men. In 2005, he took the title role in Constantine, an occult detective
film based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer comic book series, while 2008
saw him memorably play an alien messenger in a remake of The Day
the Earth Stood Still, a ’50s cult favourite. Reeves’ most ubiquitous
role in the opening decade of the 21st century, however, was arguably
Sad Keanu, a paparazzi-snapped meme that caught the then-middle-
aged actor alone and forlorn on a park bench, with just a half-eaten
sandwich for company.
Then came 2013, the year Reeves took on the title role in John
Wick, the film that arguably resurrected his career and saw him once
again embrace the action hero mantle he had once so memorably
discarded. Bringing the reluctantly unretired assassin to the big screen
proved a natural fit with the actor’s innate stoicism and fondness for
wry humour, with the casting proving to be box office gold.
In addition to his natural affinity for characters with a dark side,
many have speculated that Reeves’ own personal tragedies gifted his
depiction of Wick with unusual depth. Seemingly confirming this in
a 2006 interview, he said: “Grief changes shape, but it never ends.
People have a misconception that you can deal with it and, one day,
say: ‘It’s gone, and I’m better’. They’re wrong. When the people you
love are gone, you really are alone.”
As to whether his renewed success has lightened his load at all,
that will have to remain a matter of conjecture. He has, however,
green-lit a return to two of his greatest hits, with Bill and Ted 3
(apparently called Bill and Ted Go to Hell) already in production and
rumours growing of a return of The Matrix sometime soon. And Speed
3? Well, even for the rejuvenated Reeves, it’s safe to assume that
some things are just beyond redemption...110 igafencu.com
bass guitar in a string of alt-rock bands, before getting top
billing in Point Break, a big budget, action-adventure outing,
and My Own Private Idaho, more of a strokey-beardy indy
slow burner. It was while riding high as MTV’s 1993 Most
Desirable Man that tragedy once again crossed his path,
with his close pal and former co-star River Phoenix dying of
an overdose at just 23. Clearly still feeling the shock waves
more than 20 years later, Reeves told one interviewer in
2014: “River was a remarkable human being and actor. We
got along very well and I miss him. I think of him often.”
To many, it seemed that Reeves threw himself into a
series of even bigger projects in the wake of the tragedy,
landing his most high-profile role to date in 1994’s
action-drama Speed. Despite – or, perhaps, on account
of – his growing success, he now seemed increasingly
averse to being pigeonholed as an action hero and
surprised many by turning down a potential US$11 million
payday by opting out of the all-but-inevitable Speed
2. Instead, he chose to play the title role in a Canadian
stage production of Hamlet, a decision that would see
him blacklisted by 20th Century Fox, the studio behind
Speed, for the next 10 years.
This, though, would come to be seen as a signature
move by Reeves, as he has, since then, frequently ducked
big-buck offers in favour of playing roles he coveted or
working with actors he admired – notably Al Pacino in The
Devil’s Advocate and Gene Hackman in The Replacements.
It also led to him to negotiate a highly-unusual profit-
sharing deal for The Matrix and its sequels, which saw
him take a pay cut to ensure the franchise’s special
effects and costume designs remained cutting-edge, and
later donating US$75 million to be shared between the
production team as a sign of his appreciation.
While riding high on the acclaim occasioned by the
first Matrix film, fate dealt Reeves another bitter blow
when the daughter he was to have with Jennifer Syme, his
production assistant girlfriend, was delivered stillborn.
Not surprisingly, the subsequent grief put a huge strain on
the couple’s relationship, which ultimately ended in Syme’s
death two years later in a calamitous car accident. With
blow piling on blow, that same year – 2001 – saw his half-
sister Kim diagnosed with leukemia, a condition that would
take the best part of 10 years to overcome.
Perhaps reflecting his own turmoil, the next decade
saw Reeves increasingly drawn to playing complex, troubled“Alone and forlorn on a park
bench, Sad Keanu was the meme
that saw in the 21st century”
Text: Bailey Atkinson Photo: AFP