As one of the most iconic actors of his generation, Keanu Reeves has played everyone from Neo in The Matrix to John Wick in the famous Hollywood action series. He also has a hand in other media properties, such as his role in the popular (if controversial) video game release Cyberpunk. Part of his long-term appeal, though, has been the intriguing personality that puts him at odds with typical celebrity culture. What, though, makes him so endearing?
He hails from a Hawaiian background
We typically associate people from Hawaii with the kind of relaxing, energizing people we all love to spend time around. Keanu Reeves is a Hawaiian name, to an extent. His father, a native of Hawaii, chose his forename for this reason. Reeves, a surname, is also partially native to the island of Hawaii. If you want to know why Keanu seems to be so cool all the time, this might partially explain why!
He has lived a very multicultural life
Some celebrities can come across as detached from reality, especially if they grew up in plush surroundings and the like. Reeves, though, spent much of his life moving around. He has lived in places as diverse as Beirut, Australia, New York, and Toronto. He is someone who has managed to take that multicultural upbringing and use it to better understand the world from a better perspective than many of his contemporaries.
He isn’t someone who came through illustrious education
It can be especially hard to connect with actors and actresses who have come through elite acting schools. Reeves, though, dropped out of school to pursue acting and, for a while, worked in a pizza restaurant eventually becoming a manager. Far from the kind of actor who fell into the role through elite, highly-paid training, it was his natural aura and desire to make it big in acting that propelled his success.
He is a former musician
Reeves has a talent that goes beyond simply being a fantastic actor. He also took part in popular grunge back in the 1990s, which opened for Bon Jovi in a gig in 1995. He traveled with the band for some time before eventually making it big in the acting game. To this day, though, Reeves still enjoys music and has a far more meaningful understanding of music as art than many of his fellow actors and actresses.