Why Do We Love Keanu Reeves?

On a bright Saturday afternoon, my brother pulled the blinds down to darken our shared bedroom at the peak of our two-story childhood house. 

We wheeled and maneuvered our boulder of a hammy-down television set and VCR players at the perfect angle from a spread of blankets and pillows on the carpet. 

I popped in the gently used VHS tape bought from the $5.99 bin at Blockbuster and hit play. 

I nestled next to my Dad and brother, who we cozied up on our pile of blankets. 

And the next two-plus hours changed my life. 

Afterward, I remember peppering my Dad with questions about the movie, the plot, and the backstory. He connected Neo's fate to Jesus and Cypher’s fall to Judas. 

But allegory aside, it was the titular character and the man behind the performance that stood with me. 

Keanu Reeves. 

For a kid way too young to watch a rated-R movie like The Matrix, Reeves’ portrayal of Neo was comforting to me. I was just like him, thrown into a world I didn’t understand. A reality I’d never seen before on screen. The almost childlike curiosity of Neo is something I connected with. The desire to ask questions.

Pondering. Seeking. 

All emotions that Reeves transferred seamlessly to my young eyes. 

Twenty years later, I was nestled into a cushy-titled seat in a dark theater at The Alamo Drafthouse in Raleigh, NC. 

I was alone. 

My wife was working, and I’d moved 2,000 miles away from my closest friends and family. 

But as the film reel spun, I recognized a familiar face. 

Keanu Reeves, this time portraying the suited, calm, dog-loving, indestructible assassin in John Wick 4. 

I smiled as the crazy action student spectacular unfolded for two-plus hours. 

When martial arts film icon Donnie Yen emerged on screen as Caine to fight John Wick, I was so excited that I turned to the strangers next to me and made a giddy gasp—the same adolescent noise I made while watching Neo and Trinity storm the office building to rescue Morpheus. 

For two hours in that dark theater, Keanu Reeves kicking ass felt familiar. 

I didn’t feel alone. 

Where Is Keanu Reeves From?

Keanu Reeves has been headlining blockbusters, indie darlings, and cult comedies for decades. Recently, the internet has fallen in love with his humbleness, cool hobbies, and “memeable” reactions.

So, why do we love this Canadian import?

If you don’t know much about Reeves besides his IMDb page, let me give you a little history and fun facts. 

Reeves has an international background. He was born in Beruit and lived in New York, Australia, before settling in Toronto. His mother is from England, and his father is a native Hawaiian of Chinese, English, Irish, and Portuguese descent. 

Reeves started acting in theater as a kid and worked locally in Toronto. He got his first agent at 15 after a local performance of Romero and Juliet as Marcuscio. 

Then, he got a presenting gig on the CBC for a show called Going Great. You can actually find a clip of him covering a Teddy Bear convention, and you can see the origins of his intoxicating charm. 

After packing up and moving to LA at age 20, he quickly worked his way up through the late '80s and early '90s from TV, indie, drama, and comedy. My Own Private Idaho and Point Break cemented Reeve’s rare mix of drama, action, and heartthrob–the rest is history. He’s one of the most consistent actors in Hollywood and has worked on more than 100 projects and counting in his career. 

Also, when Reeves first moved to LA, he joined a band called Dogstar as a bass player. The group has been playing together in spurts ever since. They released a new album last year and have been touring around the globe. 

If you watch any of their live performances, Reeves looks like any normal bass player in a rock band. A driving energy, a subdued enthusiasm, dressed in black with his long, straggly hair and beard off to the side and in the shadows. How can one of the world’s biggest movie stars seamlessly fit into the persona of a journeyman LA rock bassist?

In 2011, Keanu Reeves started Arch Motorcycle Company, which features in the John Wick franchise. He also has penned his own graphic novel series called BRZRKR, which tells the story of an immortal god-like warrior with a similar resemblance to the actor. 

BRZRKR, a new graphic novel series created by Keanu Reeves.

Keanu Reeves Quotes

After the success of The Matrix trilogy and global stardom, Reeves began to return to his roots in independent dramas. His more traditional roles in romantic comedies and action blockbusters flopped, hurting the profitable reputation that he’d built in the late 90s and early 2000s. 

But Reeves didn't seem to care. His aloofness and almost shy demeanor in the public eye endeared fans. And when he did speak publicly, his monastic words cut stood out in an industry so plagued by bullshit. His answers to reporters' questions were sincere, jovial, and wise. 

“The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.”

 “Art is about trying to find the good in people, and making the world a more compassionate place.”

“Grief changes shape, but it never ends.”

“We’re all stardust, baby.” 

"I has always been my hope to be a part of works of art that entertain and that people can come away with something more or positive as they walked out of the dark into the world."

"I don't want to be part of a world where being kind is a weakness."

The Reeves Renaissance

Then came the memes. 

Most notably, “Sad Keanu,” which is a photo of him on a park bench eating a sandwich and coffee, looking…well…sad. 

Other viral moments include:

• A video of Keanu offering his seat on the subway

• Waiting 20 minutes in line for his own wrap party

• Looking for someone’s lost credit card at an event

• Paying for transportation of fellow passengers when a flight he was on needed to make an emergency landing in Bakersfield

• His public flirtatious friendship with Winona Ryder and Sandra Bullock

• Covering his mouth when he laughs

• keanuisimmortal.com/  which posts old paintings that look like Keanu

And his public appreciation of the art of stunt performing, coining the phrase “I do my own action” out of respect for the people who actually put their lives on the line for entertainment. 

Keanu’s offscreen moments have become more legendary than some of the characters he portrays onscreen. 

Alongside his resurgence as “The Internet’s Boyfriend,” Keanu was back in the big spotlight commercially, most notably with the surprise breakout hit John Wick in 2014, which he created with his former Matrix stuntman Gary Stahelski. As well as critically acclaimed indies like Knock, Knock, comedic cameos, voicing Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4, and popular video game series Cyberpunk, The Reeves resurgence was in full force. This movement encouraged studios to greenlit legacy sequels of Bill and Ted’s and The Matrix. 

Keanu Reeves Staying Power

With a new upcoming novel, producing credits, and multiple films all within the next few years, Keanu’s staying power is remarkable.  
Keanu is both a pure artist and an everyday man. His performances reflect his public humility, kindness, and care. But most of all, Keanu Reeves as an artist is a reflection of us.
His subdued performances and demeanor on and off the screen allow us to be connected to the film, the story, and a bigger picture of creativity. 

So, why do we love Keanu Reeves?

I think we just want to love ourselves. 

And by loving Reeves, he reflects that love back to us, the audience.