Shia LaBeouf Once Revealed He Didn't Think Keanu Reeves Was a Great Actor Before 'Constantine'
Actor Keanu Reeves once got together with film legend Shia LaBeouf for the 2005 film Constantine. LaBeouf learned a lot during his time with the film legend and was impressed by how much of a hard worker Reeves was.
Shia LaBeouf didn’t think Keanu Reeves was a great actor before working with him in ‘Constantine’
Shia LaBeouf had the opportunity to work with Reeves on the 2005 supernatural film Constantine. In a 2005 interview with Paul Fischer, the outspoken star commented how he didn’t expect much from Reeves’ acting. But working with him changed his opinion on The Matrix star.
“I had my preconceived notions, like anybody else, he’s the whoa guy, or the guy in Speed, he’s Keanu Reeves, he’s not a great actor,” Reeves said. “That’s what I thought walking in. And the truth is, and this is not a lie, I’ve never seen anybody prepare as much as Keanu Reeves in my life. And I have so much respect for him now than I ever did, and I understand why he has a career.”
LaBeouf also felt that Reeves’ talent was improving, while also singing high praises for his Constantine performance.
“The thing with Keanu is an actor is 50% choice, 50% talent, and Keanu’s choices are unreal, and his talent is getting there. He’s there, he’s getting better with every role, and I think that this is his best role ever, I think he’s really believable and the audience vibes with him,” LaBeouf continued. “First of all, I’ve never seen anyone prepare like that, and I’ve never seen anybody so unjaded, he’s such a veteran and he’s still works and treats himself like it’s his first film.”
Keanu Reeves once joked he was pretty bad at acting
As is the case with most actors, Reeves got his start in the film industry at a young age. He was introduced to the art of filmmaking through his stepfather, who worked as a director. One summer, his stepfather hired a 15-year-old Keanu Reeves as a production assistant.
“I was watching the grips, I was watching actors, I was seeing how a film set really works, the call-sheets, the generator, the lights, the lunchtimes,” he once told The Guardian.
After his experience on the film set, Reeves studied acting and would eventually pursue it as a career. At 20, he left his hometown in Toronto and began auditioning in Hollywood. This led to Reeves starring in a few notable films in his early 20s like River’s Edge and Bill & Ted. His journey would lead to Reeves becoming one of the biggest actors in Hollywood.
Although Reeves was a star on the rise, the actor once quipped that he didn’t have a high opinion of his acting abilities.
“Well… I don’t know if I’m acting now, I’m pretty bad,” he once said in a resurfaced interview on The Wrap. “I mean, I’m OK, but I hate acting most of the time that I do it.”
Back then it seemed that Reeves had other passions he was ready to explore aside from film.
“I have other interests,” he continued. “But none as all-consuming as this godawful job.”
Keanu Reeves revealed he wanted to get as much work done in acting as possible
Reeves has had a long and prolific career in Hollywood, and the actor has no intention of slowing down. This is because he wants to add as much to his legacy as possible during his older years.
“I’ve wanted to get as much done as I can before that turning tape runs out… How old am I now, 57? Around the time I hit 40, there was this idea of creating more from my artistic loins,” he said.
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