The Always Changing Career of Keanu Reeves 

What's your favorite Keanu movie? Get Nebula and CuriosityStream here: curiositystream.com/captainmidnight

Keanu Reeves, he gets written off because of his famous and infamous range of roles, and has suffered throught a lot of tragedy, but man, the guy not only loves work and help others. He's both a hard working actor, and yet the most approachable person you could meet. Man's a treasure and doesn't wanna see himself as one, well he's a king no matter what. (Plus, over the year, my mom told me she's been in love with him since the late 80's, which makes sense in hindsight, she always watched his stuff no matter what lol.)

I remember that period of time where a lot people wrote him off, and I'm glad he gotten a lot more appreciation now.

I do think it's worth mentioning that this latest Keanu Reeves renaissance, Keanaissance, Reevaissance, whatever you want to call it, is due to just him as a person. I can't think of another celebrity who is as humble and down to earth as Keanu. He takes pay cuts so other cat and crew can get paid more, he donates millions of dollars to children's hospitals, he takes public transportation, he never thinks of himself as better than anyone else. He just comes across as a genuinely good person, and it just makes everyone love him, no matter the role he takes.

His performance as Johnny Silverhand made him my favorite character in Cyberpunk 2077. He carried the game, despite there being so many technical problems right now.

*Keanu Reeves is a national treasure*

You say that in Point Break he plays a “hot shot cop”; he wasn’t a cop, to quote his character: “I AM AN F...B...I...AGENT!!!”

Keanu Reeves (whose first name means "cool breeze over the mountains") is of Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Chinese descent. He was born in Beirut and raised in Australia til he was 7, then Toronto. He is not actually a Buddhist.

I’m sorry but I loved Keanu’s cameo in Always be my maybe, it was funny and it seemed like he wasn’t taking himself at all too seriously and almost making fun of his fame

“Point Break” is the original “Fast and Furious”.

I love this actor. He's my favourite! He's really charismatic actor and also a good simple person. I never thought that Keanu Reeves would be so appreciated and loved and I'm glad that this is happening. Each new project with him is like a holiday.

This video is BREATHTAKING

Man, The Matrix is such a feat on every level. From casting, to execution of special effects, choreo - what a gem of a film. The stars absolutely aligned and the Wachowskis talent really shines through. It's no wonder they haven't been able to hit that high since.

I think Keanu's cameo in Always Be My Maybe was so funny because that character was so polar opposite of him in real life. I have a friend who worked with him on a set once; he has nothing but heaps of praise and admiration for Keanu. And this is a jaded Hollywood jerk of a guy.

When you realize Keanu all his years of acting is always named Johnny in films and games

We've all known Keanu since the Matrix trilogy or the Bill and Ted movie. Not just John Wick or Cyberpunk 2077...

Keanu Reeves is such an upstanding, generous, and great guy. May he live long and always be happy.

Reeves is fantastic in Cyberpunk. Johnny starts out antagonistic and, depending on how you interact with him, he gradually reveals her better nature.

Silverhand is an amazing character and shows Keanu's range as an actor really well, no wonder he had so much fun mocaping and voice acting for the game and character

"Call me Sage. I'm made of sage, and I am a sage."

fun fact about keanu reeves, he was a really good hockey goalie in high school (his nickname was "the wall") and thought about pursuing that and getting onto canada's olympic team before he decided to pursue acting instead. there's nothing more canadian than that

A Scanner Darkly is easily Keanu's most underrated hit. I've read the novel twice and I still think the film manages to surpass the source material, which is rare. A large part of it, for me, is the absolutely star studded cast giving truly great performances, but also the cell shading. It's a strange stylistic choice but I thought it perfectly captured the muddled state of mind the protagonist of the book suffers from. Keanu really shows the descent of the character in so many small and subtle ways I absolutely bought everything about that movie including all the weird premises carried over from the book. I honestly think that film deserves far more credit and attention because it's a terrific adaptation of a great author with a crazy strong cast to boot.

I was born in 82 and Keanu Reeves has been my Only celebrity crush since I can remember... One of my favorite movies he’s in is Johnny Pneumonic and The Watcher ... Of course I love Speed and Constantine... Well I love too many to list

Keanu is a rare example of someone who becomes a better person, and gets better at their job the more famous they get.

I will tell you straight up. Keanu's role as Johnny Silverhand is probably one of the best showing of an actor playing a Video game character because as you mentions he doesn't care that he isn't the big spotlight. Couldn't have asked for a better silverhand so far

Keanu fkn kills it in cyberpunk. At first i thought the voice was a little cheesy but he just murders the delivery. Sometimes has me dying of laughter.

