Draft:Public image and cultural impact of Keanu Reeves



Canadian actor, musician, and comic book writer Keanu Reeves has been a subject of extensive mass media coverage and widespread public interest. Many have opined Reeves as one of the most prominent actors and humanitarians in modern times, and his behaviour has made him considered as one of the most well–regarded public figures in recent history. Although he considers himself a "private person", his actions and appearances at public events have sparked internet memes, virality, and fan fanaticism. Despite not having or using social media, Reeves is considered a staple of modern internet culture, and has garnered the moniker of "The Internet's Boyfriend".

Generally regarded by numerous outlets as one of Hollywood's most acclaimed and beloved actors, Reeves's interactions, particularly with fans at public and private events, have incited massive internet popularity and several periods of extensive media attention. Despite personally downplaying the global attention that his personal conduct garners, Reeves's actions have had a profound effect on public opinion and popular culture, and his work ethic in the film industry and philosophical musings have drawn significant media coverage over the last few decades.

In Hollywood
In a 2005 article for Time magazine, Lev Grossman called Reeves "Hollywood's ultimate introvert". He has been described as a workaholic, charming and "excruciatingly shy". During the production of Constantine (2005), director Francis Lawrence commented on his personality, calling him "hardworking" and "generous". His co–star Shia LaBeouf said, "I've worked with him for a year and a couple of months, but I don't really know him that much". Erwin Stoff of 3 Arts Entertainment has served as Reeves's agent and manager since he was 16, and produced many of his films. Stoff said Reeves "is a really private person" and keeps his distance from other people. While filming their movie Speed (1994), when Sandra Bullock remarked of her experiences with Reeves in a 2021 interview with Esquire, she highlighted a conversation when they were talking about champagne and truffles, Bullock remarked that she had never had them. A few days later, Reeves arrived at her house with flowers on his motorcycle. Reeves said to her, "I just thought you might want to try champagne and truffles, to see what it's like." Bullock remarked of the experience, "He's a listener, and it drives. People. Crazy." In 2023, Reeves's frequent collaborator Laurence Fishburne remarked on him, "He’s kinder, yeah. He’s much kinder than people say he is. He’s a very gentle, highly intelligent man. Really thoughtful and gifted and incredibly patient. Yeah, he has a lot of grace, Keanu." In his earlier years as an actor, Reeves was known for taking "massive" pay cuts in order for more well-known and expensive actors to star alongside him in films, with Reeves forgoing a "hefty" sum of money in order for Al Pacino to appear in The Devil's Advocate (1997), and later reportedly giving up "90%" of his earnings for The Replacements (2000) so Gene Hackman could star. Reeves is also known to assist production workers on set in his films.

Reeves's work in Hollywood has been punctuated by acts of generosity towards his crews, stunt teams, and staffing personnel. During production on The Matrix (1999), Reeves heard that a crew member was having "family trouble", and elected to gift the man 20,000 dollars to help him with his finances. Reeves was also said to have given up "points" that pay an actor after a film has been released for The Matrix in order for the special effects and costume departments to have all the resources they needed "to make the best film possible". As a wrap gift for the twelve-person stunt team of The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Reeves purchased Harley-Davidson motorcycles for each of the members, saying of the gifts, "I just wanted... to give a bigger thank–you to all these guys who helped me make this". In 2023, it was reported that after the filming of John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) wrapped, Reeves presented his personal stunt team with engraved custom Rolex Submariner watches, and bought the larger Chapter 4 stunt crews each personalized T-shirts indicating how many times that the various extras they portrayed "died" in the film.

In the media
In the media, Reeves is characterized as being gracious, kind, and hardworking. Screen Rant assessed that Reeves is "commonly considered one of the kindest, most thoughtful actors in Hollywood". Vox calls Reeves "a perfect action star". Virgin Radio UK declared Reeves "possibly the best man in Hollywood". The New Yorker opined that Reeves "is too good for this world". The South China Morning Post hailed Reeves as "charmingly modest" and "a really, really good person." The Independent's Indy100 column called Reeves "completely adorable" and "just plain nice". Time dubbed Reeves as the "master of the fan encounter". Sky News reported that Reeves is often considered the "nicest man in Hollywood".

