Keanu Reeves has a reputation as one of Hollywood’s nicest celebrities. Recently, he cheered up an 80-year-old fan who had a crush on him by calling her on the phone. He’s also bought an ice cream cone for a fan to give an autograph on the receipt and crashed a wedding to take photos with the bride and groom.
He’s also an incredible humanitarian who gave up a big chunk of his money from "The Matrix" to a cancer charity.
The “John Wick” star was his usual gracious self over the weekend when on Saturday, February 4, he and a friend walked into The Robin Hood pub in Tring, Hertfordshire, about 30 miles outside of London.
The employees at the pub in the picturesque, small market town with a population of 12,000, were shocked to see such a high-profile celebrity walk through its doors—especially one who is known for being such a humble, likable guy.
Pub staff posted a photo of chef Scott Valentine, 18, and “The Matrix” star on The Robin Hood’s Facebook page.
“So today we had a surprise visitor for lunch,” they shared. “What a lovely man he was too. Laura asked if he would be ok with taking photos with the kitchen lads. He marched into the kitchen shook their hands, and praised them for the food they had prepared. Suffice to say he made their days!!!”
According to the staff at the restaurant, Reeves ordered traditional English fare. "He came to the bar and ordered a beer (Seafarers Ale) and just walked over to the corner. He ordered fish and chips and Nat's shepherd's pie,” Laura Rolfe told The Mirror.
Valentine told the BBC he was scared to cook for such a big star. But Reeves was appreciative of the staff and liked the food.
"It was a bit worrying because I had to cook for him, but we took it out to him and he said thank you and was really nice," said Valentine. “He came into the kitchen, shook our hands and said the food was lovely."
The folks at The Robin Hood aren’t sure why Reeves was hanging out in Tring, but The Mirror speculated he was working on a Disney Plus docuseries about Formula 1.
Last year, it was announced that Reeves was producing a documentary about Jenson Button’s unlikely victory for Brawn GP in 2009. “Our story is about Honda withdrawing from F1 and Ross Brawn who had joined Honda a year and a half earlier,” Reeves said according to TalkSport.
“How did they race a world championship? It’s certainly a people story. It’s about passion,” Reeves added.
Whatever the reason that Reeves was in a small town pub, it’s great that everyone who met him came away with warm feelings about the man. Reeves clearly knows that by being a humble, nice guy to people, he can make someone else’s day and give them a great story to tell forever. Kudos to Reeves for using his fame to touch other people’s lives. With all the stories we’ve reported about him being cool to fans, it seems like he never lets anybody down.
Even if they're not sold on him as an actor, people in general love Keanu Reeves as a person. With his down-to-earth vibe and humble acts of kindness, the Canadian star is just a genuinely good guy. Appreciating Keanu Reeves is like an inviolable law of the universe or something.
So it's understandable that people would be eager to follow Reeves on social media—except there's one problem. He has made it clear he doesn't use it.
Some people who come across an "Unreal Keanu" video on TikTok, however, are being duped into thinking he does, despite multiple disclaimers—including the account name—that it's not really his account.
The @unreal_keanu account has more than 8 million followers, some of whom appear to think they're following the actual actor. Whoever owns the account shares fun little video creations with "Keanu Reeves" in various relatable scenarios. He never speaks, so there's no voice to compare to the real deal, but his face and body are a darn good dupe.
The account clearly says "parody" in the bio, but if people don't click the bio to see that, they may very well believe the video to be Keanu Reeves himself. And judging by the comments, that's exactly what a lot of people do.
Life with a girlfriend. #keanureeves #relationship #girlfriend
People who are familiar with deepfake videos or who have seen Keanu Reeves more recently (with his scruffy, salt-and-pepper beard) can fairly quickly discern that they can't be real, but the casual observer who sees these videos in passing can be forgiven for assuming it's him. The TikTok account has been around for almost a year and the technology has only gotten better and better. The first few videos are pretty clearly deepfakes, but the recent ones are genuinely hard to tell.
Here's the first video that was shared on January 18, 2022, where the AI element is a lot more obvious:
The progression of AI tech in just under a year is both impressive and a little terrifying. This account is clearly using Keanu's likeness for silly giggles and is pretty harmless, but it's easy to see how someone with nefarious intent could create serious problems for public figures as well as the average person.
