Keanu Reeves in the media

Canadian actor, musician, and comic book writer Keanu Reeves's presence in the media has been a subject of notability. Many have opined Reeves as one of the most prominent actors and humanitarians in modern history, 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".

In Hollywood[edit]

In a 2005 article for Time magazine, Lev Grossman called Reeves "Hollywood's ultimate introvert".^[1] He has been described as a workaholic, charming and "excruciatingly shy". During the production of Constantine, 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".^[1] 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.^[1][2] 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."^[3] In his early days 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 Pachino 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.^[4] Reeves is also known to assist production workers on set in his films.^[5]

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.^[5] Reeves was also said to have given up "points" that pay an actor after a film has been released for the film in order for the special effects and costume departments to have all the resources they needed "to make the best film possible".^[6] As a wrap gift for the stunt team of The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Reeves purchased twelve Harley-Davidson Motorcycles for the entire team.^[7] 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.^[7]

In the media[edit]

In the media, Reeves is viewed as being generous, kind, and hardworking. Screen Rant assessed that Reeves is "commonly considered one of the kindest, most thoughtful actors in Hollywood".^[7] Vox calls Reeves "a perfect action star".^[8] Virgin Radio UK called Reeves "possibly the best man in Hollywood".^[9] The New Yorker opined that Reeves "is too good for this world".^[10]

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".^[11] 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."^[11] 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".^[9]

Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer recalled that early in her career, when her car broke down 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, but Reeves helped regardless.^[6]

In March 2019, Reeves again went viral when his and many other passengers plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Bakersfield, CA, Reeves took initiative in arranging alternate travel plans for his fellow passengers. Reeves read fun facts about Bakersfield to the passengers, and used his phone and YouTube to play them a selection of Bakersfield country music that was native to Bakersfield from the 1950s.^[7] Time's Cady Lang opined 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."^[12]

At ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ 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.^[13]

A interaction between Reeves and a young fan in October 2023 gained significant media attention.^[14][15] 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".^[14] Oliver Browning of The Independent called the interaction "a wholesome moment" for Reeves.^[16]

On the internet[edit]

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".^[17][18] 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."^[19]

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.^[20] 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 all breathtaking!".^[21] Soon after, many viewers on the internet took notice of Reeves' personal conduct, with Reeves earning the title of "The Internet's Boyfriend", and colloquially coming to be associated with kindness and amicability.^[10][11][5]

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."^[3] 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?" ^[3]

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.^[22][23] Nonetheless, the images of Reeves posted online prompted viral reactions from fans, causing the hashtag #GetWellSoonKeanu to trend on X (formerly known as Twitter).^[24][25]

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.^[26] A conspiracy theory exists that Reeves is "secretly immortal", and a website dedicated to the conspiracy is maintained.^[27]

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