Keanu Reeves Claims He Had No Idea the Internet Loves Him
At this point, failing to notice that Keanu Reeves has been everywhere lately would be something of an accomplishment. Over the past few months, the 54-year-old actor has appeared on-screen in roles as varied as John Wick and a parody of himself; been named the new face of Saint Laurent; and, most recently, been dutifully promoting his upcoming film Toy Story 4. Oh, and he’s also gone viral for everything from posing for photos with women to buying ice cream to responding to a question about what happens after death.
And yet, someone has failed to notice: none other than Keanu Reeves himself. At least to the point that he appears to have never heard of the term “Internet boyfriend” until a reporter from People asked him how he felt about being “dubbed” one on Tuesday, at the Los Angeles premiere of Toy Story 4.
“I’ve been what?” he asked, leaning to turn his ear closer to the reporter. To be fair to Reeves, the term is a bit antiquated at this point—it hit its peak between 2016 and 2017—but if anyone fits the bill at the moment, it’s probably Keanu Reeves.
“Everyone is just kind of gushing over you on the Internet,” the reporter explained. “You didn’t know that yet?”
“No. That’s, uh,” he said, pausing to laugh. “That’s wacky.”
Reeves did seem to appreciate hearing that “it’s all good things” that have been said about him online. “Well, the positivity’s great,” he added. “It’s really special how John Wick was embraced.”
The actor sounded much more excited about getting to voice the character of Duke Caboom, Toy Story 4‘s daredevil motorcyclist. He was so excited, in fact, that he jumped onto a table at Pixar when he first learned of the role. “I just kind of got inspired,” Reeves recalled. “The character’s so full of life.”
Duke Caboom, Keanu Reeves’s character in *Toy Story 4* (2019).
Related: Sad Keanu: An Encounter With Keanu Reeves, Poet
A Complete Guide to Recognizing the Internet’s Boyfriends in the Wild
Who: Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith. Where: The BBC. Wearing: Burberry.
Who: Riz Ahmed, Kit Harington, Rami Malek. Where: HBO or adjacent. Wearing: Dior Homme.
Who: Jeff Goldblum, Kyle MacLachlan. Where: The hotly anticipated remake of the project that first made them famous. Wearing: A turtleneck; Balenciaga.
Who: Mahershala Ali, Oscar Isaac. Where: The playground, but also the Oscars. Wearing: Unfortunate hat choices. (Not pictured.)
Who: Chris Evans, Andrew Garfield. Where: In a cryochamber, until the corporate overlords permit them to talk about the new movie. Wearing: Lycra.
Who: Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper. Where: The festival circuit; Tumblr. (Actually on the internet.) Wearing: Custom coveralls.
Who: Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Jon Hamm Where: Playing the antihero on that show you never finished; vying to be the next James Bond. Wearing: Doesn’t matter.
Who: Milo Ventimiglia, Adam Brody. Where: A network dramedy everyone says is great but no one watches; the walls of your teen bedroom. Wearing: Whatever’s “in” among Brooklyn dads.
Who: Donald Glover, Harry Styles. Where: Your dreams. Wearing: Fashion with a capital F.
Who: John Boyega, Tom Holland. Where: This year’s blockbusters. Wearing: Ask them in a couple months.
