Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves | |
|---|---|
| File:Keanu6022.jpg Keanu Reeves | |
| Born | Keanu Charles Reeves |
| Years active | 1985 – Present |
Keanu Charles Reeves (pronounced in IPA: [ki'anu]) is a Canadian actor, born September 2 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is well known for playing Neo in the action film trilogy The Matrix. He is also well known for playing Ted in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Other notable roles include Scott Favor in the drama My Own Private Idaho alongside River Phoenix, Kevin Lomax in the supernatural thriller The Devil's Advocate, Buddha in Little Buddha, and starring roles in the action films Speed and Constantine. He has played bass guitar in the grunge band Dogstar during the 1990s, and more recently in the band Becky. In an ETonline survey in 2006, he is in "Top Ten of America's Favorite Stars". He is of polynesian, English, Portuguese, and Irish descent.
Biography
Early life
Reeves was born to Patricia Taylor, an English showgirl and costume designer who was working in Beirut when she met Reeves' father (Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., born 1942) at a local nightclub. His father was born in Hawaii, the son of Charles Reeves, an Irish American from Tennessee, and Rose Miguel of Portuguese, Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry.[1] Reeves' father worked as an unskilled laborer and earned his GED while imprisoned in Hawaii for selling heroin at the Hilo airport. Reeves does not currently have any relationship with his biological father.[2]
Reeves was named after his uncle Henry Keanu Reeves. "Keanu" is a derivation of Reeves' great-great-uncle Keaweaheulu, whose name means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian. When Reeves first arrived in Hollywood, his agent thought his first name was too exotic, so during the early days of his film career he was sometimes credited as K.C. Reeves. Contrary to information at IMDb, he has no movie or TV credits under the names Norman Kreeves or Chuck Spadina (an avenue in Toronto).
Reeves has one full sister named Kim (born 1966 in Beirut). Kim was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2002. Reeves visits her often at the home he purchased for her on the island of Capri, Italy. Through his mother he has a half-sister named Karina Miller (born 1976 in Toronto). Through his father he has a half-sister named Emma Reeves (born 1980 in Hawaii).
Reeves' parents divorced in 1966. In 1969, his mother moved to New York City with her children where she met and married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director. The couple then moved to Toronto but would divorce in 1971. Reeves' mother was later married to Robert Miller (between 1976 and 1980). Subsequently, Reeves grew up primarily in Toronto and worked at a pasta restaurant, sharpened skates at an ice rink, and was voted MVP on his high school ice hockey team (De La Salle College "Oaklands").
Within a span of five years, Reeves attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was later expelled. Reeves began his acting career at the age of 15, appearing in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre. After leaving De La Salle College "Oaklands", a Roman Catholic boys' high school where he played ice hockey, he attended a free school (Avondale Alternative), which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor; he later dropped out, never obtaining his high school diploma.[3]
Career
Reeves made his screen acting debut in Alberta, Canada, in a 1979 CBC Television production, Hanging In. Throughout the early 1980s, he appeared in commercials (including one for Coca-Cola), short films including the NFB drama One Step Away[4] and stage work in Toronto.
His first studio movie appearance was in the Rob Lowe ice hockey film Youngblood, which was filmed in Canada. In it, he played an ice hockey goalie. Shortly after the movie's release, Reeves drove from Toronto to Los Angeles in his 1969 Volvo. His ex-stepfather Paul Aaron, a stage and television director, gave him a place to stay and got him Erwin Stoff as a manager and agent before he even arrived in Los Angeles.
After a few minor roles, he gained the notice of the critics in 1986's River's Edge, a teenage drama that received positive reviews. Following the film's success, he spent the late 1980s appearing in a number of movies aimed at teenage audiences, including Permanent Record, a dark film about teenage suicide, and the successful 1989 comedy, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which (along with its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) typecast Reeves somewhat during the next few years, as much of his subsequent portrayal in the press has been influenced by his portrayal of the comically airheaded character, Ted. Reeves was originally offered the role of Pvt. Chris Taylor in Platoon (1986) but turned it down as he disliked the violence involved; the role went to Charlie Sheen.[citation needed] At the same time, Reeves also played a notable role in the Oscar-winning film Dangerous Liaisons.
During the early 1990s, Reeves appeared in high-budget action films like Point Break and lower-budget independent films, including the well-received 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho, and the critically panned 1994 film, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
In 1992, Reeves starred in Bram Stoker's Dracula, which was a box office success. However, his acting was criticized by many, and director Francis Ford Coppola claims that Reeves was only cast because he wanted a male character that teenagers could look up to. In 1994, Reeves also starred in the action film Speed. His casting in the film was questioned since previously he'd mostly been known for comedies and 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 success of the film invoked a similar situation for studio Twentieth Century Fox with Die Hard (a large summer action film with a lead mostly known for comedies). Its commercial success raised his profile, leading to his casting in films like Johnny Mnemonic and Chain Reaction, both of which failed at the box office.
Hitting a low in his career, Reeves then turned down the role of Jack Traven in the Speed sequel (which was ultimately a critical and financial disappointment), to tour with his band Dogstar. He was reportedly offered $11 million dollars for the sequel but opted instead to star in the horror/drama The Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Reeves deferred his salary for The Devil's Advocate so that Pacino would be cast, and he did the same for The Replacements, guaranteeing the casting of Gene Hackman. Returning to theatre in 1995, Reeves performed the title role in a Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
His 1999 science fiction hit, The Matrix, re-established him as a Hollywood leading man after a few years of films that received only moderate box office success and mixed critical reception. In between the first Matrix film and its sequels, Reeves appeared in several films that received mostly negative reviews and average box office grosses, including The Watcher, Sweet November and Hardball. However, the two Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions co-starring Carrie-Anne Moss, as well as his supporting role in the 2003 movie, Something's Gotta Give, co-starring Jack Nicholson and his 2005 horror-action film, Constantine, proved to be box office successes and brought Reeves back into the public spotlight. Movie producer Lauren Shuler Donner stated in a November 18-19, 2006 interview that writers are currently developing a script for Constantine 2. She claims that Keanu Reeves is willing to reprise his role as John Constantine.
