Life is brutal, but everyone has a choice: Keanu Reeves’ drama on screen and beyond

We know Keanu Reeves from The Matrix, John Wick, and countless memes, but behind the high-profile projects lie round numbers and worldwide popularity, as well as multiple personal tragedies that befell the actor. As a man who has long earned the title of “the kindest” actor in Hollywood, Keanu’s uniqueness is perhaps easier to explain (as confirmed by countless stories about his sensitivity and sincerity). Yes, the whole world is in love with today’s birthday boy (turning 58), without exaggeration.

The drama has haunted her since childhood: her father left the family when the future star was three, followed by constant moving and three marriages by her mother, four school changes, and then being fired “for excessive rebellion,” as she herself says. The work was also complicated by congenital dyslexia (impaired ability to read and write), so during his school years Reeves bet on hockey and dreamed of the Olympics, but an injury ended his sports career.

He never finished school and took his first steps in acting at the age of nine, taking part in the theatrical production of the musical “Damn Yankees”. Six more years and here it is – a first on screen. Canadian television station CBS paved the way for Keanu Reeves to television and the big screen, and even before adulthood, he began acting in commercials (Coca Cola) and short films, and was a reporter for the same CBS.

“At first I wanted to be a hockey player. I was a shy kid. I just felt safe on the ice. And then all of a sudden she starred in a few commercials, that’s all. I wanted to make some extra money.”

The desire to “just make money” led him to his first role in a big movie at the age of 22 – he played the role of a hockey goalie in the drama “Young Blood”. We can say that it was something personal for him – a beautiful farewell to the sports dream. However, despite the difficult living conditions (at the beginning of his career he wandered around rental houses and hotels, and his relationship with his family left much to be desired), as an actor he was already known for his role in the comedy The Incredible Adventures of Bill and Ted. But the frivolous image did not stay with Keanu long, and in the 1990s he changed the role of a teenager to the heroes of action films and dramas (“Point Break”, “Speed”, “Walking in the Clouds”) , which gave him the status of a star of the first magnitude. But he did not manage to fully enjoy the victory: in 1993, when the actor had just ascended to Olympus, his best friend River Phoenix died.

The black line did not bypass the career of Reeves, whose subsequent projects were not very successful (critics greeted the films Johnny Mnemonic and Chain Reaction without enthusiasm), but at the end of the 90s a meteoric rise awaited: “Devil’s Advocate”, “Solitudes” and the cult “Matrix”.

The victory was marred by another personal tragedy: in December 1999, the actor and his girlfriend Jennifer Syme were anxiously awaiting the birth of their daughter, equipping a room for the baby and taking the children’s things. The girl died during childbirth. Recovery was difficult for both, the relationship cracked, the lovers decided to break up, and Keanu went to work, and a year later he received a new test from fate: the former chosen one of the actor died in a car accident. She has buried him next to his stillborns, but he is a long-awaited child and does not mention what has happened so far.

“I try not to think about my life because I don’t have a life. I need therapy.”

And if many have given up on that, it seems Keanu Reeves has managed to take it even further: in 2001 the cult melodrama Sweet November, two years later The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions two years later “Constantine” came out. New successful projects again attracted everyone’s attention to the actor, in 2003 he bought his first mansion in the Hollywood Hills, then starred in “Blurred” and “Lake House” and seemed to have recovered from past shocks, but in 2008 he became a hit. on the main pages of the tabloids as a participant in a high-profile scandal.

Then photographer Alison Silva spoke out against Reeves, demanding $711,074 for the beating and injuries she allegedly received from the actor when she “intentionally bumped into him while driving the Porsche.” As a result, the trials took a year and a half, but at the last meeting, the jury took only an hour to reach a verdict: Keanu Reeves was fully acquitted and the claim was dismissed. Be that as it may, this did not interfere with his career: Keanu tried himself as a producer (“Criminal Chip from Henry”), made his debut as a director (“Tai Chi Master”), and also became his hero. John Wick trilogy.

“Maybe I’m too skeptical about this world, maybe I’m just too sensitive to all the hate and chaos around me – it would be much easier to ignore what’s going on around me and focus on selfishness.”

And if at events, red carpets and conferences Keanu smiled and made compliments to the audience (after 2020, when he answered a shout from the audience at the presentation of the game Cyberpunk 277: “You surprise yourself!” Reciprocity, everyone fell in love with him even more ), then paparazzi lenses now and then he was sad and all alone. Perhaps the most famous was a photo taken in 2010 of the actor eating a sandwich on a bench – on the Web it was called “Sad Keanu” and is still used as a meme.

In general, the universal sadness in him is surprisingly combined with sincere kindness and modesty, not typical for Hollywood stars: for example, in 1997 American newspapers published pictures of the actor sharing breakfast with a homeless person, in 2011 a video was distributed. There’s also a case on YouTube of Reeves standing in the public line for about 20 minutes in the rain, as he gave up his place on the subway to a woman (yes, he usually prefers public transport to personal drivers). party on the occasion of their birthday. As he later said, he simply “did not want to create an event”.

“Challenges shape personality. A person should be grateful for all the difficult situations that life presents to him. They’re the ones who build the character.”

Even in the professional sphere, he does not forget about humanity: after shooting in The Matrix, the hero of the trilogy refused to increase the salaries of the special projects department and the costume team, and while working on it, profits of $ 80 million. He agreed to reduce his salary by 10% to take on Oscar winner Gene Hackman’s filming of Doubles.

“Money is the last thing on my mind. I can live with what I already have for the next few centuries.”

Sad, funny, generous, lonely – Keanu Reeves has many facets. It seems that he still does not lose faith in people and life, builds relationships after deep tragedies (two years ago his relationship with the artist and sculptor Alexandra Grant, who was nine years younger than him was known), buys and gives away houses. to use kindergarten, calls himself a “pretty lonely guy,” rides motorcycles, wears big boots and isn’t the most groomed bob, doesn’t sit on Instagram, doesn’t know he’s idolized on the Web, and is the only one he founded with motorcycle company Arch, perhaps his only friend, Gard Hollinger. as a hobbyist Motorcycle Company. In his filmography, it is as different as in life: there are no formulas, rules, roles, but there are eternal, already cult heroes with whom everyone associates himself. Just because Keanu Reeves seems so close, like someone of his own, he’s unusual and ordinary at the same time. They say we don’t deserve this. But maybe he’s the one we really need?