Date of birth: 2 October 1964
Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
Occupation: actor, musician

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Facts about Keanu Reeves:

He has appeared in 3 movies whose title contains a US state: FEELING MINNESOTA (also starring Cameron Diaz), MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (with River Phoenix) and THE PRINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

(November 4th, 2001) was considered one of the 25 sexiest men in entertainment according to the poll made by E! #11

For his role as an FBI rookie in POINT BREAK (1991), he studied with FBI agents, police and athletes.

When he arrived in LA, he only had $3000 and an old Volvo. He drove from Toronto, Canada, to Los Angeles. (1986)

Keanu has a rock band called Dogstar. (He taught himself to play bass guitar.) The other two band members are from his old neighborhood, and he flies them in to rehearse when he's filming on location.

(1999) He was dating Carrie-Anne Moss, co-star in THE MATRIX.

(1999)He was goalie on his high school hockey team, where he was nicknamed "The Wall" and voted MVP. He used to recite Shakespeare when tending goal. He also digs ice skating. More Keanu hobbies: riding horses and surfing.

Had job sharpening ice skates.

Was forced into starring in THE WATCHER because his friend signed the contact for him.

Keanu is left-handed.

Was manager of a pasta shop in Toronto.

Was set to reprise his role as Jack Traven in the sequel to Speed - Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) - but dropped out.

In Hawaiian, "ke" means "the" and "anu" means "cool or coolness"; hence "the coolness" or (very) interpretively, "the cool winds over the mountain."

His 1974 motorcycle is among his most prized possessions.

Deferred part of his salary on "The Replacements" (2000) so Gene Hackman could be cast.

His father was a geologist, but is now serving time in prison.

Dropped out of high school when he was 17 to become an actor.

Keanu got his abdominal scar from a motorcycle wreck in Topanga Canyon. He was on a "demon ride" (no headlights at night) when he crashed into the side of a mountain. He was hospitalized for a week with broken ribs and a ruptured spleen. When the paramedics came to get him, an emergency medical technician trainee picked up one end of the stretcher ... then dropped it by mistake! "It made me laugh, but I couldn't breathe!"

Keanu Reeves is a close friend of his stunt double Chad Stahelski. They two met and became close friends while filming The Matrix (1999).

He played the James Dean role in Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush" music video, which is based on the film "Rebel Without A Cause."

Salary:

Matrix Reloaded (2003)	$15,000,000 (USA)
Replacements, The (2000)	$12,500,000
Matrix, The (1999)	$10,000,000
Devil's Advocate, The (1997)	$8,000,000
Matrix Revolutions (2003)	$15,000,000 (USA)

Personal quotes:

"My name can't be *that* tough to pronounce"

"When I don't feel free and can't do what I want I just react. I go against it."

When told, "You'll just have to bite the bullet", his reply was, "Yes, but I don't have to eat the whole rifle"

"I'm a meathead man. You've got smart people, and you've got dumb people. I just happen to be dumb."

"I'm sorry my existence is not very noble or sublime."

[On being a star] "It can still be very surreal. It's easy to become very self-critical when you're an actor. Then you get critiqued be the critics. Whether you agree with them or not, people are passing judgement on you."

[On drugs] I've had wonderful experiences. I mean really wonderful. In teaching. Personal epiphanies. About life. About a different perspective -- help with different perspectives that you have. You know what I mean? Relationships to nature. Relationships with the self. With other people. With events.

"I'm a meathead. I can't help it, man. You've got smart people, and you've got dumb people. I just happen to be dumb."

"I like writing songs. I like the camarderie of the band. I like touring. I love playing bass. And then there's free beer." [on what he likes about being a rock star]

"On a good night, I get underwear, bras, and hotel-room keys thrown onstage... You start to think that you're Tom Jones." [on performing with his band Dogstar]

"I just felt that if I went into that picture, I just ... wouldn't have come up out of the water." [on Speed 2] - Premiere. September 1997.

-Keanu Reeves