Everyone loves a wholesome little story. With everything that has been going on, these stories are more important than they ever have been. They help us to get through these weird times. With Peak of the Week, I am hoping we can provide some nice stories to help keep us all going.
Known by many as the chillest guy in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves has been a mainstay in cinema since his first emerging role in 1985. It almost seems too obvious to put him in an article like this – all you had to do was use the internet at any point during 2019 to see the culture develop a less-than-subtle, complete adoration for the man. CDPR’s Cyberpunk 2077 and their reveal of Reeves as a motion-captured character in game lit the fire for this reverence to really take off, with his off-the-cuff “You’re breath-taking” buzzword making a home for itself on many a social media feed.
It's exactly this relaxed demeanour that many people took to. Anytime he takes part in press releases or interviews, introverted or not, he always comes across as a likeable character, and for the most part, his candid manner of speaking endears himself to people. You need only watch his appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Coulter in 2019 to see this; “I know that the ones who love us will miss us” was his reply when asked about what happens after death, presenting an entirely localised outlook on life. Without a response of grandeur, he inadvertently reveals what he finds most important to him, an answer that says a lot about his authentic spirit.
This sincerity is something we’ve seen numerous times from Reeves throughout the years. In 2009, it was revealed that he had set up a foundation to aid children’s hospitals and cancer research, which had then been running quietly for five or six years. He mentioned this in a Ladies Home Journal from 2009, and included that he “doesn’t like to attach (his) name to it, just let the foundation do what it does”. This is something he has continued to do year after year. And it isn’t uncharacteristic for him – he also reportedly donated 70% of his earnings from The Matrix to cancer research.
Nobody seems to really have a bad word to say about him. Whether it’s his respecting of fan’s personal space when taking photos, or his refusal to be defined by a tragic early life, Keanu Reeves is a human as genuine as they come.