Keanu Reeves, who has been frequently dubbed as the ultimate “internet boyfriend,” expressed his gratitude for the internet’s fascination with him.
During the premiere of John Wick: Chapter 4 in New York City on March 15, the 58-year-old actor was interviewed by People on the red carpet. He was specifically asked about his thoughts on the admiration he receives from his online fans.
“I really appreciate the goodwill,” said Reeves, who’s been romantically involved with Alexandra Grant, an artist and his longtime friend, since 2019.
Since achieving stardom in the late 1990s, particularly for his role as Neo in the successful Matrix film series, Keanu Reeves has received acclaim for his unexpected acts of kindness, his habit of showing up unannounced at fans’ weddings, his generous gesture of presenting Rolex watches to his stunt team, and his numerous popular internet memes.
In a recent interview with ET Canada, Keanu Reeves was once again questioned about his reputation as the “internet boyfriend” and how he has managed to remain down-to-earth despite his celebrity status. “Humility. I don’t know. I mean, I’m just an actor, I’m just a guy. I’m just trying to do the best I can,” he replied. “Hopefully people like what I do, you know?”
Laurence Fishburne, who acted alongside Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, also had some complimentary remarks to make about his friend and longstanding co-star. “He’s kinder, yeah. He’s much kinder than people say he is,” Fishburne told the outlet. “He’s a very gentle, highly intelligent man. Really thoughtful and gifted and incredibly patient. Yeah, he has a lot of grace, Keanu.”
At the premiere of John Wick: Chapter 4 during the SXSW Film Festival earlier this month, a fan of Keanu Reeves expressed their admiration in an extreme way by proposing marriage to him. During the screening, Reeves mentioned that he had kept his character’s watch and wedding ring from the movie franchise, prompting an audience member to shout out, “I’ll marry you!”, as reported by Variety. The upcoming film will be released in theaters on March 24th.
“Yeah, be careful what you wish for,” he jokingly replied.
Keanu Reeves also gained internet fame in 2022 after a fan shared a heartwarming video of the actor interacting with a young child at an airport. In July of that year, while on a flight from London to New York, the Always Be My Maybe actor was approached by a young boy who proceeded to ask him a rapid succession of questions.
“Keanu Reeves was on my flight from London to NYC today,” tweeted TV producer Andrew Kimmel who described the interaction in a viral Twitter thread. “A young boy asked for an autograph at baggage and then began to fire off a series of rapid-fire questions.” Keanu happily responded to every single one…
“Kid: Why were you in London? KR: Filming a documentary. Kid: I saw online you were at the Grand Prix (pronouncing the x) KR: Yes, the Grand Prix (in a French accent, without correcting him). F1! Race cars! Kid: Do you drive? KR: Not F1, but I like riding motorcycles.”
When the little boy started “running out of questions,” Reeves began affectionately “grilling him,” asking him questions such as: “Why were you in Europe?”, “What galleries did you go to in Paris?” and “What was your favourite?”
Kimmel added: “The man could not have been nicer, especially after an international flight. I thought I’d share this because the dude is a class act and little moments like this can make such a big difference in people’s lives. We need more Keanus!”