Reeves, Keanu << kee AH noo >> (1964-…), is a motion-picture actor known for his understated acting style. He first gained popularity playing comic teenage characters, especially in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1988), his first hit. Reeves later won praise in the grim adult drama My Own Private Idaho (1991) and in the action film Speed (1994), one of the biggest box-office hits of the 1990’s. Reeves also starred in the internationally popular Matrix trilogy. The science-fiction films that make up the trilogy are The Matrix (1999) and The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions (both 2003).
Reeves was born on Sept. 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. His mother was English, and his father was of Hawaiian-Chinese descent. Reeves lived in Australia and New York City before his family moved to Canada. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts in Toronto and made his show-business debut on Toronto television shows.
Reeves made his motion-picture debut in the Canadian film The Prodigal (1984). His other films include River’s Edge (1987); Dangerous Liaisons (1988); Tune In Tomorrow (1990); Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991); Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992); Much Ado About Nothing (1993); Little Buddha (1993); A Walk in the Clouds (1995); Chain Reaction (1996); Something’s Gotta Give (2003); The Lake House (2006); Street Kings (2008); 47 Ronin (2013); John Wick (2014), and its sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017); Knock Knock (2015); The Neon Demon (2016), and Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020). He directed and acted in Man of Tai Chi (2013).
