8 Reasons Why Keanu Reeves is a Contemporary Internet Icon

In the digital realm, the actor is unequivocally adored – he has repeatedly become the subject of viral memes, while the Twitter account "Keanu doing things," featuring random photographs of the actor without any particular semantic connotation, amasses thousands of likes. So, what exactly is it about the star of "The Matrix" and "John Wick" that users find so irresistible? There are, at the very least, eight explanations.

Sincere Person

In recent years, Reeves has managed to remain scandal-free. He has been romantically involved with numerous women, yet never flaunted his personal life. The actor often rides the subway and yields his seat to women, finding joy in engaging in conversation with the homeless. He has even been known to forsake a substantial portion of his earnings, just so that directors with limited budgets could afford to cast a significant actor – as happened with Al Pacino in "The Devil's Advocate" and Gene Hackman in "The Replacements." Quite recently, he made a surprise appearance at the wedding of some fans he serendipitously ran into at a bar.

Keanu – one of Hollywood's most authentic actors

Modest Reeves has never boasted about his star status. On one occasion, security personnel were hesitant to allow him to skip the queue at a movie premiere, failing to recognize the star in the modestly-dressed man. Even then, Reeves didn't leverage his status but dutifully joined the queue and stood in the rain, although a single phone call could have granted him instant access. On the set, he mingles with ordinary workers, generously treats them to lunches, and never loses his cool over others' mistakes – quite contrary to several of his temperamental colleagues, such as Edward Norton.

Young Keanu interacting with a homeless man

Generous

Of course, the rumors that Reeves gives all his earnings to the homeless, subsisting just above poverty, are unfounded – but it's true he allocates a lion's share of his income to charity. His sister, Kim, battled leukemia for a decade – and 70% of his remuneration for "The Matrix 4" (which is $9 million) went to leukemia research. After wrapping up the latest "John Wick" film, Reeves gifted every member of the stunt team Rolex Submariners watches, each valued at $55,000.

Furthermore, the actor supports the animal rights organization PETA, the SickKids foundation for pediatric disease research, and the cancer research program Stand Up To Cancer – and these are merely a few examples of Reeves' philanthropy, about which, by the way, he prefers to keep quiet. "Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I already have for the next few centuries," the actor believes.

Adoration for Fans

Reeves holds a deep affection for his fans. An illustration of this came during a conference for the game Cyberpunk 2077. When someone in the audience shouted: "You're breathtaking!," he responded: "No, you're breathtaking. You all are breathtaking." Often, women ask to take photographs with Keanu, and he always respects their personal boundaries by refraining from embracing them. Countless anecdotes exist online about Reeves giving fans rides home on his motorcycle.

Keanu refrains from hugging even his female fans

The Charm of John Wick

Alas, lately, Keanu's filmography has been punctuated with mediocre projects. The exception, however, is the "John Wick" trilogy, which cloaks almost primal violence in noir aesthetics. In the story, his character, the hitman John Wick, embarks on a warpath after mafia members kill John's dog – a gift from his beloved woman who passed away due to illness.

John Wick begins his revenge for the death of his beloved dog

Given the public's profound demand for humane treatment of pets, it's no surprise that the actions of his character seamlessly reflected onto Reeves himself. The actor is glad the movie highlighted the issue, and he even promoted T-shirts featuring his character with the caption "Be kind to animals, or I'll kill you."

The John Wick T-shirts even appealed to Keanu himself

Meme Man

Of course, Keanu is aware of the multitude of memes featuring him, yet he takes the ideal position on this: he's not opposed to internet users using his image in this way, but neither does he capitalize on it. He could easily do so, say, by selling merchandise or leveraging the "Sad Keanu" or "Suspicious Keanu" images to boost popularity.

Just a fraction of the memes featuring Keanu Reeves

Knows How to Properly Praise Others

Reeves is so popular because he knows how to say words that motivate people. Whenever he receives any award, he spends a great deal of time acknowledging the contributions of those around him.

Once, a reporter jokingly said that the actor simply can't accept compliments, to which he responded with even more praises for others. Such behavior is incredibly endearing — hence why people associate Keanu with warmth and soulfulness, qualities sadly not seen in everyone today.

Doesn't Age (?)

This, of course, is not true. Even Keanu is not spared by time. As he himself said at the premiere of "John Wick 4":

Yeah man, I age. I really — I age. It's happening, man.

Yet, the actor does look significantly younger than his age, and the internet periodically brings up new "evidence" suggesting that the actor has been around at least since the Renaissance. If any person could become immortal, it's heartening to believe that it would be the good guy, Keanu.