Top 20 Times Keanu Reeves Was Awesome
#20: Auctioning a 15-Minute Zoom Call for Charity
Even casual Keanu Reeves fans know that the actor has a reputation for being an all-around good guy. But we’re still blown away when we hear stories like this one. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Idaho-based children’s charity was forced to cancel their annual fundraiser. The fundraiser was ultimately moved online, and there was an opportunity for Reeves to help out. And so, he and Camp Rainbow Gold auctioned off a 15-minute zoom call with him in June 2020. The description claimed that Reeves would “share a glass of wine, tell stories, answer questions or even teach a few karate moves” with the lucky bidder. Talk about the coolest zoom call ever!
#19: Confirming “Bill & Ted 3”
Before you get all up in arms, let us explain. We aren’t talking about the film itself, merely the announcement video produced by Reeves and “Bill & Ted” co-star Alex Winter. Released in 2019, the resplendent video shows the two time-travellers standing in front of the iconic Hollywood Bowl and declaring that a third “Bill & Ted” film titled “Bill & Ted Face the Music” was on its way! The video reunited the characters of William “Bill” S Preston Esq and Theodore “Ted” Logan on-screen for the first time in over two decades and sent a jolt of excitement up the spine of anyone who’s ever uttered the words “most bodacious”. We give this video five epic air guitar solos. Wyld Stallyns Rule!
#18: His Collaborative Works with Alexandra Grant
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Keanu Reeves met artist Alexandra Grant in 2009, and since then the two have gone on to collaborate on a number of projects (as well as to date each other!). The first was published in 2011 and is titled Ode to Happiness. The work, described as a “grown-up's picture book”, ultimately led to a second collaboration between the two artists in 2015 titled Shadows. Both books use simple subject matter to convey important ideas about life and art. Pining for more Keanu content? Keep an eye out for his upcoming comic book series, BRZRKR [pronounced: Berserker], a 12-issue limited series that he’s co-creating with Matt Kindt and Alessandro Vitti.
#17: Meeting Martial Arts Hero Sonny Chiba
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Japanese actor and martial artist Sonny Chiba is a straight up legend who helped pave the way for modern martial arts movies. As both a fan of and contributor to the martial arts genre, Reeves is an unabashed admirer of Chiba and his work. So when Reeves got the opportunity to meet his hero in person, he was understandably blown away. The meeting was a total surprise to Reeves, and it’s clear from his reaction that he was equal parts shocked and starstruck. He referred to Chiba as “maestro”, and the two engaged in a spirited discussion about martial arts, with Reeves even showing off a few of his moves!
#16: His Directorial Debut: “Man of Tai Chi” (2013)
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Speaking of Keanu Reeves’ love of the martial arts genre… in 2013, Reeves made his directorial debut with the film “Man of Tai Chi”. The movie is about a young martial artist who gets roped into an illegal underground fighting ring. The action drama, which is loaded with awesome fight sequences, features Reeves in a supporting role, as he plays antagonist Donaka Mark. The film garnered solid reviews from critics, but failed to hit the mark with cinemagoers, only managing to pull in $5.4 million dollars worldwide. While many felt the martial arts flick was a sign of things to come for Reeves, he has mainly stuck to acting and producing in the years following its release.
#15: Revealing He Had a Crush on Sandra Bullock on “Ellen”
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Keanu Reeves’ appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2019 was revealing for two reasons. First, fans discovered that he and the talk show host had never met before. And two, Reeves apparently had a crush on Sandra Bullock while the two were filming “Speed” in the mid-90s. This revelation came after Ellen revealed that Bullock had a crush on him during filming, which the actress had confessed during an earlier appearance. Reeves’ admission elicited screams from the audience, who clearly felt – as do we - that he and Bullock would have made a great couple. The fact that Reeves’ face went flush when Ellen pretended to bring Bullock out leads us to believe that he might still have feelings for his former co-star. Okay, maybe we’re reading into it a little too much…
#14: His “John Wick” Weapons Training Video
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We all know that Keanu Reeves is a badass on screen. He’s jumped out of airplanes sans parachute, mastered gun-fu and even dodged bullets. However, when a video of Reeves training for “John Wick 2” was released online, a long-held suspicion was confirmed: he is just as badass in real life as his on-screen counterparts are…if not more so! Reeves works his way through a gun range with seemingly the speed and accuracy of a lifelong Navy SEAL; displacing and reloading with a variety of weapons. From this alone, it would appear Keanu Reeves adopted the method acting approach for his role in the “John Wick” film series.
