“If you have been brutally broken, but still have the courage to be gentle to other living beings, then you’re a badass with the heart of an angel.”
-Keanu Reeves
Whenever someone asks me what my favorite action movie of all time is, I always reply with one answer: John Wick. The movie would have been nothing without Keanu Reeves, who was the backbone of the entire series and made fans fall in love with him from all over the world.
However, it should be noted that Keanu isn’t only a hero on the screen, but he’s a hero in real life as well. His resilience is like a beacon of hope for people all over the world since he didn’t give up, even at times where you and I would have.
Today, I’ll give you a rundown of what Keanu’s life has been like, since it teaches us the beautiful lesson of staying patient and keeping hope alive.
Here are some of the key events in his life.
The Popular Works He is Known For
Keanu has been in a lot of movies that have been popular over the years. Some of these movies include The Matrix series, John Wick series, The Devil’s Advocate, Constantine, Speed and a lot more. Keanu was a phenomenal actor in all of these movies and if you want to see for yourself, you can stream all these movies online.
In fact, you can amp up your streaming experience if you opt for a reliable internet service such as Xfinity. So, it would be a pretty solid idea for you to look into Xfinity Internet Plans if you are looking for something budget-friendly. After that, you can stream all these movies to see how great Keanu’s acting skills have been over the years.
I personally went through a Keanu Reeves movie marathon recently, which was my motivation for writing this article.
His Early Life
Keanu’s struggles began very soon in his life, as soon as he was just three years old. His parents got divorced and his mother moved frequently with him, including cities like New York and Toronto. His father was out of the picture and he had to change schools often, which is why he couldn’t adjust at one place.
He was also dyslexic, which is why he struggled academically. However, he took a keen interest in sports, and he excelled at ice hockey. He wanted to become a professional ice hockey player, but an injury came in the way of his dream, and he wasn’t able to fulfill it.
So, he started exploring his horizons and started taking an interest in acting.
Keanu’s Breakthrough in Hollywood
After starring in a couple of movies, Keanu finally had his breakthrough in 1986 with his movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, in which he took the role of a genius stoner named Ted Logan. The movie had pretty mixed reviews from audiences, but overall, it was a hit.
Everyone praised Keanu for his performance in the movie, and this was when he finally started getting the respect and praise that he deserved.
The Passing of His Best Friend
When Keanu was relatively new to the movie industry, he befriended River Phoenix while they were on the set for I Love You to Death. The two hit it off pretty well and became the best of friends. However, things took a tragic turn when River unfortunately passed away in 1993 at the age of 23.
River died of a drug overdose outside a nightclub in Los Angeles, and Keanu was in the middle of filming Speed alongside Sandra Bullock when the news broke to him. It wasn’t until a year later that Keanu talked about the incident and the effect it had on him.
The Demise of His Partner
The trials and tribulations never seemed to end for Keanu, especially while he was dating fellow actress Jennifer Syme. The both of them met in 1998 and instantly fell in love with each other. A year later, Jennifer gave birth to a stillborn daughter, and both parents were absolutely devastated.
This put a stain on both of their relationship, and they decided to part ways. Two years later, Jennifer Syme passed away in a car accident, and this deeply hurt Keanu. He revealed in interviews that the grief never really went away, but he learned that grief eventually transforms into different forms.
His Sister Was Diagnosed with Cancer
In 1991, Keanu’s younger sister Kim was diagnosed with leukemia, and Keanu was her primary caretaker through her battle against cancer. A year later, she finally went into remission. The beauty of the matter is that Keanu stood by his sister through it all.
Keanu eventually started a non-profit organization that aids children’s hospitals and cancer research. He was inspired by the events that took place during his sister’s battle with cancer.
As you can see, Keanu’s life was never easy, but this never stopped him from holding on to hope. He never became a bitter person in the process.
In fact, in 2010, someone took a picture of Keanu eating a sandwich on a New York bench, and the picture became a popular meme called “Sad Keanu”. When told about it, Keanu took it in good spirits and humor!
This goes to show that we have a lot to learn from Keanu’s life. So, while Keanu’s story is tragic, his resilience through it all is a prime example that we all need to learn from.
