“Full of passion and wisdom and anger”: Keanu Reeves once named his surprising “favourite” role
From the moment Keanu Reeves appeared on screens, there was no doubt that he wouldn’t be a star. He spent his early years moving between theatre and television, starring in many projects oriented towards teen audiences.
Yet, before long, Reeves had graduated from starring in television movies to appearing in proper feature films, quickly establishing himself as a promising talent. The late 1980s saw him appear in the period drama Dangerous Liaisons, a highly successful project that elevated his name in Hollywood.
The early ‘90s really allowed Reeves to shine, however, as he appeared in popular movies like Point Break, My Own Private Idaho and Speed. The actor became known for his friendly and cool persona, spending his spare time playing in an alternative rock band named Dogstar. He has also donated significant earnings from his movies to charities, leading fans to name him as one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors.
He has starred in countless blockbuster hits over the years, from The Matrix to John Wick, becoming one of the industry’s most coveted action heroes, differing from ultra-macho musclemen such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Although his movies have gone on to gross millions of dollars, Reeves resides as an outlier of the genre: the alternative action hero we all need.
However, despite all of these major movie roles, which have earned him significant acclaim and financial reward, one of Reeves’ favourite roles was an early theatre performance of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.
It’s one of the most classic love stories of all time, written by William Shakespeare in the late 1500s. It has been adapted for the stage and screen countless times over the centuries, and Reeves starred in a production of the play in 1985 at Ontario’s Leah Posluns Theatre. He was just 21 at the time, and the only proper credits he had were Going Great and Hangin’ In.
He told Interview Magazine that he likes Mercutio’s character because “he’s so full of passion and wisdom and anger.” Reeves has never played the part on screen – Baz Luhrmann’s popular film adaptation of the play saw Harold Perrineau take on the role.
However, less than ten years later, Reeves starred in another Shakespeare adaptation, taking on the role of Don John in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Starring alongside Branagh, as well as Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Kate Beckinsale and Michael Keaton, Reeves was actually subject to criticism for his portrayal of the character in the film. He received his first of several Golden Raspberry nominations for Much Ado About Nothing, although the ceremony nominated him for two ‘Razzie Redeemer Awards’ years later after he starred in John Wick.
If you’re after any more Shakespeare-related Reeves trivia, the actor once revealed that he doesn’t believe the playwright existed, believing the theory that several different people wrote his plays under one alias. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Reeves revealed that if he could travel to any time period, he would pick the Shakespearean era so he could figure out the truth.
“I always wanted to know — ever since I was growing up — who really wrote the plays of Shakespeare,” he explained, adding, “cause I don’t really think it was ‘Shakespeare.’”