Reeves has drawn praise due to his "open" and "honest" interactions with fans. Reeves made headlines in 2015 for giving up his seat on a Brooklyn–bound Q Express train to a woman carrying a heavy bag. Business Insider calls this the beginning of many of Reeves's actions to "go viral". In June 2019, after it was noticed that Reeves chooses not to place his hands on women while taking photos, many called Reeves a "respectful king" and praised him for being "considerate and respectful." Virgin Radio UK reported that upon being requested by a fan whose 80–year old grandmother "loves [him] and has seen all of [his] movies", Reeves made a phone call to the woman. He reportedly spent "several minutes" speaking with her, showing "genuine kindness and interest" in his words with her. Virgin Radio commented that the interaction showed "what a truly amazing man he is". HuffPost reported that in a 2019 interview for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum when Reeves was asked about his thoughts on being "described as the nicest guy in the world", he responded, "Oh, that’s ridiculous. Anyway, it’s nice to hear but it’s not true. It’s nice to hear."

In March 2019, Reeves went viral after his United Airlines flight to Burbank, California was grounded in Bakersfield. Taking initiative in arranging alternate travel plans, Reeves boarded a travel van with the other passengers. Reeves read fun facts from his phone about Bakersfield to the passengers, and later used YouTube to play them 1950s American country music that was native to the town. Time's Cady Lang said of the events, "One thing’s for certain after this eventful trip: if you’re looking for a road trip buddy, Keanu Reeves should be on the top of your list."

Reeves caught media attention in May 2019 from a clip of his guest episode on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. When Colbert asked, "What happens when we die, Keanu Reeves?", Reeves paused, then answered, "I know that the ones who love us will miss us." The response incited an emotional reaction from the audience, and Colbert shook Reeves's hand before wrapping up the show. Vice's River Donaghey declared that "Keanu is my new religion" in response to the clip, and called the moment "transcendent". The New Yorker called it "a response so wise, so genuinely thoughtful, that it seemed like a rebuke to the usual canned blather of late–night television," and staff writer Naomi Fry recounted, "I felt like I was standing alone in a rock garden, having a koan whispered into my ear" after watching the viral clip on Twitter.

Reeves gained traction in July 2019 for a fan interaction during principal photography of Bill & Ted Face the Music. When a sixteen year-old boy learned that Reeves would be in his town of Slidell, Louisiana for the project, he had his mother create a "You're Breathtaking!" sign in honor of Reeves for him to display on the family's front lawn. A few hours later, Reeves and screenwriter Ed Solomon spotted the sign whilst driving by the area, and Reeves stopped to sign it, writing "Stacey, you’re breathtaking!" Reeves then chatted with the family and took photos with them. Business Insider reported that fans were quick to praise the actor in response to the story, calling him "good guy Keanu" and lauding him as "the best human on the planet."

In an interview with The Graham Norton Show, Academy Award–winning actress Octavia Spencer recalled that early in her career, when her car broke down in Beverly Hills on the way to an audition, Reeves was the only passerby to offer any assistance, which Spencer attributed to the state that her car was in, "my car was so dirty – I had been parking my car underneath a tree so birds were just having a field day all over my car and I never washed [it]". Spencer felt "mortified" that Reeves had to touch her dirty car, yet Reeves helped her regardless. Nina Starner of Looper said "you can't help but root for [Reeves]" in reaction to the story.

In August 2022, Reeves went viral for attending a fan's wedding in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. James and Nikki Roadnight saw Reeves at a bar at Fawsley Hall Hotel shortly before their marriage ceremony and started to chat with him, with Reeves congratulating the couple on their marriage. Later, after James had secretly asked Reeves to meet Nikki during the wedding, he turned up during the ceremony. Nikki described Reeves as "a genuinely kind guy" and "relaxed and down to earth" during the wedding, and he participated in a photoshoot with the family.

At John Wick: Chapter 4's SXSW premiere, Variety reported that Reeves had received an impromptu marriage proposal from a woman in the audience who shouted, "I’ll marry you!" after Reeves answered a question. He responded, "Yeah, be careful what you wish for." One of the magazine's reporters, Adam B. Vary, recalled that Reeves's answer for his favorite moment in the movie "elicited a chorus of 'awwwws' from the audience".

A interaction between Reeves and a young fan in October 2023 gained significant media attention. A young fan named Elijah approached Reeves before his band played a concert in Houston, asking if Reeves would play catch with him. Reeves obliged, with a game ensuing between the two. Calling the game “the top moment" of his life, Elijah stated his intent to keep the football "forever and ever". Oliver Browning of The Independent called the interaction "a wholesome moment" for Reeves.

On the internet
In 2010, an image of Reeves became an internet meme after photographs of him were published, sitting on a park bench with a sad facial expression. The images were posted on the 4chan discussion board and were soon distributed via several blogs and media outlets, leading to the "Sad Keanu" meme being spread on the internet. An unofficial holiday was created when a Facebook fan page declared June 15 as "Cheer-up Keanu Day". He would later downplay the photo, saying, "Man, I was eating a sandwich. I was thinking — I had some stuff going on. I was hungry."



