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From ‘Speed’ to ‘John Wick’! See Hollywood Hunk Keanu Reeves’ Transformation Through the Years

Keanu Reeves established himself as an iconic Hollywood actor over the years, but it took hard work and determination to get there. From his days starring opposite Sandra Bullock in Speed to cementing his status as a star in John Wick, Keanu has transformed his career many times throughout the last few decades.

The handsome heartthrob was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, to his mom, Patricia Bond, and father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr. However, Keanu’s parents divorced just four years later and he moved from Beirut with his mother. They first relocated to Sydney, Australia, and then to New York City before finally settling down in Toronto, Canada.

During his childhood in Canada, Keanu attended several schools, including a private Catholic high school and a prestigious performing arts school. It wasn’t acting that he had a passion for, though, as he showed a ton of interest in playing hockey.

The Matrix star even had aspirations to become a professional hockey player, according to People. Unfortunately, his plans were derailed when he got injured near the end of his high school career.

After giving up on his academic education following high school, Keanu began taking acting courses at night. The award-winning star appeared in a handful of community theater productions in Canada before moving to Los Angeles in 1986.

That same year, he made his film debut in River’s Edge. His casting in the crime film lead to roles in 1989’s Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, 1990’s I Love You to Death, 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula and many more.

It was in 1994 when everything changed for Keanu. The Point Break actor got his first taste of mainstream success when he starred alongside Sandra in Speed. He then solidified his spot as a Hollywood A-lister with the Matrix franchise in 1999.

Since then, Keanu has appeared in tons of hit blockbuster films over the years, including 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give, 2006’s The Lake House, 2014’s John Wick, 2018’s Siberia and most recently, 2020’s Bill and Ted Face the Music.

The 47 Ronin star has also been successful in terms of his personal life as he’s dating his girlfriend, Alexandra Grant. Although the two have yet to reveal plans to tie the knot, the visual artist — whom he first met in 2009 — has most definitely won over Keanu’s mom.

“What Patricia loves most about Alexandra is her caring nature and the fact that she’s with Keanu for who he is rather than his fame and money,” an insider exclusively told Closer Weekly in February. “She’s seen a huge change in Keanu since they started dating — he’s more positive about life. Seeing her son so happy makes her happy!”

Scroll through the gallery below to see Keanu’s transformation through the years!