Keanu Reeves is one of the most identifiable film actors into the the nation. After early operate in Toronto on the CBC and the NFB, he gone to live in Los angeles making a great meteoric increase so you’re able to popularity this kind of video clips once the Hazardous Liaisons (1988), Costs & Ted’s Excellent Excitement (1989), Section Split (1991) and My Personal Idaho (1991). He is possibly most widely known in action-adventure video such as for instance Rate (1994), this new John Wick franchise and the four Matrix films. He has got been honoured having a superstar into the the Movie industry Walk off Glory and you may Canada’s Walk away from Fame.
Very early Life and you can Training
Keanu Reeves arrived in Canada because the a child and you can turned into a good naturalized Canadian citizen. He is this new boy out-of English-produced performer and you will costume developer Patricia Taylor and Western-produced Samuel Nowlin Reeves, a geologist away from Native Hawaiian, Chinese, Uk and Portuguese origin. Immediately after their mothers split as he is three, Reeves’s mother grabbed your with his young aunt, Kim, to Australian continent, Nyc after which Toronto, arriving here when he are four. As a result of their mother’s after that marriage ceremonies he had around three stepfathers: phase and you will movie manager Paul Aaron, rock promoter Robert Miller, and you will beauty salon holder Jack Bond.
More 5 years, Reeves attended four universities, including Avondale Second Option College, De- Los angeles Salle College, therefore the Etobicoke School of the Arts, of which he had been expelled to possess misbehaviour. Reeves’s decreased demand for academics could have been partly due in order to dyslexia. He excelled during the hockey (he played purpose and you will is actually nicknamed “this new wall structure”) and you may wanted 1 day to relax and play to possess Team Canada. He had been plus looking drama making his first stage looks within age nine when you look at the an effective theatrical production of Damn Yankees. Within 15, he played Mercutio in a production of Romeo and you will Juliet within Toronto’s Leah Posluns Cinema. Reeves including worked for Aaron since the a production assistant before dropping off high school versus acquiring a qualification.
Very early Career
When you are appearing in several stage projects, Tv films and television collection, Reeves offered while the an effective correspondent for the CBC young people show Supposed Great (1984). He and additionally starred since a difficult teenager throughout the NFB docudrama One-step Out (1985). The guy had a giant crack having a supporting part into the Youngblood (1986), a hockey film starring Deprive Lowe and you can Patrick Swayze that has been recorded inside the Ontario. Reeves up coming relocated to Los angeles. With his generous charm and leading man seems, he easily landed direct spots from inside the Television videos. The guy including received important recognition regarding the teen dramas River’s Line (1986) and you will Permanent Listing (1988) just before he portrayed Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny inside Stephen Frears’s Academy Award-nominated movie Risky Liaisons (1988).
Early Movie industry Career 1988–93
Reeves’s basic big commercial success was included with the brand new part regarding Ted within the Costs & Ted’s Advanced level Excitement (1989), co-starring Alex Cold temperatures. The new offbeat time travel comedy try Little People dating apps an unexpected cult struck you to definitely produced a going television show, Costs & Ted’s Excellent Escapades (1990), and you can a sequel, Costs & Ted’s Fake Trip (1991). The part of Ted highlighted Reeves’s skill to own deadpan comedic birth, but inaddition it triggered the most popular conception which he, instance their profile, try dark-witted.
Reeves used Dangerous Liaisons which have supporting jobs various other Good-record ensemble video such Ron Howard’s Parenthood (1989) and you may Lawrence Kasdan’s I enjoy You to Passing (1989), while having made his first foray towards the action films due to the fact an FBI agent inside Kathryn Bigelow’s common Section Split (1991). Possibly slammed given that an actor away from limited diversity, Reeves including featured computed to split from the Valley son label of the Costs & Ted video if you take more challenging positions during the ways-home video clips. He starred a street hustler during the Gus Van Sant’s My very own Personal Idaho (1991), Jonathan Harker regarding Francis Ford Coppola motion picture Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1991), the brand new Buddha inside Bernardo Bertolucci’s Nothing Buddha (1993), plus the villainous Don John when you look at the Kenneth Branagh’s flick type regarding Shakespeare’s Far Ado From the Little (1993).