Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Neo in the action film trilogy The Matrix and for roles in Speed and comedies such as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He also played bass in a grunge band, Dogstar, during the 1990s.
Biography
Early life
Reeves was born to Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr. (born 1942) and Patricia Taylor (born 1944), an English showgirl and costume designer who was working in Beirut when she met Reeves' father at a local nightclub. Reeves' father worked at unskilled jobs and only earned his GED at the age of 50 while in prison in Hawaii for selling drugs.
His paternal grandfather, Samuel Nowlin Reeves, was born in Hawaii to Charles Armistead Reeves, a Tennessee-born Irish American, and Rose Lokalia Miguel, who was of Chinese and Hawaiian descent. Reeves was named after his uncle Henry Keanu Reeves. The name originated with 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, Norman Kreeves or Chuck Spadina (an avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
Reeves has a sister, Kim (born 1966 in Beirut, Lebanon), a half-sister named Karina Miller (born 1976 in Toronto), and another half-sister named Emma Rose Reeves (born 1980 in Hawaii). Kim has been battling leukemia for several years. Keanu visits her often at the home he purchased for her on the island of Capri.
Keanu's parents divorced in 1966, and his mother moved to New York City with Reeves and his sister in 1969, where she met, and subsequently married, Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director. The couple then moved to Toronto where Reeves grew up, but would divorce in 1971.
Reeves' mother was later married to Robert Miller (between 1976 and 1980), and he has a half-sister, Karina Miller. Reeves grew up in Toronto and worked at a pasta shop, sharpened skates at an ice rink, and was voted MVP on his high school ice hockey team (De La Salle College).
Within a span of five years, Reeves attended four different high schools, including a performing arts school 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 the Catholic boys' high school where he played ice hockey, he attended a free school, which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor; he later dropped out, never obtaining his high school diploma.
Citizenship
Keanu Reeves is eligible for U.S. citizenship through his American father and British citizenship through his English mother While living in Canada, Reeves became a naturalized Canadian citizen
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 has never reconnected with his estranged biological father who served time in prison and was paroled after serving two years of a 10-year sentence for selling heroin at Hilo Airport in 1992.
Reeves enjoys riding 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.
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 has said in interviews that he does not practice any one religion or have any one set of beliefs. After Syme's death, he did say that he doesn't believe that things happen "for a reason." 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, as well as legendary R&B singers such as 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 Rebecca Lord. In early 2005, he announced that he is leaving this 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 motorcycles, among other things.
Reeves has always been a subject of rumors alleging homosexuality or bisexuality -- at one point the yellow press reported he had married film producer David Geffen, whom he had never met -- but he has always kept a very tight lid on his romantic and private life. He has denied being homosexual, but he refuses to answer if he is bisexual or heterosexual In June 2006, he said that he would like to get married and to have children
Keanu Reeves's Photos
Filmography
Flying Tommy
Babes in Toyland Jack
River's Edge Matt
1988 Permanent Record Chris Townsend
The Prince of Pennsylvania Rupert Marshetta
The Night Before Winston Connely
Dangerous Liaisons Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny
1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Ted "Theodore" Logan
Parenthood Tod Higgins
1990 I Love You to Death Marlon James
Tune in Tomorrow Martin Loader
1991 Point Break FBI Special Agent John 'Johnny' Utah
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey Ted "Theodore" Logan/Evil Ted
My Own Private Idaho Scott Favor
1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula Jonathan Harker
1993 Much Ado About Nothing Don John
1994 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Julian Gitche
Little Buddha Siddhartha
Speed Officer Jack Traven
1995 Johnny Mnemonic Johnny Mnemonic
A Walk in the Clouds Paul Sutton
Chain Reaction Eddie Kasalivich
1996 Feeling Minnesota Jjaks Clayton
1997 The Last Time I Committed Suicide Harry
The Devil's Advocate Kevin Lomax
1999 The Matrix Thomas Anderson/Neo
2000 The Replacements Shane Falco
The Watcher David Allen Griffin
The Gift Donnie Barksdale
2001 Sweet November Nelson Moss
Hardball Conor O'Neill
2003 The Matrix Reloaded Thomas Anderson/Neo
The Matrix Revolutions Thomas Anderson/Neo
Something's Gotta Give Dr. Julian Mercer
2005 Constantine John Constantine
Thumbsucker Perry Lyman
2006 The Lake House Alex Wyler
A Scanner Darkly Fred/Bob Arctor
2007 Stompanato Johnny Stompanato
Fishing for Moonlight
