Keanu Reeves has had a long and fruitful career in Hollywood. From his early acting days in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure to the action-packed four movies in John Wick franchise, he continues to be one of the greatest movie stars. This didn’t all happen without learning a few things along the way, though. The Matrix actor recently opened up about something he learned early on in his career that has stuck with him.
The 58-year-old actor talked about the early days of his career, which saw him cut his teeth with commercials while he was in his early 20s. Like many actors, he was privy to the audition system, where he would have to continuously test for parts, hoping that something would stick. Many of these tryouts were held during the early hours of the day, and that commonality caused the eventual superstar to have an epiphany. In a YouTube short, he revealed:
I did a corn flakes commercial…. That’s when I learned like, 'Okay, don’t have an audition before 11 am.' I’m not a morning guy.
This makes a lot of sense. It’s hard to perform your best if you’re drowsy and not in an alert frame of mind. Auditions famously don’t always give actors a lot of time, so needing to be on your A-game is essential. Not being a morning person at an 8:00 am audition would definitely be a hindrance. While some stars, like Dwayne Johnson, find energy in an early morning workout routine, that certainly doesn’t apply to everyone. The Speed alum went on to say that he also had another rule for himself when it came to auditioning for commercials specifically, saying:
Anyway… like if I didn’t like the product, I wouldn’t go on the audition.
When you’re a spokesperson for a product, it’s important to believe in the item you’re selling. Otherwise, your delivery may not feel genuine. Keanu Reeves seemingly understood that very early on in his career. Oftentimes, young actors will take whatever job they can get. It’s nice to know that even in his struggling actor days, Reeves still had principles.
It's not so surprising to hear that the star had principles for himself even as a young actor, considering where he is today. And his co-stars don’t seem to say enough great things about him, as there’s always some kind anecdote about the actor circulating. John Wick newcomer Rina Sawayama revealed that the movie star was incredibly welcoming on set, acting as a mentor to the first time actors. The A-lister is also great with his admirers, as evidenced by a viral video of him interacting with a young Toy Story 4 fan. Needless to say, he appears to be an incredibly grounded person.
Fans of Keanu Reeves are surely looking forward to seeing what he decides to do next. And any casting agents looking to tap him for a future production may want to do themselves a favor and schedule any potential auditions in the afternoon, at the earliest.
You can catch the star in the latest addition to his filmography, John Wick Chapter 4, which is now available to rent now on Amazon. You can also read up on some of the best performances from Keanu Reeves in every decade, which includes some of the most iconic films from his career. For more information on other films coming to theaters and VOD later this year, make sure to consult our schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
