The performance Keanu Reeves admits was “deservedly” criticised
After coming through into the public’s attention with his breakthrough role in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, the career of Keanu Reeves twisted every which way. He starred in the independent drama My Private Idaho with River Phoenix and announced himself as an action star in Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break.
From there, Reeves would go on to become one of cinema’s most bankable action heroes, taking the limelight from the meatheads of the 1980s like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and movies such as The Matrix, 47 Ronin and John Wick saw Reeves give impressive performances that proved action stars could be slight in the frame too.
However, not every performance of Reeves’ has been well-received, despite him earning his fair share of acclaim throughout his career and carving out what sometimes seems like his own style of acting. One such movie saw Reeves play one of the main protagonists of Bram Stoker’s legendary gothic tale, Dracula.
Francis Ford Coppola directed the 1992 version of the story in which Reeves starred, titled Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which also starred Gary Oldman as the titular bloodsucking count, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker, and Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, alongside the likes of Richard E. Grant and Tom Waits.
Overall, the film received positive reviews, but Reeves’ performance, in particular, brought about its fair share of negativity, especially because of his admittedly dodgy English accent. The film was a box office hit and was nominated for four Academy Awards, but it was not a moment of pride for Reeves.
When appearing on the SmartLess podcast, Reeves once referred to the criticism he received after appearing in Coppola’s movie but had the courage to admit that perhaps he deserved such stick. He said, “I think Dracula, I got kicked in the teeth and maybe deservedly so for my English accent.”
Still, Reeves counts himself lucky to have been in a Francis Ford Coppola film and wants others to put his accent to one side so that the overall work can be admired. “I think my English accent aside, I think that’s a wonderful film,” the actor said. “I think Francis Ford Coppola made a work of art that was maybe ahead of its time. The performance, Gary Oldman, so good.”
Still, despite his performance, the film wasn’t a hindrance to Reeves, and he continued to expand his repertoire following the success of 1991’s Point Break with appearances in The Devil’s Advocate, Speed and Johnny Mnemonic before finishing the 1990s with The Matrix.
Check out the trailer for Bram Stoker’s Dracula below.
