On an episode of Stephen Colbert, Keanu Reeves was asked the million-dollar question: What happens when we die? While his answer is poetically profound, to fully grasp the weight of his words, one needs to know a little about his background.
Keanu Reeves is one of the most beloved actors of all time. Despite his mega-millions and superstar status, he's incredibly down to earth. One may think he’s had an easy go at life, perhaps that’s why he is so kind and nice… but think again.
In reality, Keanu has faced more tragedy than most. His father left when he was only three years old.
His mother did the best in her power as a single parent, but Keanu was raised without a real sense of home – he has lived in Australia, Hawaii, New York, and Canada.
Reeves attended four different high schools before dropping out at 17 years of age. His struggle with dyslexia did not make things any easier.
Keanu Reeves (FANPAGE!) (@keanureeves_fan) on
Even after hitting stardom, Reeves’ life did not get any easier. First of all, he lost his best friend, actor River Phoenix in his early twenties.
Phoenix had developed a drug addiction that eventually took his life when he mixed a deadly combination of cocaine, heroin, and valium. He was just 23 years old, the same age as Keanu.
That happened in 1993. In 1998, Keanu met and fell in love with Jennifer Syme. By 1999, the couple was expecting their first kid.
Sadly, on December 24, 1999, when Keanu was filming The Matrix, their daughter Ava Archer Syme-Reeves was stillborn at eight months.
The tragedy of their loss caused him and his beloved partner to break up. Shortly after that, Syme was killed in a car accident.
On the Stephen Colbert show, Colbert jokingly asked Keanu: “What happens when we die?” It seems that the late-night host was trying to be funny as Keanu Reeves is such a thoughtful guy. After all, the two had just been joking about Keanu’s risky action scenes on set.
The crowd laughed in preparation for a comical answer. Instead, Keanu responded with such honesty, his voice laced with emotion, that you can’t help but shed a tear.
After taking a pause to think about the question, he decided to answer by merely saying what he knows, not what he ‘believes.’
“I know the ones who love us will miss us,” he said, his voice cracking with sincerity.
The crowd couldn’t help but let out a big “aww.”
Knowing his past, which is filled with loss, Reeves’ answer was quite profound. People often grandiosely preach on what they BELIEVE the universe and afterlife are meant to be when asked this same question.
But not Keanu Reeves. He just states what he KNOWS.
Somehow, through all of that darkness, Keanu has remained a bright light, a source of inspiration for so many. He has turned his pain into compassion.
That's what makes him so inspiring. The fact that he stands in proof that no matter what tragedies befall you, you can still be kind, stoic, and successful.
The talented leading role also credited his losses for making him a better actor. In his interview with The Telegraph, Keanu stated that his real-life grief helped him better connect to the characters he played, like John Wick.
“For me, it was John’s grief that made it personal. It was strong enough to make him want to unearth his past. I thought of it not as revenge but as reclaiming.”
Reeves is known as one of the most charitable actors in Hollywood. He donates most of his earnings to good causes and charities, preferring to live a humble life.
To make him even more likable, he does not like to brag about his good deeds.
“I have a private foundation that’s been running for five or six years, and it helps aid a couple of children’s hospitals and cancer research,” Reeves was quoted in a Ladies Home Journal in 2009.
“I don’t like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does.”
Besides, he has taken pay cuts so that additional actors can be hired, for example, that’s how Al Pacino ended up in the film The Devil’s Advocate.
Reeves has also donated part of his salary to other people on set, like set builders and special effects teams. On the set of The Matrix, he reportedly donated more than $75 million to people he worked with.
You're an inspiration to us all, Keanu!
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