Keanu Reeves just does things differently and that’s a major reason as to why he so loved.
The massive Hollywood star walks in airports alone despite his fame and in addition, he isn’t afraid to turn down monster sequels, even if the money involved is huge like $12 million. Saying no to Speed 2 got him banned from Fox’s Studios, nonetheless, it did not deter his career one bit.
The same goes for this incident in question. Despite losing an immense market, fans still have the Matrix star’s back.
It Isn’t The First Time A Country Bans A Celebrity
Keanu Reeves really isn’t the first actor to be banned in China, nor will he be the last. The list also extends to performers such as popular pop stars.
According to Indie Wire, Richard Gere, Brad Pitt and Selena Gomez are just a few names to receive a ban for making an allegiance they were not pleased with.
“Richard Gere reportedly lost out on movie deals due to his stance on Tibet and close ties with the 14th Dalai Lama. Brad Pitt was also blacklisted in China due to his role in “Seven Years in Tibet,” and Selena Gomez was exiled for taking a picture with the Dalai Lama.”
Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are also names we can add to the list. Given the size of the market in China, some have issued apologies following statements made in order to not lose such a market.
We saw exactly that with John Cena, who was scrutinized by the media for apologizing to China, stating that he was “very very sorry,” for referring to Taiwan as a country.
Others haven’t been so apologetic about the ban and that includes Keanu Reeves.
Showing Support For Tibet Caused Backlash Overseas For Keanu Reeves
Taking part in a concert for Tibet caused China to turn on Keanu Reeves. Suddenly, all his films were taken down from streaming platforms across China.
Keanu’s biggest film were taken off across the board on the biggest streaming platforms. “Among the films affected were some of Reeves’ biggest hits like “Speed,” “The Matrix” trilogy, and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” per the LA Times.
When Insider searched the actor’s name in Chinese on iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Youku, no results were returned. Reeves’ talent representative did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.”
Despite the fact that losing this type of market can hurt Keanu, especially financially, he decided to keep quiet on the matter. In addition, what should not come as a surprise is the fact that his popularity and generosity still remains intact, without a soul changing their stance on the Matrix star.
Keanu Reeves’ Popularity And Support Remains Intact
Nope, Keanu’s popularity hasn’t faded one bit and we expect that to stay the same. This especially remains true among his co-stars, who always speak glowingly about the actor. Matrix co-star Ellen Hollman discussed what it is like to work with the legend and of course, there was not a single negative.
“Keanu Reeves is not someone who desires attention, does not desire the limelight, he does not desire acknowledgement nor does he desire accolades,” Hollman says, with some reverence. “He is by far the most humble artist that I have ever had the honor of meeting. As a fellow performer, who’s been in the industry over 20 years, I can say that his heart and his kindness are what has allowed him to become the megastar that he is today.”
Hollman would further discuss Keanu’s unique way to solving a production issue, “Anytime … there is some kind of discrepancy, which happens in production, he was the first one to solve the problem.” One time, during pre-production work in Germany, catering didn’t show up. “Because, Germany, there’s language barriers, things happen,” Hollman explains. “So, he would just have a food truck for everyone.”
Clearly, the actor remains as humble and great as ever in the eyes of many.