Keanu Reeves

Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and was raised in several cities after his parents divorced. He lived with his mother and younger sister, Kim, in Sydney, New York City, and Toronto. His mother, Patricia Taylor, worked as a performer and costume designer, while his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves, was a geologist of Hawaiian and Chinese descent. His first name means “cool breeze over the mountains” in Hawaiian.

Reeves played ice hockey as a teenager and considered becoming a professional player. As a goalie, he earned the nickname “The Wall.” He also developed an interest in drama, attended four high schools, and left school before graduating to pursue acting. His early work included a production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the stage play Wolfboy, and an appearance on the Canadian television series Hangin’ In in 1984.

Reeves made his feature-film debut as a hockey goalie in Youngblood (1986), which starred Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe. His performance as a troubled teenager in River’s Edge (1986) drew favorable reviews, and he later appeared in Dangerous Liaisons (1988). His breakthrough came with Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), in which he played the carefree high-school student Ted “Theodore” Logan opposite Alex Winter. The surprise success produced the sequel Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) and an animated television series.

Seeking a wider range of roles, Reeves played an undercover FBI agent opposite Patrick Swayze in Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break (1991) and appeared with River Phoenix in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991). He also took roles in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), and Little Buddha (1994). His performance as bomb-squad officer Jack Traven in Speed (1994) established him as a major action star. Reeves later declined Speed 2 and instead appeared opposite Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate (1997).

Reeves reached a new level of stardom with The Matrix (1999), directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski. He played Neo, a computer programmer who becomes central to humanity’s struggle against a simulated world. The film became an international critical and commercial success, and Reeves returned as Neo in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003.

In 2014, Reeves played the title role in John Wick, portraying a former contracted hit man drawn back into violence. The film’s reception led to John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), John Wick: Chapter 3, Parabellum (2019), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). He also reprised Neo in The Matrix Resurrections (2021) and appeared as John Wick in the 2025 spin-off Ballerina.

Reeves continued to alternate between mainstream productions and smaller films after The Matrix. His work included The Replacements (2000), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), Constantine (2005), The Lake House (2006), Street Kings (2008), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and Henry’s Crime (2010). He also appeared in independent and art-house projects such as Thumbsucker, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, The Neon Demon, and The Bad Batch.

Reeves made his directorial debut with Man of Tai Chi (2013), a martial-arts drama about an underground fight club in which he also acted. He later returned to comedy with Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020), appeared in Destination Wedding with Winona Ryder, and played Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4 (2019).

Reeves has provided voices for film, television, and video-game projects. His voice roles include the animated series Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures, the title character in Keanu, Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4, and the villain Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).

He also voiced Johnny Silverhand in the video game expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and appeared as a voice performer in the anthology series Secret Level.

Reeves co-founded the rock band Dogstar in the early 1990s and played bass. The group toured internationally, including appearances in Japan and New Zealand, before ending its original run around 2002. Dogstar reunited publicly at the BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival in 2023 and released the album Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees that year.

Reeves is also a motorcycle enthusiast. After commissioning a custom motorcycle from designer Gard Hollinger, he and Hollinger formed Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011. Reeves worked with artist Alexandra Grant on the books Ode to Happiness (2011) and Shadows (2016), for which he provided the text, and their romantic relationship became public at an art gala in 2019.

In 1999, Reeves and Jennifer Syme had a daughter, Ava Archer Syme-Reeves, who was stillborn. The loss ended their relationship and was a profound personal tragedy for Reeves.

Syme died in an automobile accident in 2001. Reeves has also supported his sister Kim during her battle with leukemia and has backed organizations including Stand Up To Cancer and PETA.