Keanu Reeves
AKA Keanu Charles Reeves
Born: 2-Sep-1964
Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
Gender: Male
Religion: Buddhist
Ethnicity: Multiracial
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Dude
Keanu Reeves was born in Lebanon. He is one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Hawaiian, half-English, and a Canadian citizen. He attended four high schools, playing hockey and soccer before dropping out at 17. He was raised in Hawaii, Australia, New York, and Canada, where he did his first professional acting. His name comes from a Hawaiian word loosely translated as "cool breeze over the mountains".
At 16, he was in a Coca-Cola commercial, and featured in the Canadian sitcom Hangin' In. He later did a Kellogg's Corn Flakes commercial, spent a summer studying acting at the Hedgerow Theatre in Pennsylvania. He briefly co-hosted a kids' show in Canada, with Chris Makepeace. At 22, Reeves came to Hollywood, and slept on his former stepfather's couch until he got his own apartment. In early roles, he played hockey with Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze in Youngblood, and played a troubled teen in River's Edge with Crispin Glover and Dennis Hopper. He danced Jack-Be-Nimble in a TV production of Babes in Toyland starring 11-year-old Drew Barrymore. In 1989, still playing a teenager at 25, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure made Reeves a star. In 1994, Speed with Sandra Bullock made him an A-list star.
As a young actor, Reeves' best friend was River Phoenix. They made My Own Private Idaho together, and joked about filming Romeo and Juliet with Reeves as Romeo and Phoenix as Juliet. Reeves was filming Speed when Phoenix died. Reeves' life has had its share of tragedy. His sister Kim is battling leukemia, and Reeves has reportedly spent more than $5 million on her medical care, so far. He has long been estranged from his natural father, who served a prison term for selling heroin. He dated a backstage Hollywood worker, Jennifer Syme, who bore his stillborn daughter in 1999. They broke up but remained friends, and were reportedly dating again when she was killed in a 2001 car accident.
During his long career, Reeves has occasionally disappeared from Hollywood for a year at a time, and he turned down a $12 million offer for Speed 2 to do Shakespeare on stage in a small Canadian theater. He is famously generous with his money, lavishing large gifts on charities and for his movies' backstage workers. A Buddhist and a pacifist, he opposes war on principle, and has turned down several films because the part seemed too violent.
Reeves has spoken of using drugs, but is understandably reticent to discuss which drugs he has used. He often says drugs have given him some "amazing" experiences, then pauses, then says "amazing" a second time.
Father: Samuel Nowlin Reeves (geologist, imprisoned for selling heroin, paroled in 1996)
Mother: Patricia Taylor (costume designer)
Sister: Kim Reeves (actress, b. 1966)
Father: Paul Aaron (stepfather, stage and TV director)
Father: Robert Miller (stepfather, music promoter)
Sister: Karina Miller (half-sister, b. 1976, stage director)
Father: Jack Bond (stepfather, salon owner)
Girlfriend: Jill Schoelen (actress, b. 1963, dated 1986-90)
Girlfriend: Jennifer Syme (b. 7-Dec-1972, d. 2-Apr-2001 auto accident)
Daughter: Eva Archer Syme-Reeves (stillborn, Dec-1999)
Girlfriend: Autumn Macintosh (actress, dated early 1990's, 2003-05, engaged)
High School: (dropout at age 17)
Driving While Intoxicated May-1993 Los Angeles
Hollywood Walk of Fame 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Chinese Ancestry
English Ancestry Maternal
Risk Factors: Dyslexia, Smoking
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Lake House (16-Jun-2006)
Constantine (8-Feb-2005)
Thumbsucker (23-Jan-2005)
Something's Gotta Give (12-Dec-2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (27-Oct-2003)
The Matrix Reloaded (7-May-2003)
The Animatrix (17-Apr-2003) [VOICE]
Hardball (10-Sep-2001)
Sweet November (12-Feb-2001)
The Gift (20-Dec-2000)
The Watcher (07-Sep-2000)
The Replacements (7-Aug-2000)
Me and Will (19-Oct-1999)
The Matrix (31-Mar-1999)
The Devil's Advocate (17-Oct-1997)
The Last Time I Committed Suicide (05-Jun-1997)
Feeling Minnesota (13-Sep-1996)
Chain Reaction (2-Aug-1996)
A Walk in the Clouds (27-May-1995)
Johnny Mnemonic (15-Apr-1995)
Speed (10-Jun-1994)
Little Buddha (1-Dec-1993)
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (13-Sep-1993)
Much Ado About Nothing (7-May-1993)
Dracula (13-Nov-1992)
My Own Private Idaho (12-Sep-1991)
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (19-Jul-1991)
Point Break (12-Jul-1991)
Tune in Tomorrow... (15-Sep-1990)
I Love You to Death (6-Apr-1990)
Parenthood (2-Aug-1989)
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (17-Feb-1989)
Dangerous Liaisons (16-Dec-1988)
The Prince of Pennsylvania (11-Sep-1988)
Permanent Record (Apr-1988)
The Night Before (1988)
Babes in Toyland (19-Dec-1986)
Under the Influence (28-Sep-1986)
River's Edge (10-Sep-1986)
Youngblood (31-Jan-1986)
Brotherhood of Justice (1986)