In 2019, Reeves experienced a surge of popularity on the internet due to making an appearance at the E3 2019 Expo in support of his then–forthcoming video game, Cyberpunk 2077 for CD Projekt Red. With Reeves describing his experiences in the game as "breathtaking" to the audience, a fan quipped back at him, "You're breathtaking!". Reeves responded back, addressing the crowd with the now-famous line "You're breathtaking! You're all breathtaking!". Soon after, many viewers on the internet took notice of Reeves's personal conduct, with Reeves earning the title of "The Internet's Boyfriend", and colloquially coming to be associated with kindness and amicability. Among numerous stories of interactions with Reeves, many have achieved viral status. One such story, as reported by Business Insider, James Dator, a producer for SBNation recalled an experience in his youth with Reeves at his movie theatre job in 2001. Dator noticed a man on a motorcycle, who he determined to be Reeves, and attempted to give him his employee discount, recounting "I'm so f---ing star struck [by Reeves]." Reeves initially declined on the basis he was not an employee, but returned with a receipt for an ice cream cone with his signature, telling Dator, "I realized you probably wanted my autograph, so I signed this." Dator later realized that Reeves "bought an ice cream cone he didn't want, just to get receipt paper so he could scribble his autograph for a 16-year–old idiot." Insider called the story "heartwarming", and People declared it "one of the sweetest stories ever". Reeves continued this viral streak in 2022, with Sky News reporting on another interaction between Reeves and a boy at a New York airport following a flight from London, England. TV producer Andrew Kimmel documented the boy asking Reeves for his autograph and a "series of rapid–fire questions", with Kimmel reporting that Reeves "happily responded to every single one", and that he exchanged questions of his own. Kimmel asserted that "little moments like this can make such a difference in people's lives". Today called the story "adorable" and "heartwarming".

Attending the New York City premiere of John Wick: Chapter 4, Reeves was asked by People about his thoughts on having the title of "The Internet's Boyfriend". Reeves responded, "I really appreciate the goodwill." Speaking to ET Canada on the title, Reeves said, "Humility. I don’t know. I mean, I’m just an actor, I’m just a guy. I’m just trying to do the best I can. Hopefully people like what I do, you know?"

In late January 2024, Reeves was spotted on the set of the upcoming movie Good Fortune with crutches and an ice pack on his left knee. At the time, it was unclear if the medical paraphernalia was worn as either part of his role or for the treatment of an actual injury, and days later, Reeves was seen standing on set without assistance. Nonetheless, the images of Reeves posted online prompted viral reactions from fans, causing the hashtag #GetWellSoonKeanu to trend on X (formerly known as Twitter).

A conspiracy theory exists that Reeves is "secretly immortal", and a website dedicated to the conspiracy is maintained. The conspiracy claims that Reeves has lived throughout the last millenia under the identities of several historical figures, including Charlemagne and French actor Paul Mounet. This conspiracy came to further media prominence in 2017 when Reeves was asked by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show about the conspiracy. Reeves addressed the perceived resemblance with Charlemagne, admitting, "We have a likeness in the eyes. And the nose and the mustache and the beard and the cheekbones and the forehead." When asked in a Q&A event for John Wick: Chapter 4 "if he ever ages", Reeves responded, "Yeah man, I age. I really – I age. It's happening, man."

VG247 opined that "loving Keanu" was intrinsic to the internet etiquette, claiming that "you're at risk of violating the rules of the internet" if one does not. In 2019, a false report by a Malaysian website that claimed Reeves admitted to being lonely gained traction on Twitter, inciting a massive public response. Naomi Fry of The New Yorker called it a "collective shriek of longing" and an "outpouring of horny sympathy" for the actor. In a 2023 AmA on Reddit, Reeves was asked by a user, "What drives you to be so compassionate?" Reeves responded, "We die...and we all need all the help we can get." Another user asked, "If aliens came to Earth, would you accept the responsibility of being the first to contact them?" Reeves responded, "Heck yea. How’s it going? How was your trip? You hungry? Want anything to drink?" In a 2023 update to the Reeves-starring video game Cyberpunk 2077, Reeves's "Sad Keanu" meme was added to the game's subway system, with his character Johnny Silverhand sitting dejectedly next to a flock of virtual pigeons during rides. In March 2024, amidst troubles finding employment as a free agent, baseball player Joey Votto posted a photo of himself on social media recreating the "Sad Keanu" meme. Started in 2018, a website dedicated to chronicling every time Reeves has spoken the word "whoa" in his film career was created by web developer Avi Mamenko in honor of Reeves.