16:46 It makes me very happy to hear how well liked he is behind the scenes. And you're right, it's less common than it should be. If you like a celebrity (for their music/acting etc etc) it's an overwhelming feeling of validation to know that they are exceptional human being outside of their craft as well.

The thing i love most about Keanu is that, he is just really earnest and well liked by people. And that most of his characters are named John 🤭

So many of his characters are named "John", "Johnny" or "Jonathan". Ha! Even "Jack" is a form of "John".

The dude is an artist. All artists have ups and downs but the stick true to what they do, no matter what critique.

Hey I love these career breakdowns do you think you could add some actresses to the series? I think looking at Someone like Toni Colette or Frances McDormand could be super interesting

In response to the thumbnail, he's a really down to earth positive person

It’s so relieving that Johnny is his own character in cyberpunk and honestly I sometimes even forget it’s Keanu and talk as V, to Johnny, which is more than so many modern rpg’s can do (yeah I know it’s buggy but I was lucky enough to get a series x so it’s pretty playable for me)

Always a pleasure to hear the "captain midnight!"

I thought The Matrix was his best.....then John Wick came out. the action is leagues ahead of anyone else. When you know guns...you know. The reloading, handling, firing...awesome.

A Scanner Darkly is just about my favorite movie. I hate picking favorites in any regard, but when I think about that question, my mind inevitably reaches back to that film. And I have never watched it and regretted it.

YOU'RE BREATHTAKING!

i will forever miss his and river pheonix's friendship and dynamic. keanu went through a lot with losing him, and with his ex. he often says he's hesitant of his 'kind' persona, as he's just a normal guy - and i think that shows fundamentally who he is. a gift, really.

Keanu Reeves is such a precious human 🥺

His role in Cyberpunk is actually really good, he does a great job and the character is interesting.

My intro to Keanu Reeves was Bill and Ted, but my real intro to Keanu as a movie star was Speed.

Now knowing he had a band makes his Johnny Silverhand role more authentic.

Reeves was fantastic as Johnny Silverhand. So much so that you should absolutely make a mini video in addendum to this one.

So glad you brought up A Scanner Darkly. Keanu, Woody, Winona and RDJ all kill it and when reading the book, all I could see was them. Excellent video, thanks Captain Midnight!

"The day the earth stood still" was my favourite movie with Keanu Reeves. He was perfect in it.

What makes Keanu Reeves special is that he doesn't fit into a typical role with his acting and he is fine taking on any role as long as it's interesting

DUDE how did you not mention Man of Tai Chi? He not only gives a great performance as the villain but also directed it. I really want Keanu to direct more movies because he shows a ton of potential from it, it's massively underrated. Keanu Reeves is really such a treasure of an actor. From any one of his amazing action movies to his dramas, Devil's Advocate or My Own Private Idaho in particular, he's always so committed and great to watch. I think John Wick is really the perfect role for him and overall his best. Great video

I watched _A Scanner Darkly_ and _Requiem For A Dream_ back to back one weekend a few years ago. Protip: *_Don't. Do. That._*

Referencing your feelings on the cameos Keanu has been in took me back a bit. To me Keanu has always been that dude that seem to not take himself so seriously. He always seem laid back and agree to projects because he wants to do it not because he feels he has to just because of his career. A quality all people in Hollywierd should learn to do. Keanu will never grow old to me. With all the egos surrounding him, he is a breath of fresh air and seeing him in the cameos was like seeing Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder. A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!!! Who knew Tom Cruise could be funny!!!? At the end of the day, Keanu is a man having fun in his career and doing what he wants to do and that alright with me. Oh you forgot to mention Knock Knock!!

I was afraid of Keanu in Cyberpunk being a meme too, but I actually really enjoyed his performance. He stole every scene he spoke in. I really hope we get more stars in games because the last time I can think of an actor that big in a game was Samuel L. Jackson in GTA: San Andreas and that was a while ago

Johnny Silverhamd has a TON of depth, and is probably the most narratively complex character in Cyberpunk 2077.

I was pleasantly surprised that Keanu Reeves' role in cyberpunk. His character "Johnny Silverhand" is a cynical optimistic anarchist. He starts off as an enemy, a literal brain parasite. Slowly Johnny becomes more human and he sees that his methods were too violent. All Johnny knew was violence until he died.

One of the chillest dudes in the industry. A great actor, but also a great man.

I still don't understand how a film with Keanu Reeves and Nic Cage hasn't happened yet. I'm determined to make it happen, though.

