In 1999,
Keanu Reeves became most famous for his role in the groundbreaking science fiction film,
The Matrix. It earned an impressive $463.5 million at the box office and was nominated for and won four Academy Awards.
The Matrix is a happy story in a lot of ways, but the life of its star wasn’t always.
Now 50 years old, Keanu’s life has been full of more tragedy than you
would expect from a movie star. Despite each setback, he’s kept pushing
forward. It’s helped develop himself into the awesome person that he is
on and off the screen.
At the age of three, his father left their family. They stayed in
touch for a few years, but after the divorce and moving from city to
city, they fell out of contact. Keanu attended four different high
schools and struggled with dyslexia, making his education more
challenging than it is for most. Eventually he left high school without
earning a diploma, though through sheer will, he is an avid reader now.
At the age of 23, his closest friend River Phoenix died of a drug overdose. During a Reddit AMA last year, Keanu said:
“He was a remarkable human person and actor. We got along very well, and I miss him. I think of him often.”
In 1998, Keanu met Jennifer Syme. The two fell instantly in love and
by 1999, Jennifer was pregnant with their daughter. Sadly, after eight
months, their child was born stillborn. They were devastated by her
death and it eventually ended their relationship. 18 months later, Syme
would die in a car accident.
In 2006, Reeves told
Parade Magazine, “Grief changes shape, but it never ends.” It’s a lesson that we’ll all likely learn.