#13: His ‘Hover Hands’ in Photos
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As pointed out by Twitter user Kemoy Lindsay in June of 2019, Keanu Reeves has been spotted adhering to a “hands-off” approach when taking pictures with women - recently, at least. There are a number of photos of Reeves that have surfaced online showing him posing with female fans with his hands hovering behind their backs. The internet was divided in their reactions, with some claiming Reeves is trying to avoid getting #metoo’d; while others suggest he is simply showing these women respect by not invading their personal space. It’s also been suggested that Reeves’ manner hands are related to his Asian roots, as it’s common in South Korea for people to place their hands in this way in order to avoid bodily contact. Our opinion: Reeves is just a gentleman through and through.
#12: Watching His Coca-Cola Commercial
Talk about a two-for-one! Not only do you get a hilarious Keanu Reeves in this clip, but you also get the always hilarious James Corden. During a 2018 visit to “The Late Late Show”, Reeves got to relive one of his first acting gigs: an ad for Coca-Cola. The two men discuss the role, which saw Reeves playing a cyclist getting ready for a big race. Listening to Reeves describe the way he prepared for the gig is seriously funny, as he reveals that he shaved his legs specifically for the three-day shoot. Of course, nothing tops the commercial itself, which sees a baby-faced Reeves drinking Coke after finishing a race. Advertising has come a long way since the ‘80s, that’s for sure!
#11: Keanu Is Immortal / A Vampire
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As Keanu Reeves enters his mid-50s in the late 2010s, it’s becoming harder to ignore the cries of conspiracy theorists, who claim the actor is either immortal, or a vampire. As the website www.keanuisimmortal.com has spent several years pointing out, Reeves doesn’t appear to age; with side by side images of him from 1994 and 2008 respectively serving as the site’s main source of proof. Additional photos suggest that he is former Roman emperor Charlemagne, French actor Paul Mounet - or both! Reeves addressed the theory that he is an immortal vampire during an interview with Jimmy Fallon in 2017, although he neither confirmed nor denied the rumor. So…that’s a yes?
#10: Behind the Scenes of “Toy Story 4”
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One of 2019’s most hotly anticipated movies, “Toy Story 4” features a host of familiar voices, as well as a number of exciting new additions. One of these is Keanu Reeves, who plays Duke Caboom, a Canadian stuntman toy. The fact that Duke has a motorcycle is a nice touch, considering that Reeves is an aficionado in real life. In this awesome behind the scenes clip, Reeves gives fans a glimpse of what his performance will entail; and let us tell you, it’s pretty amazing. We aren’t the only ones gushing over the clip, as Reeves’ fellow “Street Kings” actor Chris Evans tweeted this in June of 2019: “If they just released 2 hours of this and called it Toy Story 4, I’d probably still see it at least twice in the theaters.” We couldn’t agree with you more, Captain America!
#9: Choosing to Do “Hamlet” Over "Speed 2"
In a controversial move, Reeves decided in the mid-90s to play Hamlet in a stage version of the iconic Shakespeare play - in Winnipeg, Canada, no less. Reeves was fresh off the success of “Speed” and the studio wanted to lock him in for a sequel. Despite being offered over $10 million, Reeves stuck to his guns and did what HE felt was right. In the end, Reeves made for a splendid Hamlet, with critic Roger Lewis remarking, “He is one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet." Reeves was allegedly blacklisted by 20th Century Fox for turning them down. However, considering that the decision allowed him to do Shakespeare and tour with his band Dogstar, as well as the fact that he’s still a huge movie star and “Speed 2” barely recouped its budget... we’d say he made the right choice.
#8: His Super Bowl LII Squarespace Ad
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In 2018, Keanu Reeves starred in a series of commercials for Squarespace, a company that helps people design and build their own websites. The commercials feature Reeves chilling (and howling) in the desert, talking to his own disembodied head, and riding a motorcycle standing up – you know, typical Keanu Reeves stuff. The ad campaign revealed a number of interesting tidbits about the enigmatic actor. For starters, he’s a lot goofier than his film roles let on. Second, he really likes motorcycles. And finally…he’s impervious to fire? If you ever doubted Reeves’ inherent coolness, these commercials will set you straight.
