The internet celebrates Keanu Reeves’ 55th birthday
Canadian actor Keanu Reeves, the internet’s
boyfriend, celebrates his 55th birthday today and the world is showering the
modest Hollywood A-lister with love and praise.
From his meteoric rise after headlining action-thriller Speed, the simulation destroying fame he gained after The Matrix franchise – to his current exploits as the world’s most infamous, deadliest assassin in John Wick – Reeves has certainly made a name for himself.
But more impressively is the Canadian’s
unassuming personality – revealing a warm, kind and caring soul, who donates
much of his fortunes to charity and cherishes a frugal life away from the
camera.
BUZZ joins the world in celebrating Keanu Reeves; the man, his work and his impact so far with some interesting facts:
Early life
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[naviga:li]Born to a British costume designer and an absentee American father, Keanu Charles Reeves entered the world on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]In Hawaiian, his first name means “cool breeze over the mountains”.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]Reeves began his acting career at the age of nine, appearing in a theatre production of Damn Yankees. Six years later, at 15, young Keanu played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre in North York, Ontario.[/naviga:li]
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A new start in America
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[naviga:li]When he was 20-years-old, after dropping out of high school at 17, Reeves obtained a green card through his American stepfather and moved to Los Angeles.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]Keanu personally has no social media profiles – not even on the three most popular platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]Though he is entitled to British citizenship through his mother, Reeves holds Canadian citizenship by naturalization and identifies as such.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]Keanu is left-handed.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]An avid motorcyclist, Reeves co-founded Arch Motorcycle Company, which builds and sells custom motorcycles.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]Despite his very stoic demeanour, Keanu is a voracious reader and fiercely intelligent.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]For an actor worth US$350 million, Reeves waited until 40 to buy his first property, a four-bedroom, $4.5 million Hollywood Hills home.[/naviga:li]
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View this post on Instagram “It’s cool to be part of the tradition of the American motorcycle in Los Angeles, California.” ARCH co-founder Keanu Reeves (with business partner Gard Hollinger) as told to @KristaSmith @vanityfair vnty.fr/1MtRySc. Link in bio as well. Photo Credit: @emilywinikerphotography #ARCH #krgt1 #motorcycle #design #bespoke #vanityfair #photo #slideshowA post shared by ARCH Motorcycle (@archmotorcycle) on Aug 17, 2015 at 2:20pm PDT
Keanu: A man with much happy with very little
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[naviga:li]In a 2012 interview, Reeves was quoted as saying, “Money doesn’t mean anything to me. I give lots away and live simply. We all know that good health is much more important.”[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]After watching his sister, Kim, undergo a decade-long battle with leukemia, Reeves quietly founded a private cancer foundation. When he set up the cancer charity, Keanu chose not to attach his name to the organisation.[/naviga:li]
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[naviga:li]The 55-year-old has also supported animal welfare organisation PETA, the SickKids Foundation, and Stand Up to Cancer.[/naviga:li]
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Happy birthday, Keanu!