Keanu Reeves was born Sept. 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, to a showgirl mother and a Hawaiian father (Keanu roughly translates as "cool breeze over the mountain"). Raised in Canada, Reeves was a high school hockey champ but dropped out to pursue acting, making his debut in 1985's Youngblood.

The River's Edge was Reeves's Hollywood debut, and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure started the Keanu cult. His British accent in Bram Stoker's Dracula and Much Ado About Nothing won few critics, and My Own Private Idaho was too offbeat for many.

But 1994's surprise hit Speed provided a lead that perfectly fit his on-screen persona. He surprised all by passing on the sequel, but what a rebound: As Neo in 1999's The Matrix (and two sequels), Reeves became a pop-culture icon. The Devil's Advocate, The Gift and Something's Gotta Give (2003) proved that Reeves can act without special effects. ... - from Netflix