He's fantastic in Cyberpunk and, this might sound crazy, it's one of my favorite roles of his. You can tell he really jived with the material.

Honestly, Keanu is kinda the perfect cast for Johnny Silverhand. Watching this vid and hearing about some of his lesser known roles, he literally played many parts of him over the years of his career. And having finished the game now, I can confidently say he wasn't just Keanu Reeves, he played Johnny Silverhand earnestly.

The thing about Keanu as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk is that he’s very ... unlike many of his other roles. He’s mean, bitter, and completely uncaring of many others he interacts with. He’s definitely not winking at the audience here, and his performance does some stuff that might make people uncomfortable. It’s a good role.

The best thing that ever happened to Keanu Reeves was for "Bill and Teds" to get delayed for a few years. That allowed him to work on films that he may never have gotten if he were typecast as a stoner. He broadened his range of film genres, and that allowed him to branch out to any movie genre for his whole career. I also think that's why he has been willing to do cameos in many different projects. It's allowed him to delve into genres that he may otherwise never have the time to fully commit to.

He is a good actor, objectively--he may not vanish into a role the way we've been taught to expect from 'auteurs', but you fully believe and get invested in his characters' emotions. He loves acting and that dedication is a large part of what audiences respond to.

Keanu Reeves is one of the very, very rare celebrities you can actually look up to and admire

Keanu is a unique almost alternative actor (& so damn likeable!) Casting him is always a gamble but when it's done right he's amazing.

Point brake was such a good Formula story plot, Vin Diesel made 8 movies off of it.

He do it with passion and love he doesn't care about money,He's voice acting in cyberpunk is on point, cant wait for Constantine

Dude you gotta play Cyberpunk, Keanu's performance as Johnny silverhand is incredible, So much depth and history is portrayed perfectly by Keanu, one of his best performances by far

I love Keanu Reeves. I actually met quite a few people that know him personally, including his snowboard teacher and a waitress. Never heard a single bad word about him. And if anyone knows the true faces of celebrities, it's waiting staff (and security).

I think one of the things I live about Keanu Reeves is that it has always been clear to me that he lives his job, I feel the same way about Tom Cruise. It makes watching their performances so much more knowing that they truly enjoy what they're doing themselves.

He does have a great written character in cyberpunk, probably the best for many people.

Besides the disaster of the cyberpunk launch, bugs and crashes aside, I think Reeves performance is pretty good and Johnny's narrative is pretty interesting.

I know a lot of people didnt like his performance in Cyberpunk, but I thought he did a stupendous job as Johnny Silverhand. His introduction scene in V's apartment is one of my favorite moments of his in the game

Everyone needs to see A Skanner Darkly. Keanu Reeves Robert Downey Jr. Woody Harrelson Winona Ryder And Alex Jones (yeah, THAT Alex Jones!) All of these actors before they hit superstar status! It’s feckin’ MESMERIZING.

Since 2014, Keanu Reeves’ Career as taken a complete 180 turn compared to his Career during the 2000s. Now he literally holds the world of Cinema in the palm of his hand, we now live in an era were Keanu Reeves is a literal god to the people of the Internet. The John Wick Films, Toy Story 4, Bill and Ted 3, Matrix 4 and Cyberpunk 2077 all in the span of 7 years and it only keeps getting better. Like a Disney Renaissance Era but instead of Disney Films it’s films and other media starring Keanu Reeves.

There's something that comes off of every single performance from Keanu that i haven't seen from anybody else. I'm talking about every single role. Some other actors may exude this here and there but with keanu you never not feel it. It's that he always seems to be happy to be a part of that project regardless of what it is or what his role in it is. And don't say it's the money because what we do know of him and his personality, money has not been an issue for him since The Matrix. And that's if it ever was.

I was very skeptical of Keanu being in CP2077 (I’ve never really bought into the Keanu hype), but he’s actually the best part of that game by far. He does great as silver hand and silver hand is definitely the focal character of the whole game. It’s very well done character-wise.

The fans need to gather together to help DC make the decision to have Keanu reprise his role as Constine in upcoming DC movies.

Keanu’s role as Johnny Silvershand is easily in his top 3 roles he’s played

I honestly had no idea he was Duke Kaboom in Toy Story 4

Whole video all about Keanu Reeves, EXCELLENT! (Guitar Riff)

He is f*cking excellent in cyberpunk. His character has so much depth and he gives a damm good performance.

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves have always been my ultimate celebrity crushes.

you will be happy with cyber-punk, it's a well-written character and the story-arc with him gives it great gravity in the end.. i really enjoyed it.

