According to celebritynetworth.com, the actor Keanu Reeves net worth is $350 million. Born in Beirut, Lebanon and raised in Toronto, Canada, Reeves rose to fame as an actor from the age of 20.
Keanu Reeves Net Worth - Early Life
Keanu Reeves has an interesting heritage. His mother Patricia Reeves (née Taylor) was from Essex in England, whilst his father was from Hawaii with Chinese, Irish, English and Portuguese in his ancestry.
The name Keanu is Hawaiian, and it means “cool breeze over the mountain.” It is his uncle’s middle name as well as the name of an 18th-century Hawaiian high chief.
His father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. met Patricia when she was working in Beirut.
His parents split up when he was three years old.
Reeves stayed with his mother who moved them to Sydney, Australia and then New York.
His mother went on to marry American film and stage director Paul Aaron, and so Reeves has an American green card. However, the couple divorced in 1971 after the family moved to Ontario.
Keanu remained close to his stepfather who would offer him advice and recommended him for jobs.
Childhood and Education
Keanu had a somewhat disruptive childhood, moving home and country regularly and having a father and 3 stepfathers before adulthood.
Reeves and his sisters were cared for by a nanny. He described himself as a “private kid”.
The teenager didn’t have an easy time through high school. He was even expelled from one high school, Etobicoke School of the Arts, and he attended a total of four.
Reeves himself attributes this to simply being a teenager. He said he wasn’t the most well-oiled machine in the school.
Academically, Reeves wasn’t strong in school. However, he excelled at sports and theatre.
He played for De La Salle College ice hockey team and earned his nickname “The Wall” as he was such a formidable goalkeeper.
Reeves dropped out of high school at the age of 17.
Keanu Reeves Net Worth Explained: Getting Into Acting
Keanu began his acting career at age nine when he took part in Damn Yankees, a theatre production.
When he was 15, he took on the role of Mercutio in a production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Reeves’ first roles were bit parts, as expected for any debutant actor. He appeared in a Coke commercial as a racing cyclist in the early 80s.
You can still watch this on YouTube.
It shows the actor being up against a Russian cyclist, which historically was important in 1980s America, where political tensions between both countries were high during the Cold War.
When he has talked about this commercial, Reeves explained how he shaved his legs so that he looked more like a cyclist. He said filming took three days and he had to drink a lot of Coke in that time!
Movie Career and Becoming A Prominent Actor
The end of the 1980s saw the young actor begin his movie career.
In 1988, he played the lead role in The Night Before, a comedy drama aimed at teens.
That same year, he also starred in The Prince of Pennsylvania, Permanent Record and Dangerous Liaisons.
The latter was nominated for seven awards at the 61st Academy Awards. It went on to win three of those, including Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Career Breakthrough and Becoming a Household Name
In 1989, Keanu Reeves starred alongside Alex Winter in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. This was a well-received film that grossed $40.5 million worldwide.
1991 saw the sequel Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey hit the big screen. That same year, Reeves began taking on adult roles, which marked his transition as an actor.
He co-starred alongside River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho, which is a story based loosely on Henry IV and Henry V by Shakespeare. This film was received positively and earned $6.4 million.
1991 was a busy year for Reeves as he also starred in Point Break during this year. In this film, Reeves played an FBI agent working undercover. This film grossed $83.5 million.
Forming Dogstar
As well as his budding acting career, Keanu Reeves fancied himself as a musician in 1991.
With Gregg Miller, Robert Mailhouse and Bret Domrose, he formed Dogstar, an alternative rock band in which Reeves played the bass guitar.
Career Setback and Negative Responses
Like so many actors, Reeves has suffered some negative responses and even ridicule during his career.
In 1992, he starred alongside Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film required Reeves to speak in an English accent, which drew a lot of criticism and ridicule towards the an actor willing to learn and improve his skillset.
The film was, however, a success and won Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Editing at the Academy Awards. It also had found nominations at the British Academy Awards.
Reeves also received a nomination for Worst Supporting Actor in the Golden Raspberry Awards for his 1993 role in Much Ado About Nothing.
Reeves' Career Comeback
After some negativity surrounding his career, Reeves starred alongside Dennis Hopper and Sandra Bullock in the 1994 action thriller film Speed. The film grossed $350 million and won Best Sound Editing and Best Sound at the 1995 Academy Awards.
