Written by Jordan Speakes. Photography by Jordan Speakes.
From the waves of adrenaline in “Point Break” (1991), to the revenge saga of “John Wick” (2014), all the way back to the revolutionary world of “The Matrix” (1999), Keanu Reeves has spent decades building a career as one of Hollywood’s most sought after actors. On Oct. 30th, Reeves was presented with the Legend of Cinema award at Lucas Theater, paired with a sold out screening of “The Matrix” (1999) and a conversation with the legend himself.
According to Reeves, one of the most important parts of acting is simply being present. He explained how a performance can only come together when an actor is focused and fully immersed in what they are doing. Something he enjoys the most on set is when he no longer feels like he is looking through his own eyes but, instead, seeing the world through his character’s lens.
Even the most minor details of a scene can add to a performance. Reeves mentioned how some actors can even plan out a cough to the point where even he believes it’s real. When it comes to finding that perspective on a character, he encouraged students to experiment with what works best for them. Reflecting on different techniques and methods for acting students, he compared the process to making a tomato sauce.
“This is your kitchen,” he said. “We can all make a tomato sauce, but your tomato sauce is gonna be different than mine.”
Once an actor finds their own groove, they can stop treating their craft like a check list and make their choices more naturally. Reeves also touched on the significance of finding a character outside the script.
“You have to make the clothes your own” he explained.
Whether it’s trying out an accent or understanding how your character moves, the little details can help actors connect with who they’re playing.
When asked about warming up for a scene and the number of takes needed, Reeves explained that it mainly depends on the role and director. Some directors prefer lots of takes, while others are satisfied with just a few. Reeves also admitted to plenty of moments where he wasn’t satisfied with a performance, only for the director to decide it as just right. Though he prefers not to watch playbacks of his scenes, he joked that younger actors often want to watch their performance. However at the age of 62, he claimed that anyone under 35 was young to him.
One of the more interesting parts of the conversation was when Reeves turned to ask SCAD students directly some of his own questions. He wanted to know how acting classes were structured, if they mainly read scenes from films or plays, and if students could tell the difference between the two. Students responded that they had difficulty reading for some characters that were older or lived through experiences they can’t relate to. Reeves encouraged them to think about how they make those emotions personal and bring their own understanding to a character.
Despite the technical talk, Reeves kept the discussion upbeat with plenty of jokes and winding tangents. When asked about actors who have lost love for the job or grown difficult, he mentioned not having personally encountered that with anyone he’s worked with so far.
“You know, being 62, if someone did that to me now, there might be a knock on someone’s door,” he laughed at the idea of actors who refuse to come out of their trailer. He added that he almost wished someone would be like that, just so he could try to coax them out.
For someone with such a wide spanning career, Reeves advice stayed simple. Encouraging actors to stay curious and remain present. Even after his time spent in the industry, he continues to enjoy acting and find the fun in his work.
