Keanu Charles Reeves, born on September 2, 1964 is a Canadian actor. Reeves is known for his roles
in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and The Matrix trilogy as Neo. He has collaborated with major
directors such as Stephen Frears (in
the 1988 period drama Dangerous Liaisons);
Gus Van Sant (in the 1991independent film My Own Private Idaho);
and Bernardo Bertolucci (in the
1993 film Little Buddha).
Referring to his 1991 film releases, The New York Times' critic, Janet
Maslin, praised Reeves' versatility, saying that he "displays considerable
discipline and range. He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that
suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic
roles."
A repeated theme in roles he has portrayed is that of saving the world, including
the characters of Ted Logan, Buddha, neo,
Johnny Mnemonic, John Constantine and Klaatu.
In
addition to his film roles, Reeves has acted in theatre. His performance in the
title role for Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production
of Hamlet was praised by Roger Lewis of The
Sundat Times, who declared Reeves
"one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet. On January 31, 2005, Reeves
received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A
multifaceted artist, Reeves worked with illustrator Alexandra Grant to author a book, Ode to Happiness. He has also
produced a documentary, Side by Side; and
directed the film Man of Tai Chi.
