The Canadian actor Keanu Reeves turns 60 this Monday (2). Born in Lebanon, he shone in the cinemas as Neo in “Matrix” a science fiction novel by sisters Lilly and Lana Wachowski that conquered the world.
At the age of five, Reeves and his mother moved to Canada, where the actor grew up. It was also through her that he was introduced to the world of art, as she worked as a costume designer for names such as Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and David Bowie.
He studied theater when he was young and, in 1986, at the age of 22, he arrived in Hollywood to try his hand at acting. There, he sought out his former stepfather, director Paul Aaron, who helped him get his first roles. At first, Keanu Reeves made films and series about youth until he exploded into stardom with “Speed,” a film he starred in alongside Sandra Bullock, released in 1994.
In the film, directed by Jan de Bont (“Twister” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life”), he played a police officer tasked with stopping a speeding bus that would trigger a bomb and explode in the air if it slowed down. Despite its success, he refused to participate in the sequel, which focused on an ocean liner instead of the bus, because he didn’t like the script.
He then went on to star in The Devil’s Advocate, Chain Reaction, A Walk on Clouds and Johnny Mnemonic before starring in the first film in the Matrix franchise. The plot follows Neo (Reeves), a computer hacker who is drafted into a cyber-intelligence rebellion after discovering that humanity is trapped inside a simulated reality.
In addition to the first film, released in 1999, the franchise gained three more films (“Matrix Reloaded” and “Matrix Revolutions” from 2003; and “Matrix Resurrections” from 2021), as well as an animated mini-series (“Animatrix”, from 2003).
Another big highlight was the “John Wick” franchise, in which he plays a murderer with a thirst for revenge. So far, four films have been released. Keanu Reeves has also starred in other films, such as “The Longest Ride” in 2006 and “The Lake House” in 2016.
This content was originally published in Keanu Reeves’ 60th birthday: remember the career of the “Matrix” star on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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