The Matrix and John Wick star Keanu Reeves celebrates his 56th birthday today, September 2nd, 2020. The occasion was marked by well-wishes from fans and many of the companies that worked with Reeves over the course of his career.
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1964, Reeves and his mother moved around the world after his father abandoned his family when Reeves was three years old. In the early '70s, Reeves and his mother moved to Toronto, Canada, where he grew up before moving to Los Angeles in his early 20s. Over the course of the '80s, Reeves appeared in multiple projects but his career breakthrough arguably came through his role in 1989's Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Reeves' performance as Ted Logan opposite Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures was followed by notable roles in films including My Own Private Idaho, Point Break, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Speed. The star power of Reeves arguably reached its greatest heights after he starred as Neo in TheMatrix, the groundbreaking science fiction film directed by the Wachowski's that spawned two sequels and a third currently in production. Although Reeves' career suffered a setback in the mid-2000s to early 2010s following a series of commercial flops, his role as the titular hitman in 2014's John Wick marked the beginning of a career resurgence the internet dubbed the "Keanussance."Â
As Reeves celebrated his 56th birthday, many of the companies who collaborated with him over the years, including Lionsgate UK, Netflix, and Criterion, sent the actor messages on social media to mark the special occasion. The account for Hockey Night in Canada even paid tribute to Reeves' first role in a feature film by sharing a photo of him as Heaver in Youngbloods.
At 56, Reeves is showing no signs of slowing down. A third chapter of the Bill and Ted film series was released in select theaters and VOD in late August to acclaim while production on The Matrix 4 has resumed following a five-month shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reeves will also reprise his role as the eponymous hitman in at least two more John Wick films, which are set to film back-to-back.
Of course, a generation of internet users knows that Reeves is famous for more than just his onscreen roles. During an appearance at the Microsoft Xbox E3 2019 press conference to promote Cyberpunk 2077, Reeves became the subject of many memes after shouting, "you're breathtaking," to an attendee who paid him the same compliment.
The incident would be just one of multiple "meme-worthy" moments that made Reeves a popular subject on social media. Considering his reputation as an affable man, it might be fair to assume Reeves will continue to endear himself towards fans for many years to come.
The Matrix 4 is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 1, 2022.
Source: Lionsgate, Netflix, Hockey Night in Canada, Criterion, John Wick/Twitter, Bill and Ted/Twitter