As a self-proclaimed introvert, Keanu Reeves has always been one of those people who talk only when they absolutely have to, but in his case, it’s always the most profound and thought-provoking words that come out of his mouth.
While Keanu was already a reliable actor before 1999’s The Matrix, the iconic sci-fi franchise cemented his name as a big star in the movie industry. He portrayed a number of unique characters after Neo, some of them becoming great hits, while others turned out to be sour misses. Of course, it wasn’t until the premiere of John Wick in 2014 that Keanu reminded the world of his true strength as an action hero. The star has continued that streak with sequel installments, and most recently, with The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth entry in the saga, which takes up the story after nearly 20 years.
But back to Keanu and his raw charismatic force. I still remember that one time the actor appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when the host jokingly asked him about what happens to us when we die. Reeves took a moment to collect his thoughts and said in all seriousness, “I know that the ones who love us will miss us,” eliciting gasps from the audience.
Now, the actor has once again utilized his wonderful sense of speech to describe why he loves acting so much. In a recent chat with The Drew Barrymore Show, which you can check out below, Keanu had the following to say about his career:
“Acting. My mom says I declared I wanted to be an actor when I was 15 and why would that person ask or say that. I recall when acting in school or doing Shakespeare – that sense of being free was play. It was fun. Make believe, but reality, connection, a group, collaboration… it’s shared. You commune, you tell a story. I love stories. Stories help us contextualize the world. I love what happens after someone says action. Then we begin – we’re in the moment. It’s fun. So I’m really grateful to be able to earn a living and try and have a career with something I love.”
Being able to build a career out of what you love is the dream, and we’re more than glad to hear that Keanu Reeves has managed to achieve that. Even if for nothing other than the fact that he’ll continue to bestow us with many praiseworthy performances for years to come.