Keanu Reeves Beautifully Describes What He Loves About Acting

Keanu Reeves fashioned the most beautiful statement about why he loves acting while promoting his film The Matrix Resurrections on The Drew Barrymore Show. The Canadian-born performer began his career in the theatre, cutting his teeth on various musicals and Shakespearean plays at a young age. He first made his film debut in 1986 with the sports drama Youngblood. Three years later, Reeves broke through the Hollywood stratosphere by starring in the science fiction comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which went on to have several sequels.

Of course, Reeves’ star power arguably reached maximum brightness thanks to The Matrix in 1999. Spawning an equitable franchise, the three film series received a fourth installment in 2021 when Resurrections hit theaters and HBO Max. Reeves put in quite the press circuit to promote the highly-anticipated action flick, sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits and sizzling stories on several talk shows. Though it’s clear the star loves taking part in various dangerous stunts while playing Neo, for him, it all comes back to loving the acting process.

During a visit to The Drew Barrymore Show, Reeves explained to the famous host why he loves acting so much. His stunning answer was elicited by Barrymore asking Reeves when he feels the freest in his life. After a moment of reflection, the star told his longtime friend:

“Acting. My mom says I declared I wanted to be an actor when I was 15 and why would that person ask or say that. I recall when acting in school or doing Shakespeare – that sense of being free was play. It was fun. Make believe, but reality, connection, a group, collaboration… it’s shared. You commune, you tell a story. I love stories. Stories help us contextualize the world. I love what happens after someone says action. Then we begin – we’re in the moment. It’s fun. So I’m really grateful to be able to earn a living and try and have a career with something I love.”

Barrymore was visibly smitten with Reeves’ vulnerable response. For the actor, it all seems to boil down to having fun. He touched on the fact that acting forms communities and is a collaborative journey. He added that storytelling is a vital part of the world. However, in the end, it’s revealed at the moment after the director calls action that gives Reeves his freedom. He was giddy while speaking about his job, giggling as he mimicked hearing “action!“

Certainly being a successful actor is not something that Reeves takes for granted. He’s mentioned his gratitude for being able to do what he loves several times on The Matrix Resurrections press circuit alone. Leading with joy is perhaps a key ingredient to his success, with audiences feeling his passion come through the screen. That passion no doubt assists with the Matrix films, as Reeves also told Barrymore that the franchise is a love story with the main themes being rooted in humanity. It’s a cyclical process as Reeves feels free while making his movies and audiences are given freedom from their daily lives.