Actor Keanu Reeves is one of the most unproblematic entertainers in Hollywood, only getting into drama on-camera. His calm demeanor, laidback style and easy going attitude is why Reeves has been the internet boyfriend of numerous, as well as increased his fan base each decade.
As if Reeves wasn’t lovable enough by just being his charming self, his empathic tendencies that are exhibited through his philanthropy is really what makes him shine. On multiple occasions Reeves has donated to several charities including PETA, the SickKids Foundation, and Stand Up To Cancer, according to Giant Freakin Robot.
While some philanthropists stop at just writing checks for charities, the MTV Movie & TV Awards winner actually established his own charity to help children’s hospitals and cancer research. Although Reeves has had this charity since the early 2000’s, you may haven’t known about it since he purposefully detaches his name from it.
“I don’t like to attach my name to it,” Reeves told the Ladies Home Journal in 2009. “I just let the foundation do what it does.”
If these acts weren’t angelic enough, then what he has chosen to do with his Matrix money just might be. After the 1999 movie The Matrix, which Reeves starred in, became a box office hit Reeves raked in a whopping $35 million. Reeves, however, donated $31.5 million to leukemia research—over 70% of his earnings, according to LadBible.
“The cause was near and dear to Reeves’ heart, as his younger sister, Kim, had been battling the disease for eight years at the time he made the donation,” according to the New York Post.
Just recently the 57-year-old actor auctioned off a 15-minute Zoom date with himself in 2020, donating the proceeds to Camp Rainbow Gold—a summer program for Idaho children with cancer, according to the New York Post. Reeves’ inclination to contribute to the progression of finding a cure for cancer is noble, and is something that is personally charged for him.
Not only does Keanu Reeves have a beautiful face, but he also has a beautiful heart. A heart that wants to heal the world one donation at a time. He also likes helping bettering the lives of his co-workers too.
It’s one thing to donate to those in need, it’s another to give money away simply because you have enough of it already. After the second and third installment of The Matrix, the franchise accumulated a whopping a $1.2 billion, earning Reeves an even bigger check.
Instead of pocketing the money, Reeves gifted members of the costume and special effects team with $1 million dollars, and the stunt team with Harley Davidson motorcycles, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He gave away over $75 million to his Matrix crew members because of his contentment with the money he had made thus far.
“In the past, he noted to Hello Magazine that he’s aware he’s made enough money to live off of for several lifetimes. Therefore, giving to good causes seems like the only move to someone like him. In fact, he isn’t even that concerned about money when it comes to his art,” according to Giant Freakin Robot.
Reeves’ philanthropy is an inspiration and aspiration.