Keanu Reeves may be best known for his action-packed roles in The Matrix and John Wick, but it’s his quiet acts of generosity that continue to define him off-screen.
Long regarded as one of the kindest figures in Hollywood, Reeves once donated a major portion of his earnings from the first Matrix film to fund leukaemia research.
The generous gesture followed his sister Kim’s diagnosis with the disease in 1991.
Reeves, who starred as Neo in the 1999 sci-fi hit, was reportedly paid $10 million upfront and went on to earn $35 million from the film.
He chose to donate a major portion of that paycheck after witnessing Kim’s decade-long fight with cancer, which eventually ended in remission.
Keanu put everything aside to take care of her in the early ’90s, becoming her main caregiver.
He even chose to sell his house so he could live closer to her.
Reflecting on their bond, Reeves once shared, “She was always there for me, you know. I will always be here for her.”
But the actor’s generosity didn’t stop with that donation.
He also founded a private charitable foundation dedicated to supporting cancer research and children’s hospitals.
Reeves has hardly ever talked about the charity because he doesn’t want it tied to his fame.
In a 2009 interview with Ladies Home Journal, he explained, “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.”
“I don’t like to attach my name to it,” he added.
“I just let the foundation do what it does.”
More recently, Reeves made headlines for gifting each member of his John Wick: Chapter 4 stunt team a Rolex Submariner watch, each worth over $9,000, as a thank-you gesture for their work.
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