Keanu Reeves - Early Life, Movies & 'The Matrix' (2024)

(1964-)

Keanu Reeves was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, and was raised in Toronto, Canada. He first gained attention for his performance in River's Edge, while the comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and its sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, brought him major recognition. Reeves has developed an eclectic film roster that includes the action flick Speed and the sci-fi blockbusters The Matrix and its sequels, as well as more art-house fare like My Own Private Idaho and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Reeves made his directorial debut in 2013 with Man of Tai Chi.

Of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage on his geologist father’s side, Reeves’ first name translates from Hawaiian to English as “cool breeze over the mountains.” Reeves’ mom worked in entertainment as a performer and later a costume designer. Upon his parents’ split, the youngster moved with his mother and sister to New York and then Toronto. Reeves developed an ardor for hockey, though he would eventually turn to acting, garnering TV roles and making his big-screen debut in the 1985 Canadian feature One Step Away.

'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'

Reeves was featured in U.S.-oriented teen movies such as Youngblood (1986), starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze, and River’s Edge (1986). More television and film roles followed before Reeves joined the ensemble cast of the scandalous period drama Dangerous Liaisons (1988), starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. The following year marked the release of a film for which the young actor would become associated with for quite some time — Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Co-starring Alex Winter, the popular comedy followed two high school students and their time-traveling high jinks, eventually spawning a 1990 animated TV series and the 1991 movie sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

'My Own Private Idaho,' 'Point Break,' 'Speed'

Though Reeves would often face criticism for his deadpan delivery and perceived limited range as an actor, he nonetheless took on roles in a variety of genres over the ensuing decade, doing everything from introspective art-house fare to action-packed thrillers.

My Own Private Idaho (1991), directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starring River Phoenix, chronicled the lives of two young sex workers living on the streets, while Point Break (1991) turned the actor into an undercover FBI agent who gets caught up in the criminal lives of surfing bank robbers. Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), co-starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins, saw Reeves embodying the calm resoluteness of character Jonathan Harker. 1994 saw the actor starring opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit action flick Speed, followed by work that included the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (1995) and the supernatural thriller Devil’s Advocate (1997), co-starring Al Pacino and Charlize Theron.

'The Matrix'

At the close of the decade, Reeves starred in a sci-fi film that would become a genre game changer—The Matrix. Directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski, the 1999 movie followed Reeves as prophetic figure Neo, slated to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming simulated world. Known for its innovative fight sequences, avant-garde special effects and gorgeous fashion, The Matrix was an international hit. Two sequels were filmed together and released in 2003 to a more mixed reception, though the second installment, The Matrix Reloaded, was a bigger financial blockbuster than its predecessor.

In summer 2019, 16 years after the release of The Matrix Reloaded, it was announced that a fourth film in the franchise was in the works, with Reeves set to return as Neo.

'Something's Gotta Give,' 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'

Even with mainstream success, Reeves continued working in different genres, as seen with his roles as an abusive man in The Gift (2000), starring Cate Blanchett, a smitten doctor in Something’s Gotta Give (2003) opposite Diane Keaton, and a Brit demon hunter in Constantine (2005). Reeves returned to sci-fi as alien Klaatu in the 2008 remake of the classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, co-starring Jennifer Connelly and Jaden Smith.

'Man of Tai Chi,' 'John Wick,' 'Toy Story 4'

The following decade saw the actor making his directorial debut with Man of Tai Chi (2013). Martial arts–based themes continued in Reeves' next feature, the widely panned 47 Ronin (2013), which was followed in 2014 by the more critically well-received John Wick, co-starring Willem Dafoe and John Leguizamo and its sequel John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). After co-starring with Winona Ryder in the rom-com Destination Wedding (2018), Reeves faced a busy 2019 with the release of the sci-fi thriller Replicas; a return to action fare in John Wick 3: Parabellum; a supporting role in the Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe and his entry into a major animated franchise as the voice of stuntman Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4.

In 1999, Reeves and his girlfriend Jennifer Syme had a daughter, Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, born eight months stillborn. The loss of their daughter devastated the couple and caused the end of their relationship.

Two years later, Jennifer was involved in a fatal car accident where she rammed into three cars and was thrown out of her vehicle. It was later reported she was on anti-depressant medication.

His artistic aspirations not limited to film, Reeves co-founded the band Dogstar in the early 1990s. Dogstar enjoyed modest success, releasing two albums during Reeves' decade-long run as its bass player. He later played bass for a band called Becky for about a year.

Reeves is also a longtime motorcycle enthusiast. After asking designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him, the two went into business together with the formation of Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011.

Reported to be one of the more generous actors in Hollywood, Reeves helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukemia, and has supported such organizations as Stand Up To Cancer and PETA.

In August 2018, while promoting Destination Wedding with Ryder, Reeves seemed surprised to learn that he may be legally married to his co-star. Ryder said it was the result of filming their wedding scene for Dracula, as a real Romanian priest had conducted a full marriage ceremony.

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FULL NAME: Keanu Charles Reeves
BORN: September 2, 1964
BIRTHPLACE: Beirut, Lebanon

• I was never the kind of actor who was only interested in my own performance and that’s it. I’ve always enjoyed being on sets and seeing where the camera was going and looking at the shooting schedule and understanding how the production is put together and how I fit into the story as a whole.
• I enjoyed [River Phoenix's] company. Very much. And enjoyed his mind and his spirit and his soul. We brought good out in each other. He was a real original thinker. He was not the status quo. In anything.
• People say, ‘Another inscrutable deadpan performance.’ I mostly find these things amusing. Something like ‘Point Break Live!’ is a funny idea, I can understand that. Ultimately you hope that people like what you do. It’s a drag when they don’t. The weirdest thing for me is when people assume that I’m the person I’m playing.