Keanu Reeves is widely known for his unique acting style and down-to-earth interviews. He is best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, The Matrix movies, and the John Wick series. Reeves was born on September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. His father was a Chinese-Hawaiian geologist and his mother was an English costume designer. After his parent's divorce, he lived with his mother in Sydney and New York before settling in Toronto.
Reeves' decades-long career spans multiple genres from arthouse to action, and critics have often described him as deadpan. His first role was an episode of the Canadian TV series Hangin' In (1984), followed by his first movie role as a hockey player in Youngblood (1986). Reeves had a few more TV and movie roles before starring in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure in 1989, a box-office hit that catapulted his career. In response to the question of whether Reeves is a good actor, film critic Manohla Dargis said "Who cares? He's Keanu Reeves, dude" in a New York Times column.
Indeed!
Reeves has won several awards, including MTV Movie & TV, Teen Choice, and Saturn awards. He also has a reputation for being a kind celebrity, most notably when he and fellow passengers were stranded in Bakersfield after their flight was re-routed. Reeves entertained his fellow passengers by reading fun facts about the city and playing music by local artists.
In honor of his 60th birthday, here is a highlight of his greatest hits and a sneak peek of what he has planned next.
In Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, two slackers use a time machine to create an epic project for their history class and avoid being sent to military school after a time traveler tells them their band will be important to everyone in the future.
A young LAPD officer must keep a bus going 50mph or a bomb will detonate in the action film Speed. Sandra Bullock co-stars in this action-packed thriller.
Reeves plays Neo, “chosen one” who must free humanity from an evil artificial intelligence that has enslaved humanity for use as a power source in The Matrix. This film’s approach to martial arts and its visual style has had a lasting impact on action movies.
An assassin comes out of retirement after the son of a Russian mob boss kills his dog in the first installment of the John Wick saga.
In fall 2025, Reeves will make his Broadway debut in an adaptation of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot alongside his Bill & Ted co-star Alex Winter.
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