Why Keanu?

I remember the moment when I realized that I would always love Keanu Reeves. It was during the opening credits of Point Break. The rain was falling down and this beautiful soaking-wet, young man came out and started shooting these targets. There is this one scene where he looks over his shoulder: the epitome of male beauty. That's how it started. Before that I saw a few of his roles and I like him but Point Break was the starting point of my one-sided love affair. Ever since then, Keanu has held a special place in my heart. I've gritted my teeth when people have disparaged his acting, calling him "Ted", again and again. Saying that he sounds like a surfer dude. I've rolled my eyes at peoples' comments about him being untalented. I've tried to ignore peoples' mean-spirited innuendoes about him being gay. And still I've loved him. And I always will. Why do I love him? Let me try to tell you.

1.He is totally unique--whether or not you like his acting or his looks, you would have to admit that there is only one Keanu Reeves.

• Even his name is different. Keanu means "Cool Breeze Over The Mountains." Paired with Reeves, it's just very different sounding.
• He's a delightful mix of English, Lebanese, and Chinese ethnicities.
• Then there is his dulcet, low voice. Only one man speaks that particular way. I know his voice without even seeing him onscreen.
• He also has a singular walk that I've never seen in another person. I find it very sexy.
• What about his lack of shallow, materialistic Hollywood values? It was years before the man bought a house.
• And as far as his acting career, you can't pigeonhole him. He's played naive boys in the first blush of love, a redneck wifebeater (very well too), drug addicts, a male hustler, a serial killer, a religious figure (twice if you count Neo), a cop, a world-weary demon fighter, a football player, even a sleazy Little League coach. Heck he even played the son of the Devil. How many actors can boost this filmography?

2.On to point two, did I mention that he's incredibly generous?

• He lovingly takes care of his family--he's given limitless millions to help his sister Kim in her fight against cancer. He's bought homes for them too.
• And on the set of the Matrix movies, he gave up part of his salary so that the crew could get paid more. And at the end of the shoot he bought each and every stuntman a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
• He's even been caught on camera giving homeless people money.
• He's also very generous with himself when he meets fans. He's always very friendly to fans and goes out of his way to be receptive to them. At Comic Con last year, he told a fan to come upstage even though the security didn't want him too. And he accepted her gift, a book that he already had with the gentle grace that personifies him.

3.I mentioned his film career but I'm going back there. When he takes a role, he is that person. He's not Keanu Reeves. He doesn't care about awards or recognition, he loves to act and he loves to be part of the movie-making process. It's not about the money to him. And I've never seen a better kisser on the big screen. Whenever I see him kiss a co-star, I fervently wish I was that lucky actress. His passion is evident and seductive to the viewer.

4.He doesn't let anyone define who he should be.

• How many rumors have the faithful fans heard about him being gay? He doesn't deny it because he doesn't care what people think about him.
• As far as his music career, he did that out of love for it, not for recognition. Seeing him play with Dogstar, I can tell you that he was into it. He wasn't there for him to be the star of the show.

5.He's low key in his private life.

• He's not one of those stars who eagerly courts public moments so his picture will be in all the movie magazines. He lives his life just out of the limelight.
• And the man doesn't kiss and tell. He's notoriously private about his love life. Sure there are rumors but he's not on the front page of US Weekly and The Enquirer like a lot of actors and actresses.

6.Okay, I won't deny that his physical beauty is a big part of it. I couldn't deny it.

• He has this wonderful, soulful face with beautiful dark eyes that have a slight Asian tilt to them.
• That dark, luxurious hair that makes you want to run your fingers through it.
• The mysterious smile of his that makes a grown woman sigh.
• He's so tall and lithe. Sometimes he's muscular and sometimes he's almost too thin, but he's always physical and alive. For that reason he's so great at those roles that demand physicality like The Matrix movies or Speed.

My love for Keanu has spanned almost twenty years. I've enjoyed watching many of his films...from The Night Before to the upcoming Constantine. And it keeps growing. Just seeing the joy and the modest thanks on his face when he got his Star on the Walk of Fame on Jan 31 enriched my love for him. I cried for him when he lost his daughter and his ex-girlfriend. I suffer with him about his sister who has cancer. I can identify because my dad died of cancer. Whether he's Neo or Constantine or Jack Traven, he's always going to be the one and only Keanu Reeves. My favorite actor ever. In some small way a part of my life. If you know me you know how much I love him. So I guess you know by now why I love Keanu. Maybe I didn't convince you , but at least you won't have to ask anymore.