Beirut-born Today, Keanu Reeves is 58, and moviegoers all across the world are wishing the star a happy birthday. The Matrix star has amassed a horde of devoted admirers in addition to earning enormous sums of money for his films. Reeves’ filmography extends beyond The Matrix and includes roles in Point Break, The Bill & Ted Movies, and Toy Story 4 as Duke Caboom.
While his accomplishments on camera are frequently praised, his extraordinary kindness off camera is largely overlooked.
Reeves gave 70% of his The Matrix film fee to hospitals to help cure leukemia when his sister Kim was given the diagnosis.
Reeves once reportedly said, according to Bright Vibes, a website dedicated to positive news stories: “Leukemia affected my younger sister. She is now cured, and I gave hospitals that treat leukemia 70% of the profits I made from the movie Matrix.
“One of the few Hollywood celebrities without a mansion is me. I don’t have any bodyguards, and I don’t dress up.
And even if I’m worth $100 million, I still enjoy taking the metro.
In 2020, The Mirror claimed that Reeves established a charity to aid people who struggled with the ailment in response to his sister’s diagnosis.
He declared, “I have a private foundation that has been supporting cancer research and a few children’s hospitals for the past five or six years.
I just let the foundation do what it does; I don’t like to put my name on it.
Reeves’ life has been fraught with challenges, including when his girlfriend Jennifer Syme died in a 2001 car crash, just over a year after the pair’s daughter Ava was stillborn.
The star also recalled how his father walked out on his family when Reeves was three, and how in 1993 he lost his best friend River Phoenix to a drug overdose.
The American continued: “Working a lot and constantly moving from one film set to another has been important in helping me overcome some of the more painful times in my life.
“Every film set gives me the feeling that I’m part of a new family and I feel fortunate to be able to have a job that gives me a lot of satisfaction.
“I feel fortunate to be able to have a career that offers me a lot of happiness. Every film set makes me feel like I’m a part of a new family.
But I continue to search for more inner wisdom and power, and I hope that this will help me be more optimistic about the future.
Reeves famously donated almost £75 million of his Matrix revenues to crew members, and his stories of generosity have become Hollywood gold.
Many people were astonished by the gesture, but Reeves felt it was honorable given how much labor had gone into it.
His supporters were astounded by other noteworthy incidents, such as the time he was photographed spending hours talking and sharing meals with a homeless guy.
Reeves continued, “I lived a life,” by adding: “It’s always pleasant to open your eyes in the morning and take in the beauty of the world.
“As a result, I frequently utter the phrase “I’m delighted to be here,” which I find to be incredibly comforting.
“I don’t need to surround myself with a lot of things or stuff in order to feel that immense sense of thankfulness.
Since his mother Patricia was born in England, Reeves remembered how the nation affected him as a child.
In 2008, he claimed in an interview with the Mail on Sunday: “I haven’t returned to Hampshire yet (where his mother was born). When my mother was about 14 or 15, she ran away from home. She passed that trait on since she is a strong, independent woman.
“She taught me how to use proper British etiquette, including where to place the fork and two fingers on the plate (he gives me the V-sign). I got that attitude from my parents.
“I do experience English. I grew up watching The Two Ronnies and Monty Python. I’ve always enjoyed being irreverent.”