Keanu Reeves is one of the most publicly beloved performers of the modern age, elevating anything he's in and basking in a level of goodwill that most celebrities couldn't dream of. But this wasn't always the case; Keanu has one role to thank for kickstarting his new claim to fame and cementing his acting credibility.

The John Wick franchise is quickly becoming one of the most important fixtures in the world of action cinema, and its eponymous central figurehead is the new standard for gritty anti-heroes. This is far from the first franchise Reeves has helmed, but it is the one that seemed to change the actor's trajectory in a big way.

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Keanu Reeves is an actor, writer, director, and musician who made his feature film debut way back in 1986. His first career-defining role came in the landmark 1989 comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure when he was 24 years old. Reeves' career struggled to find purchase in a variety of genres. He tried his hand at action with films like Point Break and Speed, drama in My Own Private Idaho, and horror in The Devil's Advocate and Bram Stoker's Dracula before his next massive franchise.

Keanu-Reeves-in-Constantine

From 1999 on, Keanu was as likely to be referred to as Neo as he was his actual name. The taciturn hero of The Matrix trilogy defined his career for that period, but like his previous success, it was followed by a series of unfortunate failures. Reeves took the title role of the underrated Constantine and starred in the correctly despised Day the Earth Stood Still remake. He directed the very well-received box office bomb Man of Tai-Chi and starred in 47 Ronin, capping off a run of uninterrupted box office disaster. All that failure, both deserved and tragic, was washed away the next year; when he took the title role in 2014's John Wick.

Reeves' performance as John Wick is, without exaggeration, one of the most iconic performances in modern cinema. He's flawless; if the role had been handed over to a more obvious casting choice like Statham or Willis, the first film would've blended in with a thousand other generic action films and swiftly been forgotten. By all accounts, Reeves is an absolute treat to work with when it comes to action scenes. Of course, it isn't all him. Stunt performers are a crucial part of the project, but Reeves is evidently one of the best in the industry when it comes to choreography.

The actor's effortless charisma is a critical aspect of the character, he's as likable as he is intimidating. John Wick is powerful and that comes across through performance alone, before he even draws his gun, Reeves grants him a sense of menacing calm. When he does draw his gun, he's unstoppable, yet impressively human. Wick is perhaps the most dangerous man alive, but he is unmistakably mortal. Unlike old school action heroes meaninglessly walking through all threats, Reeves portrays Wick as frantic, always struggling for control against impossible odds. Keanu Reeves is John Wick, and John Wick seems to be the role he was born to play.

Back in the days of The Matrix trilogy, Reeves took a lot of criticism for his acting. Neo was seen as a blank cipher and that led to his portrayer being derided as wooden or dull. Most of his films were not so successful, and he was almost always a target of negative reception in his lesser works. When he isn't playing Ted Logan, it's fair to call his style subdued, often working in fairly subtle detail. He definitely fits some roles better than others, but public perception has shifted dynamically, from almost all bad to almost all good. Most of his performances have a certain charm to them, even when he's in absolute trash, but John Wick is the confluence of elements that allowed him to shine. This is unusual, considering just who Keanu Reeves is.

Keanu Reeves in John Wick

Keanu Reeves is one of the more private figures in Hollywood, and much of his personal life stays at a healthy distance from the public. What most people do know about Reeves is that he seems to be one of the kindest people to ever become famous. From his philanthropic efforts, to his personal interactions with fans, to his iconic "You're breathtaking" exchange that became the center of E3 2019, Reeves certainly appears to be a genuinely nice man. No one seems to have a bad word to say about him personally, and every recorded interview depicts him as a personable, charming, and decent person. And yet, of all the roles this kind soul could find himself fully embodying, he fits seamlessly into the role of the vengeance-driven, taciturn, unstoppable killing machine.

Perhaps being able to be the grim and gritty spectacle of violence on screen and the kind, genuine all-around good dude off-screen is what makes Keanu Reeves such a great performer. Fans can see Keanu Reeves take up the mantle of Neo again in The Matrix Resurrections and he'll be portraying John Wick in the upcoming fourth and fifth chapters of the ongoing saga.

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