The future of AI, for better or worse, is a big ethical question mark for us all. But in the meantime, it's pretty incredible to see what humans have figured out how to do.
Almost as incredible as how Keanu Reeves refuses to age. Unreal, indeed:
Imagine: It’s your wedding day. Hopefully, one of the most magical, memorable days of your life (if you’re into that sort of thing, that is). You’re already on cloud nine after gazing into the eyes of your beloved and declaring everlasting commitment to each other. Nothing could possibly make this moment any better, right?
Wrong. Keanu Reeves could make it better. And for one lucky couple, he did make an already wonderful wedding even better … simply by showing up.
Bride and groom Nikki and James Roadnight had only just tied the knot and were celebrating in the bar of the Fawsley Hall Hotel in Northamptonshire, England, when they noticed John Wick himself standing nearby.
Perhaps James had already consumed enough liquid courage, because he felt confident enough to approach the movie star and invite him to the reception. As one would hope, Reeves was as pleasant and welcoming as his reputation implies.
"My husband … told him he'd just got married and invited Keanu to come over to say hello and have a drink with us if he wanted to. He was very friendly and said he would later on. We didn't know if he would or not but it was cool that my husband had spoken to him!" Nikki told Newsweek. Oh Nikki … little did you know, it was about to get so much cooler.
Only an hour later, the bride received a message from the hotel saying a “very special guest” was waiting for the couple outside.
That guest was of course the one, the only … Keanu Reeves.
Though the 57-year-old “Matrix” actor didn’t drink at the party, he generously spoke to guests and took pictures—some were even with the official wedding photographer. You know those photos are going on the couple’s fridge, for sure.
Everyone at the event was understandably “a bit starstruck.” However, it was perhaps the mother of the bride who had the biggest reaction.
"My mum, Jo, took photos and shouted for everyone to yell 'Speed' as she took the photo,” Nikki joked with Newsweek. Good choice, Jo. Though mine might have been “whoa” from “Bill and Ted.”
Seeing Reeves made an already “perfect” wedding day truly “out of the world,” the bride shared, calling it “something to remember and the start of many more adventures together."
Hilariously, Nikki chose to use a photo of her and a smiling Keanu as her new profile picture, rather than James.
Just when you thought there was nothing else to love about Keanu Reeves, you find wholesome reason #472.
Like many actors before they hit it big at the box office, as a performer Reeves had a few odd jobs filling out his resume. But this one might just be the oddest job of them all.
An unearthed video posted to Twitter by All The Right Movies shows a baby-faced Reeves doing a news report in 1984 for CBC, a Canadian television network.
Where was he reporting? Why, a teddy bear convention, of course.
Interviewees included convention-goers, toymakers and, of course, the bears themselves.
A consummate professional, Reeves asked the tough questions like “Why are all the bears’ first name Teddy?” and “What do your friends think about you collecting bears?” All while giving off major “Bill and Ted” vibes. It was pure delight.
The best part, though, comes at the end, when Reeves fake wrestles a teddy bear, and proceeds to get tackled to the ground.
Keep in mind, he hadn’t learned kung fu from "The Matrix" yet.
Before he was a Hollywood actor, KEANU REEVES worked for CBC and did a news report on a Teddy Bear convention in 1984. pic.twitter.com/XSQ9dCFcMw
Was it cheesy? Oh yes. Bizarre? You betchya. But also delivered with a goofy, loveable charm that only Keanu can really pull off.
As one would assume, the short and sweet video clip got lots of love online.
“I will protect this man with my man,” one person wrote.
“Best thing public television ever funded,” added another.
Basically, Keanu Reeves is a treasure.
It’s not an easy feat to go from playing airheads to one of Hollywood’s leading action stars. It’s equally rare to reach stardom without losing at least some humility. But Reeves has pulled off both. His unbridled kindness and emotional resilience have made him not only a celebrity, but a role model.
Now, there’s another thing to endear him to us all. Reeves avenges puppies, time travels AND interviews teddy bears … is there anything this man can’t do?
Alison and Tod wrap up the year by covering a list of the top ten most popular Upworthy stories of 2021. In the first of two episodes, two Olympians capture our hearts for very different reasons. Upworthy’s favorite actor has a stunning reaction to one of 2021’s most popular tech trends, and a clever parenting hack that could save a child’s life.