#7: He Refuses to Attach His Name to Donations
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Let’s face it: most movie stars have a reputation for being self-centered divas who only care about themselves. Sure, they might make a donation to a charitable cause, but you just know their name will be all over the news because of it. Keanu Reeves is not that kind of movie star. Oh, don’t get us wrong: he donates to charity. In fact, he runs a foundation that helps sick children and funds cancer research. But what separates him from the pack is his desire to remain anonymous. Reeves’ name isn’t attached to his foundation, nor does he seek attention when he donates to charitable causes. In his words, "I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does."
#6: His “Always Be My Maybe” Cameo
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If you still haven’t seen the Netflix Original film “Always Be My Maybe”, stop what you’re doing and go check it out now. It’s okay, we’ll wait. The rom-com, which revolves around childhood friends who reconnect romantically later in life, stands up just fine on its own, but receives a surprising comedic boost from Keanu Reeves. In it, Reeves plays a fictionalized version of himself, with a jerk twist. His first real scene, in which Reeves is introduced via a slow-motion walk through a restaurant, struck a chord with fans, who’ve since uploaded multiple videos of him walking to different songs and launched a Twitter account dedicated to this. Say what you will about Keanu Reeves, but there’s no denying that his fan base is on a whole other level.
#5: The Countless “Keanu Stories"
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We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Keanu Reeves is the best. The sheer number of stories that involve him reportedly going out of his way to do something nice for a fan or stranger is astounding. A few that we love include Keanu purchasing an ice cream cone at the movies just so he could sign the receipt for a young fan; Keanu jumping out of a car on the way to a shoot so that he could sign a fan-made poster that read “You’re Breathtaking” (more on that in a bit); and Keanu going to a party only to spend it chatting with fellow actor Melanie Lynskey about her dog and asking to see pictures of it in costume. Microphone dropped.
#4: Giving Up His Seat on the Subway
Speaking of real-life Keanu stories… if it’s not already clear that Keanu Reeves is one of the most down to earth actors in Hollywood, just check out this 2011 video of him giving up his seat on the subway. Reeves is just sitting there, minding his own business, when he notices a woman carrying a big bag, after which he immediately offers her his seat. Not only is it refreshing to see an A-list actor riding the subway, but also this clip keeps surfacing and resurfacing throughout the years as an example of the actor’s considerate and humble nature. In 2019, Reeves took his “man of the people” game a step further when his flight from San Francisco to L.A. was forced to make an emergency landing in Bakersfield. The actor helped his fellow passengers arrange transport and rode with them; reading out facts and playing music along the way to keep them entertained.
#3: Philosophizing with Stephen Colbert
A GQ story on Keanu Reeves once remarked that he’s managed to “pull off the nearly impossible feat of remaining an enigmatic cult figure despite having been an A-list actor for decades.” We couldn’t agree more with that sentiment and found that it was particularly embodied by Reeves during a visit to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in 2019. The interview is entertaining from start to finish, but the piece de resistance occurs near the end, when Colbert innocently asks Reeves what he believes happens to us when we die. And we’ll let the “enigmatic cult figure” take it from there: [“The ones who love us will miss us”] The truth and sincerity in his response somehow manage to endear us to him even more!
#2: Sad Keanu
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Did Keanu Reeves start winning the internet because of memes? Or did memes become popular because of Keanu Reeves? Alas, we’ll likely never know the answer to this question. One thing we do know, is that Reeves has been the subject of some of the most popular memes of all time. While it’s been some time since it went viral (2010, to be exact), the image of Reeves sitting alone on a park bench with a sandwich and sporting a dejected look remains one of the most famous memes in internet history. Of course, this is far from Keanu Reeves’ only contribution to meme culture. Conspiracy Keanu, Happy Keanu and John Wick Reloading memes are all equally awesome. We can’t wait to see which meme Reeves inspires next…
#1: His Surprise E3 Appearance for “Cyberpunk 2077”
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Okay, guess we didn’t have to wait too long for the next meme after all! Keanu Reeves joined the production of “Cyberpunk 2077” in 2018, lending his voice and likeness to the character of Johnny Silverhand. The following year, in June 2019, he made a surprise appearance at E3 to announce the game’s official release date of April 16th, 2020 - though the release was later postponed due to delays caused by the pandemic. Not only was CD Projekt’s RPG one of the most anticipated in recent memory, but also few, if any, gamers and Reeves’ fans had any idea he was going to be in the game in the first place - let alone be the one to inform them IN PERSON when they’d finally get to lay their hands on it! Their reaction was understandably amazing, as was Reeves’ – who was clearly taken aback by their cries of shock and adulation. In one incredible moment-turned-eventual-meme, Reeves responded to an audience member’s cry of “You’re breathtaking” by parroting it back to them.