I know that there were a lot of worthwhile performances to cover, but one of my favorites of his is a supporting role in To the Bone. It’s a smaller, lesser-known Netflix movie that’s worth a look.

Johnny Silverhand, from Cyberpunk 2077, is for real. I think it's even one if his best performances.

Having played Cyberpunk 2077, Keanu Reeve's performance is exceptionally great. The rebellious, no fucks given, Rockerboy that is Johnny Silverhand is really sold well by his performance. Its honestly a highlight of the game to have some genuine dialogue with him during the main story beats or just hear his opinion at other things. It feels both like a new thing for Reeve's but also very much so feels like his sort of acting. Atleast in the voice acting you can sense a clear distinction between him and the talent that is in the rest of the game. Definitly worth having a follow up on this once you get around to play Cyberpunk.

This is a fantastic video but there is one point towards the end I’d like to disagree with and that is your thoughts on his character in ‘Always Be My Maybe.’ I think it’s another good example of him taking a character that is written shallow and adding some heft to it. You start out so excited by the cameo but by the end of the film he insists that you dislike him. Seems very in line with your point that he doesn’t care if another actor takes the spotlight. Anyways, this was a truly amazing video, thank you for making it.

Keanu fkn killed cyberpunk btw, complimented the story incredibly. No one else could have played Johnny silverhand like he did

A Walk In The Clouds is a beautiful romance!! Keanu is great as Paul and conveyed a lot of confliction and compassion for his feelings for Victoria and family. Go back and ACTUALLY watch it!

So glad my favourite movie with Keanu, Much Ado About Nothing, got a mention, even if you accidentally mixed it up with another great Shakespeare! (The Kevin Kline Midsummer is magnificent too!)

John Constantine is low-key one of my favourite movies.

Would love to hear some thoughts on his role in Cyberpunk. I just beat the game and thought he was perfectly cast and brought so much to the role, way more than I expected he would

Mark Hamill I find fans have just as much love for and has the same loving demeanor. I'd like to see a career overview of him, good video too.

it's interesting to note that during his performance in speed, they had to call off shooting for a while because river phoenix had passed away. it's even more impressive that he pulled off the character so well despite that.

Keanu is fantastic in Cyberpunk 2077. Johnny Silverhand is a really interesting character with a lot of depth and nuance.

I would love to see an action movie with Keanu and Sandra Bullock again. That would be breathtaking!!

One of my favorite movies that he's in is a movie called Freaked. Talk about small roles in indie films, Freaked was directed by Bill and Ted cco-star, Alex Winter. It's a goofy, gag-a-minute comedy about circus freaks. In it, he plays Ortiz the Dog Boy. He never appears without his dog makeup, and he's not even mentioned in the credits. He just acted in this obscure, relatively low-budget movie for what was probably a small paycheck right at the beginning of his stardom just because he was friends with the guy who made it and loved acting.

A Scanner Darkly is amazing, and the fact it's rotoscoped is just insane I can't even imagine how long that must've taken. I still haven't watched the John Wick movies yet (I know I need to especially because from what I've heard it's essentially The Punisher but a Dog dies instead of his fam). Also he's the best character in Cyberpunk 2077, you really have to follow his quest lines and help him out to really get to know more about the character, and the more you do the more interesting he gets, I don't think very many people do follow his story though because I remember when I got the trophy for one of the later quests involving his character the trophy said only like 1.3% of players had earned it, which in all fairness I'd pre ordered it and finished it in a couple weeks so maybe it was still too new. But yeah he's a great character in that game, going from an asshole whose seemingly a terrorist to someone you can really empathize with and understand, I won't spoil anything but definitely would recommend helping him throughout the game.

He is not just an actor but also director on Man of Tai Chi, documentary producer and host of Side by Side, and co founder of Arch Motorcycle.

i mainly know Keanu as River Phoenix's best friend and an all round genuinely nice and kind dude. ♥ i first knew of him as Neo. And loved him. That's the only movie franchise of his that i've seen as a kid. Only saw Constantine as a y/a.

Bust out those chemistry sets kids. We need Keanu to be breathtakingly FOREVER. Or just a time hopping breathtaking person in history.

That eat sandwich on bench photo, no words needed. A man with a backstory

As a former game industry artsist and a freelance now, I really wanna design a unique character for Mr Keanu. A immortal devil-hunter and meanwhile the key to start the apocalypse will be nice to fit Keanu Reeves. Actually it's basicly my version of mix of John Constantine and Hellboy.