Keanu Reeves's Real Name: Keanu Charles Reeves

Quick answer: Keanu Reeves's full name is Keanu Charles Reeves. He was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, and has worked under Keanu Reeves—the civil form of his birth name—throughout his career.

Real name and early life

Encyclopædia Britannica identifies him in full as Keanu Charles Reeves; Library of Congress name authority lists Reeves, Keanu (Britannica; LOC). Reeves is the family surname; Charles is the middle name. His mother was an English performer and costume designer; his father was a Hawaiian geologist. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother and moved through Sydney and New York before settling in Toronto, where he grew up and began acting. His first professional credit was a 1984 episode of the Canadian comedy Hangin’ In; his film debut was the hockey drama Youngblood (1986).

Career highlights

Reeves broke through as Ted in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and its sequels, then as an FBI agent in Point Break (1991) and the action lead in Speed (1994). Global superstardom followed as Neo in The Matrix (1999) and its sequels, including The Matrix Resurrections (2021). He reinvented himself again as the title assassin in John Wick (2014) and its sequels through 2023, plus related projects such as Ballerina (2025). Other credits span My Own Private Idaho, The Devil’s Advocate, Constantine, voice roles in Toy Story 4 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and his directorial debut Man of Tai Chi (2013). Across comedy, sci-fi, and action, billing stayed Keanu Reeves; the documented full name is Keanu Charles Reeves.

Name notes for searchers

Keanu is a Hawaiian given name (often glossed as “cool breeze over the mountains”); it is not a stage invention layered on a different first name in standard sources. Prefer Britannica and LOC over rumor posts. Wikipedia is useful only as a pointer after primary citations.