The Real Reason Keanu Reeves Nearly Changed His Name
Can you imagine a world without Keanu Reeves? An impeccable actor who has broken the mold with roles in "The Devil's Advocate," "The Matrix," and the "John Wick" series, Reeves slowly established himself as an action hero and a star able to adapt to any challenge provided. On top of that, Reeves is also known for his generosity, his humble demeanor, and willingness to lend a helping hand.
But don't just take our word for it, as his actions speak for themselves. Per the Mirror, Reeves has anonymously donated large sums of money to children's hospitals on numerous occasions. When pressed about it, the private actor stated, "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." Furthermore, he revealed, "I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does."
He has also willingly taken pay cuts in favor of crew members on set and even gifted "John Wick" stuntmen a number of expensive Rolex watches as a token of gratitude. There was almost a time, however, when the name "Keanu Reeves" almost didn't come to be, as the actor had to consider changing his name to achieve Hollywood success. Here's why.
Keanu Reeves' agents wanted to change his name
Yep, you read that right: Keanu Reeves almost had to change his iconic name at the behest of his agents, he once revealed on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Arriving in Tinseltown at the age of 20, Reeves had stars in his eyes and big dreams to fulfill. Unfortunately, Reeves' Hollywood arrival came at a time where the cultural zeitgeist was controlled by white male forces — one where any form of extraneous ethnicity was frowned upon, he explained.
In an interview with Us Weekly (per Whoa Is (Not) Me), Reeves revealed that his agents wanted to change his name upon arrival due to its perceived "ethnicity." "That was a terrible, terrible phase, which lasted about a month. I had driven across the country, and the day that I arrived on these shores, I was informed that my manager and my agent at the time were having trouble getting me in to see some casting agents because of my name," Reeves revealed. "It had an ethnicity to it that they found was getting in the way."
After being told that it was crucial he alter his moniker, the "John Wick" star explained, rightly so, that "that freaked me out completely." He then "came up with names like Page Templeton III. And Chuck [Spadina] [because my] middle name is Charles." He noted that he settled for KC Reeves, which he lamented as "terrible," and revealed, "When I would go to auditions, I'd tell them my name was Keanu anyway."
Keanu Reeves' name has a beautiful meaning
Fortunately, Keanu Reeves was eventually able to settle the dispute and used his real name. (Otherwise, there would be no "Constantine"s, no "John Wick"s, no "Matrix"s ("Matrices?"), no nothing. Plus, his instance on using his given moniker was certainly a win against racism. But where exactly does Reeves' name come from, and what does it mean?
According to American Ancestors, Reeves comes from a very diverse and multicultural background. The outlet notes that not only was the actor born in Beirut, Lebanon, but he also has British, Hawaiian, and Portuguese ancestry. Biography notes that the star actually has Chinese-Hawaiian heritage, which stems from his father's side. (Per his IMDb bio, Reeves' dad was born in Hawaii, and his mother hails from England.)
Furthermore, Baby Names reveals that the name "Keanu" means "cool mountain breeze" in Hawaiian. A nifty name certainly befitting of one of Hollywood's most zen stars!