Biographic - Sunday February 26, 2006 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

His credits span Shakespeare to Sci-Fi, airhead to action hero... he is one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood, yet retains his Canadian citizenship... he has even been known to put his acting career on Hiatus to play bass in rockband! The enigmatic Keanu Reeves may well be the most unpredictable star in Hollywood! Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Bierut, Lebanon on September 2, 1964. After his parents split up, he moved to New York with his mother and sister, eventually settling in Toronto, Canada. Keanu dropped out of school at 17 to pursue an acting career. Stage work and appearances in a number of small film and television productions led to a role in the 1986 Rob Lowe movie "YoungBlood" Keanu then left Canada for Hollywood, where his star soon began to rise. Credits ranged from his critically acclaimed performance in "River's Edge" to the role of Jack-Be-Nimble opposite Drew Barrymore in "Babes In Toyland." His commercial breakthrough came with the 1989's Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." Over the next few years, Keanu would struggle to shake off the airhead dude persona of Ted Logan, despite roles as diverse as a surfing FBI agent in "Point Break" the hustling Scott in "My Own Private Idaho" Don John in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" and Prince Siddhartha in "Little Buddha" in 1994, he starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the blockbuster hit "Speed" He followed up with the movies such as "Johnny Mnemonic" "A Walk In The Clouds" and "The Devil's Advocate" in which he starred opposite Al Pacino. In 1999, he struck box office gold once more when he starred as Neo in the sci-fi smash "The Matrix" the movie took in more than $450 million worldwide and spawned two hit sequels. Despite hits superstar status. He has continued to make eclectic choices, appearing in relatively minor roles in the likes of "Thumbsucker" and "Something's Gotta Give" exhibiting the same independent streak that early in his career saw him turn down the lead in "Platoon" and later declined to star in the sequel to "Speed"

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