The Matrix Resurrections star Keanu Reeves has worked hard over the years to become one of Hollywood's, and possibly the world's, most charming and endearing actors. Or maybe he hasn't worked at it, which makes his accomplishment all the more impressive. So it's only natural that he'd eventually address a certain meme that effectively dominated the internet for a good few years back in the day. Remember the old internet? It would almost seem quaint now if it ever made any sense.
Reeves recently appeared on an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and as things tend to shake out on national television these days, the discussion eventually shifted to the subject of memes. As Colbert moved the conversation to cover BRZRKR, Reeves' new foray into the comic book world, the host used the opportunity to bring up the famous "Sad Keanu" meme from the internet's days of yore. A panel from the comic book appeared to resemble that classic image of a seemingly dejected Reeves sitting on a bench, and The Matrix 4 star himself had some amusing comebacks.
"I was just eating a sandwich!" Reeves proclaimed in mock protest as the photo came up. "I was thinking, I had some stuff going on," he said with a chuckle when Lord of the Rings superfan Colbert asked if he was, indeed, "sad" in the famous picture. "I was hungry," Reeves said before he moved on to explain how the comic book panel referencing the meme came to be, by way of artist Ron Garney. "I didn't know he was gonna do that, but that's what he did," Reeves said with a smile, "so I think it's kind of meta." His comic book counterpart is an immortal man who, in that particular panel, is taking a moment to ponder his own circumstances. So apparently, Garney saw that as an opportunity to reference a fun little classic milestone in Reeves' career.
Colbert then moved on to ask Reeves why he thinks he's so susceptible to having memes made about him. Of course, in classic humble Reeves fashion, he answered "I have no clue, sir." Finally, as Colbert attempted to make sense of the phenomenon, Reeves treated the whole world with a musical interlude, singing "Meme on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend." If that doesn't embody the universal appeal of the Matrix star, it's hard to say what does.
Really, Reeves breaking into a song about fans "meme-ing" him when they just need a little help, even if that wasn't his intention, feels like exactly the right thing to say in his situation. This is a star whom people have clung to as an unambiguously good force in Hollywood. So it makes sense that pretty much his whole existence could be seen by some as helpful.
Nowadays, the memes have shifted from the sad Keanu variety to just an overall vibe of "this man is a calming force in the world and must be protected at all costs." Frankly, even if Reeves himself is too humble to ever directly acknowledge such things, it's comforting to know that he's got a good sense of humor about it.
The Matrix Resurrections is now playing in theaters and on HBO Max.