In 1996, Reeves starred in Chain Reaction alongside Rachel Weisz and Morgan Freeman. Unfortunately for Reeves, this wasn’t well received and also received criticism.
As well as this, Reeves is also believed to have turned down Speed 2: Cruise Control even though he was offered $12 million.
Reeves, instead, preferred to tour with his band and star in smaller films like The Last Time I committed Suicide. Despite having a budget of $4 million, this film only made $46,000 at the box office.
The Making of Keanu Reeves Net Worth – The Matrix Franchise
The Matrix in 1999 was a huge box office hit in which Reeves plays a computer hacker “Neo”.
Reeves stars alongside Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving in what has become widely regarded as one of the best science-fiction movies of all time.
Despite this huge hit, Keanu Reeves went on to explore other genres and had roles in Sweet November, a romantic drama, and a sports comedy Hardball.
Reeves was absent from the big screen in 2002 but returned with The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003.
Reeves went on to star in many films of varying success in the early 2000s and then in 2013, starred in Man of Tai Chi, which he also directed.
What is interesting about Keanu Reeves is that he has starred in some hugely successful films as well as some massive failures.
However, it is his open mindedness to try completely different projects that has given him the incredible success he has achieved.
For example, 'The Wachowskis' who wrote and directed The Matrix originally wanted Will Smith to play the heroin role of Neo.
But when Smith met the two directors, he wasn't impressed with their pitch or their story, as he later explained on his YouTube channel.
But Reeves was on the same wavelength as the up and coming Hollywood directors and was willing to take a chance regardless of what it could mean for his career.
There is a lesson in there for everyone.
Reeves is to star in The Matrix Resurrections, which is due to be released at the end of 2021.
Keanu Reeves Family Life and Personal Life
Reeves has had to cope with huge tragedies in his personal life.
In 1999, Reeves then-girlfriend Jennifer Syme gave birth to their daughter Ava. Unfortunately, their baby was stillborn, and the couple broke up a matter of weeks later.
Less than 18 months after the tragedy of his daughter being stillborn, Reeves’s ex was killed in a road traffic collision in Los Angeles.
Keanu Reeves has been linked to Brenda Davis, China Chow and Alexandra Grant, his current partner.
Reeves supports many causes and charities. After his sister battled leukaemia, he founded a cancer foundation that researches cancer and helps children’s hospitals.
In 2020, Reeves also volunteered at Camp Rainbow Gold, which is a children’s cancer charity in Idaho.
Keanu Reeves Net Worth Quotes
“You have to change your life if you’re not happy, and wake up if things aren’t going the way you want.”
“The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.”
“Falling in love and having a relationship are two different things.”
“It’s always wonderful to get to know women, with the mystery and the joy and the depth. If you can make a woman laugh, you’re seeing the most beautiful thing on God’s Earth.”
“Art is about trying to find the good in people, and making the world a more compassionate place.”
“Money doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve made a lot of money, but I want to enjoy life and not stress myself building my bank account. I give lots away and live simply, mostly out of a suitcase in hotels. We all know that good health is much more important.”
“Nothing ever truly died. The universe wastes nothing, everything is simply transformed.”
“I always felt a bit alone and isolated from other people… I did a lot of pretending as a child. It was my way of coping with the fact that I didn’t feel like I fit in.”
Summary: Keanu Reeves Net Worth 2021
- Keanu Reeves had a somewhat disrupted childhood with many country moves and his mother’s numerous marriages.
- Reeves wasn’t the best student academically; he attended four different high schools and was even expelled from one. He left at 17 and didn’t graduate.
- Reeves landed a fair few bit parts before making it big. Even when he had successful films under his belt, he still tried his hand at more risky titles, and many were a flop.
- As well as his acting, Keanu Reeves formed a band and played the bass guitar.
- Keanu Reeves net worth is largely down to his big films like Speed and The Matrix franchise. The latest instalment of the latter is due to be released in December 2021.
- Reeves keeps his personal life quite private. He has suffered many a tragedy including the stillbirth of his only child and her mother’s subsequent death. He is currently dating Alexandra Grant.
- Keanu Reeves gives away a lot of his money and is involved in charity and voluntary work.
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