A recent NFT (non-fungible token) boom has a lot of people scratching their heads over why someone would pay over a million dollars for a digital art file that can be easily replicated by right-clicking “Save as.” But NFT enthusiasts are willing to pay ridiculous amounts for the artwork because they have a certificate of digital ownership that cannot be replicated.
Much like a piece of physical artwork such as painting, you can create a replica of an NFT but there are a limited number of originals. This has ushered in a new era where digital assets can now possess the type of scarcity usually attributed to physical objects.
This new form of manufactured scarcity seems to many as another way for powerful people to claim ownership over things that are shared by the general public.
“Sure, you can enjoy this drawing of an ape,” the NFT owner proudly states. “But I own the ape! It says so on the blockchain.”
In a recent interview with The Verge about how the digital world is slowly encroaching upon real life, “Matrix Resurrections” stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss were asked by Alex Heath about the notion of digital scarcity. The question made Reeves lose composure and he let out a large cackle, exclaiming “They’re easily reproduced.”
Keanu Reeves laughing at the concept of NFT\u2019s makes me like him that much more.pic.twitter.com/qHWd2EKSTn
Reeve’s outburst inspired Heath to push back, claiming “But it's not the same."
“The Matrix” star's outburst was cathartic to many people who think that NFTs are nothing but an elitist scam. The clip quickly went viral on social media, earning a lot of hilarious and thoughtful responses.
"BuT iT's NoT tHe SaMe" It is, actually. When i right click and save an nft, I have experienced the nft in the same way that the "owner" has and i didn't pay a dime.
It's hard to pin down the exact number of people who have been canonized or beatified by the Catholic church, but scholars say the number may be beyond 10,000. The most recent canonization by Pope Francis was Margherita della Metola in April of this year.
Margherita della Metola was an Italian Roman Catholic and professed member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic who lived 1287 to 1320.
A satirical Facebook page for God a.k.a. The Good God Above has nearly 4 million followers and he asked them an important question on November 1: "I have not canonized any new saints in a while. Any suggestions?"
The post received more than 9,000 responses of people debating which modern-day heroes are so holy they deserve to become saints. We decided to rank the top 20 vote-getters based on how many likes they received after being nominated by a commenter.
The number one vote-getter won by a landslide.
(Note: Some people were mentioned multiple times, so the numbers on the posted comments aren't the only numbers that we considered.)
Here are the top 20 people "God's" followers believe should become saints.
Alex Trebek (1940 - 2020)
via Facebook/The Good God Above
"Who should be a saint?" for $800, Alex. Trebek was the host of "Jeopardy!" for 37 years and one of the most recognizable TV personalities of all time. He should be canonized for his calm presence on one of TV's most tense game shows.
Lemmy Kilmister (1945 - 2015)
Ian Fraser Kilmister was known worldwide by one name: Lemmy. The lead singer and bassist of Motörhead should be canonized for partying as hard as he rocked. "I don't do regrets," Lemmy once said. "Regrets are pointless. It's too late for regrets. You've already done it, haven't you? You've lived your life. No point wishing you could change it."
George Takei (1937 - )
Takei has had one of the greatest second acts in American life. He became a sci-fi legend and one of the first Asian-American TV stars in the late '60s as Sulu on "Star Trek." In the social media era he's become one of the most popular faces of trending content. He should be canonized for the incredible work he's done for the LGBTQ community.
Pope Francis (1936 - )
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis has been one of the most popular and controversial Popes of the modern era for his unapologetically progressive views. He should be canonized for his work on climate change reform.
Sir Terry Pratchett (1948 - 2015)
Pratchett was an English humorist, satirist and author of comic fantasy novels, including the "Discworld" series. He should be canonized for celebrating all of the quirky and strange things that happen in "real life."
Brandon Stanton (1984 - )
Stanton is an American author, photographer and blogger best known for "Humans of New York," a photoblog and book. He should be canonized for his portraits of strangers who share intimate stories of strength, addiction, redemption, regret and love.
David Bowie (1947 - 2016)
Bowie is one of the most enigmatic performers of the past century whose work highlighted the concept of the outsider, whether it was an astronaut in space or someone living outside of traditional gender norms. Bowie should be canonized for showing humanity that there are no limitations on who they can be and how they can change.
