Fascinating Facts About Keanu Reeves

Just a few selected bits of trivia about everyone's favorite cool guy.

Published 5 years ago in Wow

Just a few selected bits of trivia about everyone's favorite cool guy.

1
In the first 45 minutes of The Matrix, Keanu Reeves only has 80 lines. 44 of which are questions.

2
Before Keanu was cast in ‘Point Break,’ Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp, and Matthew Broderick all auditioned for the role of Johnny Utah.

3
In the film, Johnny Utah joins the FBI after a knee injury finishes his football career. Reeves was actually an aspiring hockey player before a knee injury forced him into acting.
4
For ‘Point Break,’ Keanu Reeves learned how to surf; it’s a hobby that he continues to this day.

5
Before Point Break, Swayze had previously worked with Reeves in a movie called ‘Youngblood.’ After filming finished, Swayze was already convinced Keanu would go on to be a star.
6
Reeves filmed all his scenes for ‘Always Be My Maybe’ in just 4 days between shooting ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.’
7
Keanu Reeves bought the Holy Shotgun prop from ‘Constantine’ and gave it to director Francis Lawrence as a gift.

8
For the scene in which Neo wakes up in a pod, Keanu lost 15 pounds and shaved off all of his hair.
9
During the scenes in “the real world” before Neo is made aware of the matrix, his clothes are deliberately ill-fitting to suggest that he doesn’t quite fit into this world.
10
Reeves really did climb out a window in the office scene. He used no stunt double and was 34 stories in the air.

11
Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicolas Cage, and Tom Cruise were all considered for the role of Neo.
12
John Wick’s kill count is 77 in the first film, 128 in the second, and 299 in the third.
13
At its inception, Bill and Ted were supposed to travel through time and be the cause of many of history’s biggest disasters (The Titanic, The Black Plague, etc.)

14
For years, Keanu Reeves lamented that his epitaph would be “Here lies Keanu Reeves. He played Ted.”
15
Originally in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill and Ted were supposed to be far, far nerdier. They even shot a scene where “cool kids” were making fun of them. But, it was decided that Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter were too likable and cool for that to be believable.
16
Director Jan de Bont insisted that Reeves get a sensible haircut for ‘Speed’ to fit his hard-working cop character. 20th Century Fox was horrified when they saw the buzzcut he got, and threatened to postpone the film to allow his hair to grow back.

17
Reeves insisted they turn the pencil story from the original film into a reality in the sequel.
18
During the filming of the nightclub scene in the original, Reeves had the flu and a 104-degree fever, but wouldn’t even take breaks to sit down.
19
The tattoo on Wick’s back is the Latin phrase “Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat” which translates to “Fortune Favors The Bold.”

20
Keanu Reeves did roughly 90% of his own stunts during filming.
21
John Wick was originally imagined as a 60-something-year-old man because of his fabled reputation. However, producers decided against it, saying “instead we decided to look for someone who is not literally older, but a has a more seasoned history in the film world.”