Even though Keanu Reeves has worked across genres, he is best known today for his action flicks, including The Matrix, Man of Tai Chi, and of course the John Wick franchise. Seeing Keanu Reeves’ buttery smooth moves in a fight sequence, you just know the man was made for action movies.
However, he didn’t always want things to pan out this way. Despite his most prominent role being that of an assassin you don’t want to mess with, Keanu Reeves turned down a huge role because it involved violence. The film was none other than Oliver Stone’s 1986 war film, Platoon.
When Keanu Reeves Said No to Violence
Oliver Stone’s Platoon was released in 1986 and made $138 million at the box office on a budget of just $6 million. The film stars Charlie Sheen in the lead role where he plays a U.S. Army volunteer. Stone not only served as the director of the film but also wrote the story. He based Platoon on his personal experience as a U.S. infantry soldier in Vietnam.
If things had turned out differently for Platoon, Keanu Reeves’ name would have replaced Sheen’s in the ensemble. Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Stone was asked about other actors who were considered for the role of Chris Taylor, including Reeves, Kyle MacLachlan, and Johnny Depp. Stone replied,
“That’s right, Keanu turned it down because of the violence. He didn’t want to do violence.”
Bear in mind that the film was made in the 1980s. It was only in 1989, three years after Platoon’s release, that Reeves found his breakthrough role in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Who knows, maybe if Reeves had agreed to get on board the Platoon wagon, he could have found his ticket to fame a few years early.
Platoon went on to get nominated for eight Academy Awards in 1987 out of which it won four, including Best Picture and Best Director. Not only this, but the film found its way to the National Film Registry which preserves films for their cultural, historical, and aesthetic contributions.
Things Have Changed Since 1986
Reeves’ action flicks are a genre of their own with their nail-biting fight sequences. And there is no way we can forget the iconic John Wick franchise when we talk about the actor’s contribution to the genre. With four films down, Chad Stahelski’s John Wick has revamped the genre that was getting rather repetitive.
It’s ironic how the man who didn’t want to do anything with violence is now the face of one of the most iconic action characters of all time. And if you ever wondered just how many kills John Wick has to his name in the franchise, we are here to feed your curiosity.
In the film that started it all, John Wick kills a total number of 77 people. In John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the assassin has 128 and 94 kills respectively. Breaking his own record, John Wick killed about 140 people in the recent installment of the franchise, bringing the grand total to 439. It looks like Reeves is now quite comfortable when it comes to playing violent characters, isn’t he?
The John Wick franchise is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
