Keanu Reeves

Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Hollywood film actor. Although currently working in the United States, Reeves is a Canadian citizen and an avid ice hockey player/fan who was his High School team's MVP. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, his first name means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian. His father is Asian American of Chinese and Hawaiian descent and his mother is English. Reeves gained the notice of the critics in 1986's River's Edge, but his first major film role was in 1986, in the hockey movie Youngblood, starring Rob Lowe.

Reeves's first popularly successful film was Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, in 1989. Indeed, and perhaps unfortunately for Reeves, much of his subsequent portrayal in the press has been influenced by his comically airheaded character Ted in that film.  

Despite the fact that his acting has frequently been derided as wooden, Reeves has become a major box-office draw, and several of his films have become extremely popular. His most commercially successful film to date is the 1999 sci-fi hit The Matrix. Reeves has reprised his role from that movie for the sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, which performed better at the box office than its predecessor. Reeves also appeared in the third movie of the trilogy, The Matrix Revolutions.

In the mid-1990s it was reported that he and gay CEO David Geffen, of the prolific but sporadic record company Geffen Records and Dreamworks pictures had gotten married. While they did know each other, this was obviously not the case. Friends called his house, congratulating him on a marriage he knew nothing about, which prompted some funny conversations.

In December of 1999, Reeves had a daughter with actress Jennifer Syme. Eva Archer Syme-Reeves was stillborn and in April of 2001, Jennifer Syme was killed in an automobile accident. She was buried next to their daughter in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Independent of speculation Keanu 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 hard-working special-effects crew to motorcycles, among other things. True to his Buddhist teachings, he does not have (by 'Hollywood' standards) many possessions and keeps his life uncluttered. He began playing bass with the rock band Dogstar, who have now gone "into hibernation". He currently plays bass in a band called becky with former Dogstar drummer Rob Mailhouse, guitarist Paulie Kosta and singer Rebecca Lord.

Filmography

A Scanner Darkly 2005
Constantine 2004
Something's Gotta Give 2003
The Matrix Revolutions, 2003
The Matrix Reloaded, 2003
The Animatrix: Kid's Story, (voice) 2003
Mayor of Sunset Strip (documentary), 2003
Hard Ball, 2001
Sweet November, 2001
The Gift, 2000
The Watcher. 2000
The Replacements, 2000
The Matrix, 1999
Me and Will, 1998
The Devil's Advocate, 1997
The Last Time I Committed Suicide, 1997
Feeling Minnesota, 1996
Chain Reaction, 1996
A Walk in the Clouds, 1995
Johnny Mnemonic, 1995
Speed, 1994
Little Buddha, 1993
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, 1993
Freaked, 1993
Much Ado About Nothing, 1993
Bram Stoker's Dracula, 1992
Providence, 1991
My Own Private Idaho, 1991
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, 1991
Point Break, 1991
I Love You to Death, 1990
Tune in Tomorrow..., 1990
Parenthood, 1989
Life Under Water, 1989
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, 1989
The Night Before, 1988
Permanent Record, 1988
The Prince of Pennsylvania, 1988
Dangerous Liaisons, 1988
Brotherhood of Justice, 1986
Flying, 1986
Youngblood, 1986
Babes in Toyland, 1986
Under the Influence, 1986
River's Edge, 1986
Young Again, 1986 TV-Movie
Act of Vengeance, 1986 TV-Movie
Letting Go, 1985 TV-Movie
One Step Away, 1985 TV-Movie