On January 31 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Reeves accompanied former Speed costar Sandra Bullock to the 2006 Academy Awards. This caused some controversy, as Bullock is married to motorcycle builder Jesse James. It was later revealed to be a publicity stunt to coincide with the release of their romantic film The Lake House.
His latest film, A Scanner Darkly, based on the science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, co-stars Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., and Woody Harrelson. It was released on July 7, 2006.
On November 3, 2006, he co-hosted, with Alanis Morissette, the premiere of the environmentalist documentary The Great Warming.
Reeves is acting in the remake of the 1951 science fiction movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. [5]
Personal life
In December 1999, Reeves' girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a stillborn daughter who was named Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. In April 2001, Syme was killed in a car accident. She was buried next to their daughter in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Reeves was a pallbearer at Syme's funeral.
Reeves enjoys riding his numerous motorcycles and coined the term "demon ride" to describe how he often rides with no headlights at night. On one of his "demon rides" in 1988, he crashed near Topanga Canyon and broke several ribs and ruptured his spleen; he has had an abdominal scar ever since: when the paramedics arrived, an emergency medical technician trainee dropped one end of the stretcher by mistake.[citation needed]
For nearly a decade following his initial rise to stardom, Reeves lived a vagabond existence in hotels, opting not to buy a house or find a permanent place of residence, despite earning millions. Reeves has lived in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles since 2003, but also has an apartment in New York City. Although it is commonly assumed that he believes in Buddhism because he studied the religion while filming The Little Buddha, he said: "I wasn't raised in any special denominations and I haven't taken on any so far."[6] After Syme's death, he said he doesn't believe that things happen "for a reason."[7]
Reeves is fond of chess, motorcycles, ice hockey, and table tennis. He is left-handed, but plays the bass guitar right-handed and loves punk rock bands such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash, he also has a taste for Indie Rock citing to be a fan of They Might Be Giants and Crooked Fingers, as well as Mary J Blige and RnB legends Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding
In a 1992 New Year's Eve party show, Reeves filled in on bass for punk rock band The Vandals while bassist Joe Escalante was at a wedding. He began playing the bass with rock band Dogstar, which has now gone "into hibernation." Reeves also had a part in New York thrash metal band Anthrax's "Safe Home" music video. More recently, he played bass in a band called Becky with former Dogstar drummer Rob Mailhouse, guitarist Paulie Kosta and singer Rebbecca Lord. In early 2005, he announced that he was leaving the band and his musical career for good.
Reeves is reported to be very generous with his time and money, lending both to a variety of causes. He took a significant amount of the profits from his Matrix series and treated the 12 stuntmen who worked on the films to Harley Davidson motorcycles, among other things.
Selected filmography
Television
- Night Heat - episode Crossfire (1985) as Mugge
- Night Heat - episode Necessary Force (1985) as Thug #1
- Letting Go (1985) as Stereo Teen #1
- Brotherhood of Justice (1986) as Derek
- Act of Vengeance (1986) as Buddy Martin
- Young Again (1986) as Michael Riley, Age 17 (credited as K.C. Reeves)
- Under the Influence (1986) as Eddie Talbot
- Babes in Toyland (1986) as Jack-Be-Nimble
- Trying Times - episode Moving Day (1987) as Joey
- Life Under Water (1989) - Kip
- The Tracey Ullman Show - episode Two Lost Souls (1989) as Jesse Walker
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990-93) as Ted (voice only) (season one,1990-91)
- Action 1999 - Pilot (1999) "Keanu Reeves"
- Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony episode 3 (2005) as himself
Notes
- ^ [1] Keanu Reeves Family Tree; paternal grandmother from Portugal (Rose Lokalia Miguel).
- ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features: Memories of Keanu - Samuel Reeves has not seen or heard from his famous son in decades
- ^ Michael Fleming, Michael
fvdsvdsfdsdsff (April 2006). "Interview: Keanu Reeves, the enigma speaks". Playboy. p. 140.
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- ^ "Keanu Reeves to star in The Day the Earth Stood Still remake".
- ^ Keanu 'less sceptical' about demons
- ^ Neo Romantic
References
- Fleming, Michael. Playboy Interview: Keanu Reeves, Playboy Magazine. pp. 49-52, 140-141. (April 2006)
- "Pondering the mysterious Keanu Reeves", CNN / Associated Press. (November 5 2003)
- Makela, Bob. "Keanu Reeves: All the right moves", USA Weekend. (August 5 2000)
- Seven magazine interview with Keanu Reeves
External links
- 1964 births
- Bass guitarists
- Canadian film actors
- Canadian rock bass guitarists
- Canadian stage actors
- Canadian television actors
- Canadians of American descent
- Canadians of Anglo-Irish descent
- Canadians of Chinese descent
- Canadians of Polynesian descent
- Canadians of Portuguese descent
- Chinese Canadian actors
- Eurasian actors
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Living people
- People from Beirut
- People from Toronto
- Action film actors