Keanu Reeves Through the Years: From ’90s Heartthrob to Sci-Fi Action Star

The internet’s favorite action star! Keanu Reeves has been famous for more than 30 years, but his fans have never stopped loving him — and their adoration keeps growing every year.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1964, the Matrix star has a reputation for being kind to strangers even though he’s a world famous movie star. In July 2022, the Speed actor made headlines for chatting with a young fan at the airport.

“Keanu Reeves was on my flight from London to NYC today. A young boy asked for an autograph at baggage & then began to fire off a series of rapid-fire questions. Keanu happily responded to every single one,” TV producer Andrew Kimmel wrote in a series of tweets at the time. “Kid: Why were you in London? KR: Filming a documentary. Kid: I saw online you were at the Grand Prix (pronouncing the x). KR: Yes, the Grand Prix (in a French accent, without correcting him). F1! Race cars!”

After the boy started running out of things to ask, Reeves proceeded to ask him about his own plans. “Why were you in Europe? What galleries did you go to in Paris? What was your favorite?” Kimmel recalled. “The man could not have been nicer, especially after an international flight. I thought I’d share this because the dude is a class act and little moments like this can make such a big difference in people’s lives. We need more Keanus!”

While the Point Break star may be a teddy bear off camera, he’s known for his hard work on set. Reeves does as many of his own stunts as possible, even when it requires months of training. The Constantine actor spent 12 weeks prepping for John Wick: Chapter 4which hit theaters in March 2023.

“It’s new levels of action,” Reeves said in a featurette for the sequel. “John Wick action asks just a little bit more. And you see the effort and the commitment from the team.”

Even when the work is grueling, the Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure star can’t help but find the positive side of things. “It’s the best kind of tired,” he told ComicBook.com in March 2023. “It’s like you climbed a mountain [and] now you’re resting. like you finished the game and you won.”

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Keep scrolling for a look back at Reeves’ life and career over the years: