Top 10 AMAZING FACTS About KEANU REEVES (John Wick)

Some Random Reeves Facts

Think you know all the amazing things about the real life Dorian Grey? How about that his name actually means “cool breeze over the mountains” in Hawaiian and that, while he has a Hawaiian name and is considered a Canadian actor, he was born in Lebanon? Reeves is also known for taking pay cuts on The Devil’s Advocate and The Replacements so the films could afford stars like Al Pacino and Gene Hackman. He also gave up a chance to star in Heat to star as Hamlet in a Manitoba theater. He may have started off as a rambunctious youth, bouncing between four high schools in five years and earning one expulsion, but it’s evident that he’s come a long way.

Keanu is Just a Guy

Is Keanu a prolific actor with a great career? Because you’d never know it based on some of his more public appearances. And we don’t mean scheduled meetings with the public, we’re talking about times like when he was spotted all alone on a park bench, contemplating life over a perplexing sandwich or burrito. Or that time he spent his 46th birthday with little more than a cupcake and two workers of a prop warehouse. Though these images are often attributed to the “sad Keanu” phenomenon, it may just be that he’s a rather normal guy.

He Knows Kung Fu?

According to John Wick director and former stuntman Chad Stahelski, the training Reeves went through to perfect the movie’s choreographed “gun fu” was extensive enough to elevate the star from “actor” to “a martial arts guy.” On the contrary, Reeves is more modest about his martial arts aptitude, instead claiming that he does “movie kung fu.” Chances are, though, he may actually know a thing or two as he trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo under The Machado Brothers, the same five siblings responsible for training Chuck Norris for the past 20 years.

He Really Is John Wick

You probably think we’re referencing how he performed most of his own stunts in the John Wick series, but no, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. After watching him plow through a 3-Gun shooting event, we truly believe he is the man you send to kill Bogeyman. Despite having claimed in 2008 that he doesn’t own a gun, it’s clear that Reeves has had enough time behind the trigger. Which also probably means he’s all for the 2nd Amendment, right? Eh, mostly. Taking probably the most level-headed stance on the matter, the actor is not against private gun ownership but also recognizes the potential dangers of it.

Spiritual Reeves

Ask Reeves what religion he follows and chances are he’ll deny practicing any faith. So why does the internet frequently peg him as a Buddhist? Outside of his well-natured personality, his role in Little Buddha and co-narration of Discovering Buddhism may have something to do with it. Ultimately, Reeves doesn’t align with any sect despite having attended Catholic school as a young lad, though he does have a spiritual side to him. The actor has been quoted talking about an afterlife, stating “I do think there must be some kind of interaction between your living life and the life that goes on from here.”

Supporting The Matrix

Speaking on how nice Keanu is, we don’t want to leave out that time he gave up part of his prophet-sharing from The Matrix series to the special-effects and costume-design teams working on the sequels. While the story tends to change and some outlets claim he personally gave over $100 million (£77 million) to the teams, how much he gave up isn’t really important. All you need to know is that through back-end deals that earned him a portion of box office sales, Reeves diverted his funds to support the staff that brought the world of The Matrix to life.

Charitable Reeves

“You may be a giving person, but are you Keanu Reeves’ level of giving?” It may not be yet, but that could very well be how we gauge charitable contributions in the future. It’s not even just a case of the private monetary contributions he’s made to cancer and childhood illness foundations along with a multitude of charities. Reeves is known for – and has been candidly caught - being an all-around nice guy. One of his more unique charitable moves came when he auctioned a two-day motorcycle trip through California for three. At $150,000 (£116,000) a pop, bike and Keanu enthusiasts would enjoy spending time with the actor before taking home a custom KRGT-1.

Directing Man of Chai Tea

In 2013, Keanu made his directorial debut with Man of Chai Tea, an epic saga about a man and his love for tea… Wait, this doesn’t sound right. Hold on - <typing noise> Man of Tai Chi! Who do these writers think they are?! Well, Man of Tai Chi was Reeves’ directorial debut, so at least that was right. Beyond directing the martial arts film, Keanu also starred in the film as the villainous Donaka Mark. The film, which was partially inspired by the life of stuntman and friend of Keanu, Tiger Chen, received praise by director John Woo and leveled out with moderate reception, proving that Reeves is far from a one-trick pony.

Dogstar

Before taking on a network of machines and shortly after his Excellent Adventure, Keanu showed off one of his many talents with the forming of Dogstar, an alternative rock group. During the band’s run from 1991 to 2002, which was marked by notable performances at the 1996 Zwemdokrock Festival in Belgium and 1995s Hollywood Palladium, Reeves played bass guitar and served as backing vocals. Even after Dogstar’s dismantling in 2002, the band, including Reeves, is still said to gather for impromptu “jam sessions.” Keanu also played in a short-lived stint with the band Becky, bowing out when it started to obtain record deals and tour opportunities.

Going Great

No, no. That’s not just a testament to how Reeves’ career is going! In the early 1980s, Nickelodeon featured a news-type program that focused on children and their incredible talents and feats. For its short run of 39 episodes from October of 1983 to February of 1984, the production was the station’s lowest rated show. So, why do we care about any of this? Because in 1984, before the show was pulled, Keanu Reeves was brought on as a correspondent. Maybe it wasn’t his greatest achievement, but it was a start for the 20-year-old hopeful actor.