In my 18 years of living, I have never ever liked an actor beyond their roles in movies and television shows. Sure, I would geek out about their characters, but nothing more than that. 

That is until I watched John Wick for the first time. Fascinated by the sheer will to kill and the cemented determination in the eyes, I was captivated (more like swooned) by Keanu Reeves’s performance as an assassin. On top of that, the portrayal of John Wick, a calm and composed man never wasteful of his bullets, left me in awe. Because, wow, he can assassinate me anytime!

Prior to watching, I was aware of the hype around the actor who played John Wick. Keanu Reeves, loved by many, is an actor harboring a comforting aura with a tinge of awkwardness and animated hand movements. With virtually no haters, he is Hollywood’s treasure who led a quiet and humble life. Albeit aware, I didn’t understand the frenzy and hype until I finished John Wick, when I hurried to find the sequel on my YouTube TV account. 

“Man, I have to wait two weeks?” I sighed. Upon finding John Wick Chapter 2 on YouTube TV, I was slapped with the reality that the movie had not yet been recorded. Two weeks without Keanu Reeves’s swag and coolness was not a pleasant experience that I would like to go through, so I raked through all my streaming apps the next day for Keanu Kontent. Then I remembered: The Matrix Trilogy. In short, the series did nothing but further my liking towards the actor as I realized that he was swaggy and cool even in his younger years. 

Some, including my parents, notified me that I was late to the party, the Keanu Reeves Appreciation Party. But hey, I’m just glad I made it. Never did I think that I would derive emotional support from Keanu Reeves during these stressful times, but here I am. Between filling out supplements for college and procrastinating on calculus homework, I am watching Keanu Reeves talk about his motorcycle collection and company or revisiting that one clip of Neo fighting Agent Smith unbothered. 

So thank you, Keanu Reeves, for making me feel less insane during college application season. I thought I was going about to lose my sense of self thanks to the endless intervals of retrospection and introspection, but your acting transported me from my desk to otherworldly (literally) worlds, allowing me to take a break from all the chaos. Your humbleness in real life contrasts the formidable and powerful characters you play, reminding me to stay true to myself while strategically maneuvering through life. The action-packed scenes in your movies offer rushes of adrenaline, and it makes me want to be just as confident and cool and swaggy as your characters. Even though the instilled confidence may be temporary, the confidence boost doesn’t get any less than the first time I watched it. 

It’s arguably an unhealthy fix to base my emotional health on a celebrity, but Keanu Reeves is simply on another level. With that said, Mr. Keanu Reeves, you are breathtaking. 

Photo courtesy of CHEATSHEET.COM