Keanu Reeves has been known to be the most generous and selfless Hollywood celebrity, and his good deeds spread across his coworkers, charities, and especially his family. When his sister was diagnosed with leukemia, he halted his job to care for her and spent millions on her treatment. Today, he prefers a quiet and modest life, despite being worth millions of dollars.
Actor Keanu Reeves has been a Hollywood heartthrob since he joined the entertainment industry as a teen. He started his career in theatre productions and TV before making his film debut as Heaver in the sports drama “Youngblood.”
The Canadian-raised actor landed his breakthrough role playing Ted in the 1989 science fiction comedy “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” reprising his role in the film sequels. From there, he hit the ground running, playing the diverse roles of a hustler in “My Own Private Idaho” and an action hero in “Speed” and “Point Break.”
Reeves’ earlier films were not well received until his performance in the 1997 “The Devil’s Advocate.” However, true stardom only came when he took on the role of Neo in the science fiction “The Matrix,” a film about a computer-simulated program created to enslave the human race.
But despite his success in film, Reeves has managed to maintain a private life away from the prying eye of the paparazzi. In addition to being a renowned actor, he is a loving brother to his sisters.
Karina Miller is Reeves’ younger half-sister, born to his mother, Patricia, and her fourth husband, Robert Miller. Karina and Reeves share a distinctively close relationship, and she looks up to him in her career matters.
While she is not an actress, Karina also works in the film industry with a career behind the scenes. She owns a production company called Sparkhouse, and some of her production credits include “Semper Fi,” “To The Bone,” “Emily in Paris,” and “Hail Mary.”
Karina and Reeves have often been spotted together during red-carpet events, and their close bond is easy to spot from miles away. She is always grateful to have him as a brother and commented about his support, saying:
“He’s always been so supportive and so protective of me doing my own thing. I always really appreciate that.”
The “Constantine” actor and his older sister, Kim, are also incredibly close. In addition to being her brother, she greatly admires him and considers him her “prince,” explaining:
“He listens to every word, to every comma after every word, that you are saying.”
Like her younger brother, Kim is also an actress with several hit films under her belt, including “Samurai Vampire Bikers from Hell” and “The Color of Water.” Unfortunately, she had to halt her budding career after she was diagnosed with leukemia in 1991.
Lucky for her, she had her brother, who cared and did everything he could to see her get well. Shortly after her diagnosis, Reeves became her primary caregiver, held her hand the entire time, and helped her through recovery after a decade of struggling with the illness.
In addition to halting his career—”The Matrix” sequels were delayed so he could care for his sister— Reeves also reportedly sold his home to be closer to her and spent $5 million on therapy to help his sister recover. And he had good reason to be by her side:
“She was always there for me, you know. I will always be here for her.”
In response to his sister’s battle with blood cancer, Reeves founded a private cancer foundation that aids children’s hospitals and provides cancer research.
He also donates millions of dollars to cancer charities but prefers to keep all his good deeds to himself. During interviews, he often chooses not to talk much about the foundation as it draws attention to himself.
The story does have a happy ending as his sister, after a decade of battling the illness, did go into remission and remains cancer-free today. According to Distractify, she leads a quiet life in Rome.
But despite caring so much about his sister, Kim, Reeves has an almost non-existent relationship with his youngest half-sister, Emma Reeves.
An Estranged Sister and a Non-existent Relationship With His Dad
Reeves’ father, geologist Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., and his mother, costume designer Patricia Taylor, separated when Reeves was only a toddler. Sources claim that Patricia left because of her husband’s stint with drug use and addiction.
She moved to Sydney, Australia, then to New York, where she remarried and had a daughter, Karina, before relocating to Canada, where she raised her children.
The “John Wick” actor’s father also remarried and had a daughter, Emma Rose. However, Emma and Reeves have never been as close as the actor is with his two other sisters, Kim and Karina.
The choice to not be close appears one-sided, and Reeves’ sister is desperate for a relationship with her brother. In 2003, Emma did an interview where she said she would love to get to know her brother on a personal level.
Emma clarified that she did not want anything from her big brother, not his money or popularity by association—she only wanted to get to know him and have a relationship with him.
She shared that while she’s watched all his movies and read numerous articles about him, it was not the same as knowing him in person, something she had always desired.
Their relationship remains estranged, and while Emma has been open about her desire to have a relationship with her big brother, Reeves remains mute about the topic. Only a little is known about Emma as she has chosen a very low-key life with no photos of her available on the internet.
Even though Reeves has not openly spoken about why he remains estranged from his younger sister, he has been an open book concerning his relationship with his father, which seems connected in the grand scheme of things.
