Keanu Reeves got a little emotional during a recent interview when The Late Show host Stephen Colbert brought up The Matrix, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. After a long pause, the actor assured that the movie had changed his life, then acknowledged its influence on movie fans. “The amount of people that I have met who have said to me and been touched by The Matrix in such a positive way,” he said. “It’s the best.”

One of Hollywood’s most beloved stars, Keanu has been in a reflective mood of late. With seven projects in the pipeline, the actor, who turns 60 September 2, isn’t slowing down, but that looming birthday has him feeling philosophical. “I’m 59, so I’m thinking about death all the time,” he told BBC news, adding that he felt that was a good thing. “Hopefully, it’s not crippling, but hopefully it’s sensitized [us] to an appreciation of the breath we have, and the relationships that we have the potential to have.”

Keanu Reeves Overcame a Tragic Past

It’s a hard-won sentiment. The man behind the “Sad Keanu” meme has truly had to overcome tragedy in his life. Raised by single mom Patricia Taylor, who moved around and eventually settled in Canada, he was estranged from his father, Samuel Reeves, who died in 2018. Paul Aaron, a theater and movie director his mom was briefly wed to encouraged him to get a gofer job on a movie set. Keanu was drawn to acting and made his debut on a Canadian TV series in 1984.

After a move to Los Angeles, the young actor faced a series of losses, including the death of his friend River Phoenix in 1993. Then, in his mid-30s, Keanu and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Syme, suffered an unbearable loss when she gave birth eight months into her pregnancy and the couple’s child was stillborn. Tragically, Jennifer was killed in an auto accident in 2001. Keanu, who plays bass in the band Dogstar and has published books of poetry, has said his 2016 book of verse, Shadows, was his way of processing his grief. “Even [to] be inspired by it,” he later said, adding that he didn’t want “to be trapped inside it … [The book] just put things in a new shape that I could carry.”

Known for his extraordinary generosity on set — the motorcycle enthusiast famously gave each of the Matrix stuntmen Harley Davidsons — the actor also spent a decade caring for his sister, Kim, after she was diagnosed with leukemia. (She’s currently in remission.) His kindness stands out in Hollywood. “It’s about doing the right thing,” an insider exclusively tells Closer. “He’s done a world of good for a lot of people.” But he pooh-poohs his reputation for selflessness. “I love owning things, I love having stuff,” he recently insisted. “I’m certainly not going to present myself as someone who gives everything away.”

Keanu Reeves Has Done a ‘World of Good’ as He Approaches 60

Keanu Reeves Found Love With Alexandra Grant

For the past five years, Keanu has been happily dating artist Alexandra Grant. The pair were friends and artistic collaborators — they worked together on the 2011 book Ode to Happiness and cofounded a publishing company in 2017 — before things turned romantic. “Keanu has found a soulmate in Alexandra,” says the insider. “She brings a calming stability to his life that wasn’t there before. He’s content in this relationship.”

The admiration goes both ways. In a rare 2023 interview, the 51-year-old opened up about their connection, gushing that Keanu — who’s just released his first novel, The Book of Elsewhere — is “such an inspiration” to her, adding, “He’s so creative, he’s so kind. He works so hard.” And, after a lifetime of loss and success, he seems to have found a deep sense of peace. “He’s a sensitive and sweet soul,” says the insider. “Keanu may be one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, but it hasn’t changed who he is. There’s nothing false about him.”