“Here’s the corkscrew, Keanu, arrange it!” And down to laughing like crazy, as soon as I remind him of this episode linked to the times that were. He had recently received his first cinema successes and always came to the restaurant where I worked as a maître d ‘dining room. Punctually, after ordering a $ 10 amatriciana and a $ 300 Barolo Sperss Gaja, he only tipped 5, because he didn’t consider it “service” that I uncorked the bottle. So, every time he sat down at the table, I served him the pasta and left the corkscrew on the table. Behind this gesture of ours, there was also a knowledge and a friendliness born on the set of Bill & Ted ‘s Excellent Adventure (1989) produced by Dino De Laurentiis, in Wilmington in North Carolina, where we had known and dated for a couple of months, until the end of filming. Who are we talking about? Of Keanu Reevesone of the few artists who have the privilege of being recognized worldwide, so much so that he is called by all with the only name, which in Polynesian dialect means “fresh breeze coming from the mountains”.
Keanu Reeves says he doesn’t feel like a star. Yet, as clearly emerges from this exclusive interview he has granted us, there is absolutely nothing banal about him. From pens all’arrabbiata passing through the meaning of the Matrix, here are the secrets of Keanu. Photo LaPresse
An incredible career
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, to an English mother and Hawaiian-Chinese father, he is an actor, musician, producer, heartthrob, philanthropist and a lover of speed on two wheels. He is the Keanu of Matrix, cult film of techno-nerds, and its three sequels. Of Point Break, myth of surfers; is the nightmare of Californian transportation in Speed; not to mention the spirituality delivered to him by Bertolucci in the Little Buddhaof the mortality exhibited in the saga of John Wick and the work done for great directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Stephen Frears, Gus Van Sant, Richard Linklater And Kenneth Branagh. All this, enclosed in a muscular and slender body of six feet, endowed with thick hair of a rebellious rock and roll and a sly smile that speaks volumes about his ability to interact with others. As she demonstrates in this interview.
Because Keanu Reeves doesn’t feel like a star
What is the most normal thing of the day for you who are a movie star?
I don’t consider myself a star. Tom Cruise, Matt Damon or Christian Bale I am. I consider myself just an actor. Often they don’t even recognize me (but who believes it ?, ed ). On the set, my days are very ordinary, I go by motorbike, I read a book, I eat a plate of penne all’arrabbiata, my favorite pasta.
The characters he plays are always very tough …
Yes, like John Wick who suffers fighting for justice in his private life, they beat him to death and, despite being thrown out of windows or hit by cars, proves to have a crazy will. For me he is even harder precisely because he is vulnerable to pain. Vince Lombardilegendary American football coach, used to say: “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up”.
People think doing their job is simple: you learn the script and show up on set. Is that so?
Not really: it’s a battle. The actors are all a bit of a nuisance because ours is a job we can’t do alone. There are producers, directors, writers and agents. If they offer you a role and you decide not to take it, that’s okay. If you agree, you need to be involved in the process, and you often need to help find funding as well, especially if you’re a star like Tom Cruise. Believe me, he too struggles, he works a lot for his success. After all, if it’s called show business, there will be a reason.
Does it support charities?
None in particular, but I give money when I realize there is a need. I did it for children with AIDS, for organizations that help the homeless, I contribute to the fund for retired actors, especially those who are sick and cannot work.
Keanu Reeves
The love for hockey and the passion for motorcycles
After filming, does it ever happen to you to bring home objects you are fond of?
It happened. I would have liked to have kept the surfboard of Point Break, but it was sold for charity. I still have Neo’s coat from the first one Matrixthe lighter and the watch of Constantine. I had the jacket that I wore in Beautiful and damnedbut I gave it to a super fan friend of Gus Van Sant.
A curious fact of your life that few people know?
I grew up in Canada and, like all local kids, have always loved playing hockey. When I moved to Los Angeles at 19, I thought I would never get the chance to play this sport again. Instead, one day – I was in Santa Monica – I saw a group of young people who, in the parking lot right in front of the sea, were playing street hockey: sticks and roller skates. I was seized by a great nostalgia. So every weekend, for more than ten years, I played with them. Then, I had to stop, because I am getting old and the fractures of the falls in motion are felt (laughs, ed )!
When was your passion for motorcycles born?
I was 22 and I was in Munich to shoot a film. A girl always came to the set in an Enduro. She taught me to drive and I haven’t stopped since. When I got back to Los Angeles, I bought my first Kawasaki KLR 600. Then when I started earning better, I switched to a 1973 Norton Commando, great, I love the noise, the drive, even how it smells. I had several, including the Ducati 998, Kawasaki Z 900, Moto Guzzi T3, AMF Harley Shovelhead and an old BMW 750. Then I partnered with Gard Hollinger, another two-wheel enthusiast like me. , with whom I founded my company Arch Motorcycles. Now I ride the bikes that I design.
Keanu Reeves in Lana Wachowski’s Matrix Resurrection (2022)
That time on the set of Little Buddha
Which actor do you admire most?
Peter O’Toole And Anthony Hopkins. Anthony is one of the funniest people he has ever met, he always has amazing stories to tell. When we played Dracula, he always gave me advice. The most precious is this: “Keanu”, he said to me, “you learn only by doing, as when you paint, the technique is a matter of practice, how you work with color, so you work your dialogue, you shape it, you refine it, the more you do it and the better you get. Talent is work, devotion to the profession.
Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?
Yes, since I shot Little Buddha by Bertolucci. Before shooting I took a trip to Kathmandu, because I wanted to talk to some Buddhist monks. There I learned about meditation, which made me discover some aspects of my identity. It helped me to have the perception of myself in relation to others. I have learned to overcome fears. Facing them makes us grow and appreciate the gift of life. Without changes we can only wait for death.
Also Matrix does it go beyond the physical dimension?
It is spiritual in many ways. It is a story that deals with important themes: awakening, conscience, love, evolution, faith and the relationship between machines and the human race. I really like films that are conceived as big productions, but which have a profound meaning. I certainly don’t want viewers to waste three hours of their life to see something nonsense, without a message.
How different is the Keanu of today compared to that of 20 years ago?
Not much, even if my experiences, negative and positive, have left their mark. The passage of time has given me wisdom that has allowed me to slow down my pace and to better appreciate the small gifts of life. As I move slower, I feel a deeper connection with the universe. And then there is always the question of overcoming my fears: as you approach 60, you start to think that you want to be at peace with yourself, you don’t want to have regrets for everything you haven’t done.
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock have been friends since Speed.
Keanu Reeves between loneliness and Sandra Bullock
He has the reputation of a lonely person. True?
I am lonely, but I am not alone. I don’t have many close friends, I can count them on the fingers of one hand, I like to live in a quiet way, away from the world of Hollywood even if I live in Los Angeles. I am working on many projects and I am happy with how I spend my time. Sometimes, when I attend mundane events and hear people’s superficial conversations, I remember why I prefer to do something else.
Which star are you most friends with?
Sandra Bullock. We talk often, he worries about me, sometimes we get to see each other, have a dinner together to tell us the news. She is a true friend, very generous, if you have a sad day she always cheers you up.
What is the secret of happiness?
For me it is still a secret! But I’m working hard to find out. Who knows, maybe sooner or later I will be able to answer this question.
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