomas Anderson/Neo Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor in an Action/Science Fiction Film
Golden Slate for Best Actor in a Leading Role
MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Laurence Fishburne)
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Laurence Fishburne)
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor
Me and Will Himself
2000 The Replacements Shane Falco
The Watcher David Allen Griffin
The Gift Donnie Barksdale
2001 Sweet November Nelson Moss
Hardball Conor O'Neill
2003 The Matrix Reloaded Thomas Anderson/Neo Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Hugo Weaving)
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Monica Bellucci)
The Animatrix Thomas Anderson/Neo Voice only
The Matrix Revolutions Thomas Anderson/Neo
Something's Gotta Give Dr. Julian Mercer
2005 Constantine John Constantine
Thumbsucker Perry Lyman
Ellie Parker Himself
2006 The Lake House Alex Wyler
A Scanner Darkly Bob Arctor
The Great Warming Narrator
2008 Street Kings Detective Tom Ludlow
The Day the Earth Stood Still Klaatu
2009 The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Chris Nadeau
2010 Henry's Crime Henry
2012 Generation Um... John
Side by Side Himself Also producer
2013 Man of Tai Chi Also director
47 Ronin Kai
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1984 Hangin' In Teen Client Episode: "Happiness Is a Warm Grover"
1985 Night Heat Mugger
Thug #1		 Episode: "Crossfire"
Episode: "Necessary Force"
1985 Comedy Factory Crackers Episode: "Fast Foof"
1986 Disneyland Michael Riley, Age 17 Episode: "Young Again"
1987 Trying Times Joey Episode: "Moving Day"
1989 American Playhouse Kip Episode: "Life Under Water "
1989 The Tracey Ullman Show Jesse Walker Episode: "Two Lost Souls"
1990 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures Ted "Theodore" Logan Season 1; 13 episodes / Voice only
2009, 2012 Easy to Assemble Vorste Feirron Episodes: "The Team Building Event", "Bossy Lady"

References

  1. ^ "Keanu Reeves". Biography.com. 
  2. ^ Maslin, Janet (July 12, 1991). "Surf's Up For F.B.I. In Bigelow's Point Break". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2009. [dead link]
  3. ^ "MOST EXCELLENT PRINCE". The Sunday Times. January 22, 1995. Retrieved 18 June 18, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Keanu Reeves Film Reference biography". Film Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2008. 
  5. ^ Hoover, Will (August 18, 2002). "Rooted in Kuli'ou'ou Valley". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved December 8, 2010. 
  6. ^ "NEHGS – Articles". Newenglandancestors.org. Retrieved May 5, 2010. 
  7. ^ a b Ryan, Tim (April 22, 2001). "Memories of Keanu". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2008. 
  8. ^ Keanu Reeves' speedy stop off, Heraldsun.com.au, April 15, 2008. Retrieved on 2013-02-10.
  9. ^ Koffler, Kevin J. (January 1988) The New Breed: Actors Coming of Age. Whoaisnotme.net. Retrieved on 2013-02-10.
  10. ^ "Keanu Reeves- Biography". Yahoo movies. Retrieved 18 June 2012. 
  11. ^ "'I started smoking at 30 and now I can't stop': Keanu Reeves reveals the bad habits picked up on films sets". Daily mail. December 7, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2012. 
  12. ^ "One Step Away". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved May 10, 2008. 
  13. ^ YouTube clip CBC RetroBites: Keanu Reeves
  14. ^ "Manitoba Theatre Centre – News". Mtc.mb.ca. Retrieved May 5, 2010. 
  15. ^ Vanity fair Volume 58, 1995
  16. ^ a b "Keanu Gives Up 'Matrix' Money". ABC News. Retrieved June 29, 2012. 
  17. ^ "Keanu Quits Becky". contactmusic.com. February 1, 2005. Retrieved May 23, 2013. 
  18. ^ "The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee". Film file. 
  19. ^ Reeves, Keanu (2011). "Ode to Happiness". Steidl. ISBN 3869302097. 
  20. ^ Hassan, Genevieve (June 22, 2011). "Keanu Reeves' Ode to Happiness". BBC News. 
  21. ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0520/Keanu-Reeves-spent-five-years-on-his-latest-film-Why
  22. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/20/entertainment-us-cannes-reeves-idUSBRE94J0RO20130520
  23. ^ Kit, Borys (January 16, 2009). "Reeves Leads Cast of Futuristic Bebop". Reuters UK. 
  24. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (January 15, 2009). "Keanu Reeves set for 'Bebop'". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2009. 
  25. ^ "Keanu Reeves confirms that 'Bill And Ted 3' is on the way". NME. April 6, 2011. 
  26. ^ a b Keanu Reeves. Canadiancontent.net. Retrieved on 2013-02-10.
  27. ^ a b Schneider, Karen S. (April 23, 2001). "Too Much Sorrow. Keanu Reeves Mourns His Former Girlfriend, Who Never Recovered from the Loss of Their Child". People (archive). Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  28. ^ "Keanu's girlfriend dies in crash". Daily Mail (archive). April 5, 2001. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  29. ^ "Film Notes: Keanu Reeves' Girlfriend Killed". ABC News. April 5, 2001. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  30. ^ "Keanu 'still an atheist'". News24. February 3, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  31. ^ Bond, Paul. "Hollywood's Top 10 Atheists". Newsmax. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  32. ^ Eggar, Robin (November 1997). "Keanu Reeves". Whoa is (Not) Me (Singapore). 
  33. ^ Lang, Derrik J. (November 3, 2008). "Keanu Reeves Wins Court Case, Photographer Gets Nothing". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  34. ^ "Keanu courts humor against paparazzo". New York Daily News. November 29, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  35. ^ "Paparazzo says Reeves hit him with car". USA Today. November 5, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  36. ^ Ryan, Harriet (November 4, 2008). "Keanu Reeves cleared in paparazzo lawsuit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  37. ^ Suddath, Claire (June 15, 2010). "Help Cheer Up Keanu Reeves". Time Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  38. ^ "Cheer up Keanu Reeves!". Facebook. Retrieved August 31, 2012. 
  39. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/jun/15/keanu-reeves-ode-to-happiness

Further reading

External links

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