There are actors out there who work hard to hone their skills and prove to the world just how much talent they have. They are deemed as role models for dreamers who want to one day make it big in Hollywood. Kudos to these inspirational folks.
Then, there are those who go above and beyond their calling. Their fame is more than just a means to get popular. Rather, they use their fame to help those who are in need. One such man is Keanu Reeves. His been hailed by the media as a man with a big heart.
It’s been written time and again by media sites that Keanu Reeves has led a less than charmed life. He’s had to face tragedies that would have otherwise crushed a weak man. While he has had considerable success in Hollywood, the real life incidents have been less than perfect. Nonetheless, he kept his head up, stayed humble and true, and more importantly, remained hopeful for others. In fact, he had no trouble making everyone fall in love with him not just because of his onscreen endeavors, but also because of his off-screen activities.
The “Bill and Ted” actor has been making movies since the 80s and he’s most known for playing the role of Neo on The Matrix. He earned a respectable amount in the movie, but he reportedly donated a massive chunk of his paycheck to cancer research. This was according to an article made in LADBible.
Cancer patients continue to win over his philanthropic heart because in 1991, his younger sister Kim was diagnosed with leukemia. This is a type of blood cancer that she battled for around 10 years before she actually entered into remission.
During that difficult time, Keanu was her caretaker. In order to focus on her, he had to put his career on hold for a while and even went as far as putting his house on the market in order to be closer to her as he devoted time to helping her heal.
Reeves is now 57 years old and he was given an up-front payment of $10 million for the 1999 sci-fi classic “The Matrix” before the film smashed box office expectations. Because it was such a hit, he even earned an additional $35 million for it. He could have gotten a nice house, but Keanu opted to donate 70 percent of his earnings – or a total sum of $31.5 million – to researching leukemia. He wants his money to go and spare those sick with cancer and their families affected from the pain that he went through.
“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 told said as he shared his story with Ladies Home Journal in 2009. “I don’t like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does.”
In 2020, Reeves also auctioned off a 15-minute Zoom date with himself in order to raise more funds for Camp Rainbow Gold, a summer program for children who suffer from cancer. Since his breakout role playing a detached teen headbanger in the 1986 drama “River’s Edge” and his memorable performance as the dumb but funny stoner Theodore “Ted” Logan in the “Bill & Ted’s” films, Keanu has so loved by peers and fans alike.
Nowadays, he is far different man who has gone beyond his public image as a simpleton who says “Whoa” in the SoCal dude-bro accent. He has become the genuinely kindhearted man of Hollywood. His role may not truly reflect who he is, because deep down, his generosity has shown the world that he is a man with a heart of gold.
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