Biography: Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Canadian actor. Reeves was born to Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr. (born 1942), an American geologist, 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.
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, who divorced in 1971, then moved to Toronto, where Reeves grew up.
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.
Career:Reeves made his screen acting debut in Canada, in a 1979 CBC production, Hanging In. Throughout the early 1980s, he appeared in commercials (including one for Coca-Cola), short films 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 obtained his green card and 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 a manager, Erwin Stoff, 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.
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 hated 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, which was a commercial success and 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 did the unthinkable and turned down the role of Jack Traven in the Speed sequel (which was ultimately a critical and financial disappointment). 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. 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, as well as his 2005 horror-action film, Constantine, proved to be box office successes and brought Reeves back into the public spotlight.
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, which caused some controversy, as Bullock is married to bike builder Jesse James. It was later revealed to be a publicity stunt to coincide with Bullock and Reeves having a movie rolling out that same year called The Lake House.
His film A Scanner Darkly was released on July 7, 2006, shortly after the June 2006 release of The Lake House, in which he played a starring role.
Filmography:
* The Night Watchman (2008)
* Stompanato (2007) .... Johnny Stompanato
* The Lake House (2006) .... Alex Wyler
* A Scanner Darkly (2006) .... Bob Arctor
* Constantine (2005) .... John Constantine
* Thumbsucker (2005) .... Perry Lyman
* Video Hits: Paula Abdul (2005) (V) .... The Boy (segment "Rush, Rush")
* Ellie Parker (2005) .... Dogstar
* Something's Gotta Give (2003) .... Dr. Julian Mercer
* The Matrix Revolutions (2003) .... Neo
* Kid's Story (2003) (voice) .... Neo
* Enter the Matrix (2003) (VG) .... Neo
* The Matrix Reloaded (2003) .... Neo
* The Animatrix (2003) (V) (voice) .... Neo (segment "Kid's Story")
* Hard Ball (2001) .... Conor O'Neill
* Sweet November (2001) .... Nelson Moss
* The Gift (2000) .... Donnie Barksdale
* The Watcher (2000/I) .... David Allen Griffin
* The Replacements (2000) .... Shane Falco
* Me and Will (1999) .... Dogstar/Himself
* The Matrix (1999) .... Neo
* The Devil's Advocate (1997) .... Kevin Lomax
* The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997) .... Harry
* Feeling Minnesota (1996) .... Jjaks Clayton
* Chain Reaction (1996) .... Eddie Kasalivich
* A Walk in the Clouds (1995) .... Paul Sutton
* Johnny Mnemonic (1995) .... Johnny Mnemonic
* Speed (1994/I) .... Officer Jack Traven
* Little Buddha (1993) .... Siddhartha
* Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) .... Julian Gitche
* Freaked (1993) (uncredited) .... Ortiz the Dog Boy
* Much Ado About Nothing (1993) .... Don John
* Dracula (1992) .... Jonathan Harker
* My Own Private Idaho (1991) .... Scott Favor
* Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) .... Ted Logan/Evil Ted
* Point Break (1991) .... FBI Special Agent John 'Johnny' Utah
* Providence (1991) .... Eric
* Captivated '92: The Video Collection (1991) (V) .... Jim (segment "Rush, Rush")
* Tune in Tomorrow... (1990) .... Martin Loader
* "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures" (1990) TV Series (voice) .... Ted Logan
* I Love You to Death (1990) .... Marlon James
* "The Tracey Ullman Show" .... Jesse Walker (1 episode, 1989)
* Parenthood (1989) .... Tod Higgins
* Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) .... Ted Logan
* Dangerous Liaisons (1988) .... Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny
* The Prince of Pennsylvania (1988) .... Rupert Marshetta
* Permanent Record (1988) .... Chris Townsend
* The Night Before (1988) .... Winston Connelly
* "Trying Times" .... Joey (1 episode, 1987)
* River's Edge (1986) .... Matt
* Youngblood (1986) .... Heaver
* Flying (1986) .... Tommy
* One Step Away (1985) .... Ron Petrie
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