Sir David Attenborough (1926 - )
Sir David Attenborough is the undisputed father of the nature documentary. Throughout his eight-decade career, his gentle, awestruck voice has served as humanity's guide to nature. He should be canonized for "Life on Earth," his series that examined the role of evolution in nature.
Dr. Anthony Fauci (1940 - )
Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institutes of Health, has come to the forefront of American life for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He should be canonized for not losing his mind during former president Trump's long, rambling and factually inaccurate COVID briefings in 2020.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933 - 2020)
The "Notorious RBG" became a liberal, feminist icon for championing women's rights as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1993 to her death. She should be canonized for her strongly worded dissents in women's rights cases.
Robin Williams (1961 - 2014)
Williams was one of the most unique performers the world has ever seen. He completely changed American comedy with his intense, high-energy improvisational comedy performances on stage, TV and in film. He was also a talented actor, winning critical acclaim in films such as "Good Morning Vietnam," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Dead Poets Society." He should be canonized for his child-like love of whimsy.
Bob Ross (1942 - 1995)
Ross was the creator and host of "The Joy of Painting," an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on PBS. His infectious love of art, distinctive hair and gentle voice made him the ultimate calming presence. He should be canonized for teaching the world how to paint "happy little trees."
Elon Musk (1971 - )
Musk is the closest we'll have to a living Bond villain. He's a visionary billionaire who isn't shy about wanting to change the world, from how we travel to spend money. Like him or not, he should be canonized for creating the Tesla, a high-performance electric car that brought EVs into the mainstream.
George Carlin (1937 to 2008)
Carlin came to prominence as a counter-culture comic in the '70s where he was famous for outlining the "seven dirty words you can't say on television." However, clips of him from the late '90s and early 2000s where he eviscerates American greed, materialism and entitlement have made him still relevant to this day. He should be canonized for this incredible clip where he discusses the fact that there's a big club and "you're not in it."
"It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it."
George Carlin - It's A BIG Club & You Ain't In It!
Fred Rogers (1928 - 2003)
Rogers touched the lives of countless children from 1968 to 2001 as the host of PBS' "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." The puppeteer, songwriter and Presbyterian minister revolutionized children's television and should be canonized for changing the way we think about the inner lives of young children.
Jimmy Carter (1924 - )
Carter served as president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and his biggest accomplishment was the Camp David Accords that ended the Israeli-Egyptian disputes. His post-presidency life has been dedicated to humanitarianism causes through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Carter should be canonized for his humility and commitment to service.
Steve Irwin (1962 - 2006)
The "Crocodile Hunter" wowed audiences by fearlessly tangling with deadly snakes, spiders, lizards and crocodiles. But at his heart, he was a true lover of nature and wildlife, and an educator who shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for animals with millions. Irwin should be canonized for his many contributions to the field of wildlife education and conservation.
Dolly Parton (1946 - )
Parton is such a national treasure that when they began pulling down Confederate statues in Tennessee a few years back, there was a petition to have them replaced with statues of Dolly. As a musician, Parton has sung some of the biggest hits in country music history, including "I Will Always Love You" and "Islands in the Stream." But she has also been a generous philanthropist, helping charities that benefit children and veterans.
If you got the COVID-19 vaccine you should thank Dolly. In 2020, she donated $1 million to help fund vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dolly should be canonized for creating the Imagination Library that has donated more than 100 million books to children.
Bernie Sanders (1941 - )
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is one of the most beloved political figures in the United States because he has always stood on the side of the oppressed and the working class regardless of whether it was popular. He's refused to be bought by Wall Street and has stood up against the Department of Defense, the fossil fuel industry, drug companies and private prison industries.
He should be canonized for his relentless quest to provide healthcare for all Americans.
Keanu Reeves (1964 - )
Reeves is a beloved figure in Hollywood because of his kind, down-to-earth nature. There are countless anecdotes around the internet of Reeves going out of his way to please a fan or inviting a member of the paparazzi to his table to sit with him during dinner. "The internet's boyfriend" is also a gentleman who never touches women when taking a photo with them.
Reeves should be canonized for quietly donating millions to children's hospitals.