The heartbreaking story between father and son began when Samuel abandoned his family when Reeves and Kim were only toddlers. Growing up without a father affected his life in numerous ways.
Despite being an absentee father, his actions have always negatively affected Reeves. When Samuel was arrested for drug possession in the 90s and sentenced to ten years behind bars, Reeves did not seem bothered and said:
“It’s his life, man. I hope he’s well. Whatever that means.”
The “Chain Reaction” actor confessed that his and his dad’s story was full of pain, woe, and loss, and despite his father’s efforts to get in touch with him, the actor pays him no mind.
Samuel admitted to blaming himself for his broken relationship with his son, noting that his shifty lifestyle and drug addiction pushed the wedge further into their already damaged relationship.
His last memory of his son was in Hawaii, splashing around in the water. He recalls how he would lift and hold Reeves, then 11, whenever the water would rush around their legs:
“Then this big old wave really almost swept us right out. I caught my boy just as he was being sucked away by knee-deep water.”
With his son shutting him out, Samuel could only watch from a distance but says he has seen his son go through the star-studded moments of success and even the harrowing ones, like losing his daughter and his child’s mother, Jennifer Syme.
In Reeves’ eyes, his relationship with his dad was beyond repair, and his reaction to his dad going to jail was of someone that was not ready for a reconciliation. Samuel noted that Reeves had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with him, a hard fact that he had to accept, albeit unwillingly.
He said it hurt when his son said his life was tragic and confessed that he did not imagine things would have gotten so far out of hand. However, he maintained that he would always love his son:
“But he’ll always be my boy.”
A family member shed light on how damaged the father-son relationship between Reeves and Samuel was, noting that Reeves would always resent his father for abandoning his family.
The family member disclosed that due to his father leaving, Reeves had a rough childhood and lived in the shadow of his father’s drug addiction. However, the loss may also have worked in Reeves’ favor as it lit a fuse in him that led him to pursue acting. Acting kept him from overthinking and going down the wrong path.
Unfortunately, Samuel passed away on January 26, 2018, before the two could reconcile. And while there still may be hope for the actor and his sister Emma to start a relationship, only time will tell.
Reeves Prefers a Humble, Down-To-Earth Life despite Being Worth Millions of Dollars
Reeves remains one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, with an estimated net worth of $380 million. The actor reportedly makes up to $15 million per movie and has garnered wealth from his numerous roles, including appearing in “The Matrix,” “John Wick,” and many others.
Unlike many actors whose path to stardom is rough and uncertain, Reeves’ path to fame was pretty simple. He says he got into sports but enjoyed the performing arts immensely. The actor declared he wanted to be an actor at 15, and by the time he was 18, he had already played Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet,” and was catering to his expenses.
At 20, he served as a correspondent on “Going Great,” a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and within two years, he starred in “Babes in Toyland.”
Over the years, he accumulated plenty of wealth, reportedly earning between $1 million and $2 million for appearing in the original “John Wick,” and between $2 million and $2.5 million for “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.” He made an astounding $250 million for “The Matrix” movies.
Despite his vast wealth, he maintains that money is the last thing he thinks about. He shared that he could comfortably live on what he’s already made for the next few centuries.
In a since-deleted Facebook post in 2015, Reeves disclosed that he was among the few Hollywood stars without a mansion or bodyguards. He does not wear fancy clothes, and even if he can comfortably afford flashy cars, he preferred to ride the subway and loves it.
And while he can afford a luxury house or even extended stays in expensive hotels, he said he preferred a much simpler life:
“I give lots away and live simply, mostly out of a suitcase in hotels. We all know that good health is much more important.”
Over the years, Reeves has become an ardent giver and often donates to charities. A friend of the actor once disclosed that Reeves was embarrassed by how much money he makes and has made it his life mission to give away his wealth. The family friend said:
“Keanu’s given away a lot of money and done a lot more for people than most will ever know.”
Reports claimed the actor had donated 70% of his salary from “The Matrix” to cancer research. While it turned out he didn’t, it does not take away the fact that he has done plenty of charity work and remains one of the most selfless stars known to give generously to his co-workers, food service employees, and his family.
He has been known to gift one of his stuntmen on “The Matrix Reloaded” with his Harley-Davidson bike and another his Rolex Submariner watch, estimated to cost thousands of dollars.
And now, stunt performers love working with Reeves, not only because of the gifts but because he is one of the few stars that take them seriously and credits them with contributing to his success.
Reeves has made the film experience memorable, from wowing fans as a teen heartthrob to making them cry with his story of loss in “John Wick.” He inspires many with his movies, while many others love him for his humble lifestyle and selfless nature.
