Summary
- Keanu Reeves contemplated turning 39 and expressed fears about getting older in a candid interview with Jay Leno.
- Reeves found turning 40 to be a contemplative moment, reflecting on mortality and childhood expectations.
- Reeves stays in shape through fitness training and following a balanced diet, crediting his role in Point Break for his commitment to health.
Keanu Reeves is one of the most-liked celebrities in the world. He's only been booed once. Always friendly to his fans, the John Wick star is also admired for standing up against Hollywood. Of course, it helps that he seems to be ageless.
At 59, the Matrix alum is still in shape as when he rose to stardom at 25. But he hasn't always been optimistic about aging. In 2003, Reeves told Jay Leno that turning 39 (and celebrating it alone) made him afraid of turning 40 and how his love life would be by then.
The cheerful interview quickly turned into a therapist session, with Leno assuring Reeves – who has a "sad" meme reputation –that his fears were all valid. Here's what the Lake House star really felt about getting older, and what he does to keep his youthful looks.
Keanu Reeves Got Existential Talking To Jay Leno About Turning 39
On December 11, 2003, Reeves went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote his film Something's Gotta Give, which premiered in the US the following day. But what seemed like a fun show quickly turned into an existential discourse about the actor's thoughts on aging. "You just had a birthday. You turned 39. How does one celebrate? You're a big movie star, what do you do?" the host asked.
"I went out to dinner," answered the Constantine star. "The truth is, I went to dinner and it was a contemplative birthday. So I went out to dinner by myself. I had a salad, a steak, some wine." The audience "aww"-ed but Reeves cheekily told them they didn't know what he did afterward. But Leno got curious about his reflective dinner, asking, "What did you contemplate?"
"It's been an extraordinary year," Reeves shared. "I just wanted to sit and think about things, and turning 39." The actor took a pause to which Leno said, "That sounds like... You say 39, that's the second time you said that. Is that bad turning 39?" The Street Kings alum said "no." But when the host held up four fingers, referring to the big 40, the guest admitted: "Well what do you think 39 is about? 39 is about turning 40!"
Leno then offered, "You want to lie down on the couch? Let's talk about this. Tell me about 40. Is that a problem for you?" Reeves explained: "No... It's okay... It seems like one of those kinds of... Birthday's about mortality."
The actor asked if the comedian felt the same way but the latter quipped: "I've already been to 40. And once you pass it, you're not allowed to give the secret until other people [pass it, too]. If I was to share it with you, then I would be kicked out of the over 40 club." He then asked Reeves about his childhood expectations about turning 40.
The actor said: "When you're a kid, you don't think about turning 40. It's like a mythical grown up thing... Then when you are that thing, it's uh.." Leno suggested the word "crisis," but Reeves denied he's in one, saying, "Not a crisis. It's contemplative. It's like halfway through your life."
In 2022, Keanu Reeves told Stephen Colbert that at 57, he has to pay "a lot of attention" to longer recoveries after his movie stunts, but doesn't mind it as he still "loves" to "sing, dance, and play."
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Keanu Reeves Felt Down About His Love Life When Jay Leno Said "Everything Stops" At 40
Reluctant to share his full thoughts on getting close to 40, Leno said, "Oh it's gonna be awful for you. Everything just stops." The audience laughed, quickly getting the sexual innuendo in the host's statement. "You have Viagra for that," Reeves joked. The actor, who's never been nominated for an Oscar, was single at that time.
Prior to that, his last public relationship was with Jennifer Syme with whom he had a stillborn daughter in 2000. A year later, Syme tragically died after losing control of her car and then crashing into a row of parked cars in Los Angeles. David Lynch dedicated his film, Mulholland Drive (2001) to her as she was his former assistant.
In 2008, Reeves had a fling with China Chow, daughter of renowned chef, Michael Chow. It wasn't until 2017, at 53, that he found love again with his current girlfriend, Alexandra Grant – a 54-year-old visual artist with whom he collaborated twice for his books, Ode to Happiness (2011) and Shadows (2016).
It does look like the actor passed his 40s and transitioned well into the over 40 club. Here's the full timeline of Reeves and Grant's relationship:
| 2009 | The two became friends and started a professional relationship after being introduced to each other at a dinner party |
| 2011 | Grant painted the illustrations for Reeves' Ode to Happiness |
| 2015 | The pair collaborated again for Shadows; Grant took various shadow photos of Reeves |
| 2017 | They co-founded their publishing company, X Artists Books |
| 2019 | A source said that the two started dating in the summer of 2017; they made their red carpet debut as a couple at LACMA Art + Film Gala |
| 2022 | A source said that "a proposal will likely happen at some point," but that Reeves is "not in a rush and doesn't need a piece of paper to know Alexandra is the one for him." |
| 2023 | The couple still make a "great team"; They made another appearance together at the annual LACMA Film+Art Gala in November |
Keanu Reeves And His Matrix Co-Stars Faked A Film Shoot So They Could Party
After The Matrix Resurrections finished being film, Keanu Reeves went to a banned party that was disguised as a film shoot.
Keanu Reeves Credits His Film Point Break For His "Life-Changing" Secret To Aging Well
Reeves credits his "life-changing" role in Point Break (1991) for staying in shape at 59. The stunts really got him into fitness and training. It's when he started working with Denise Snyder who has been his personal "fitness" guru for about 28 years now. Of course, the actor also follows a balanced diet of "low sodium, low fat" but allowed himself to have some steak "the night before a big fight sequence."
The Replicas star also clarified that he doesn't do all those heavy stunts on John Wick. "There's an incredible stuntman who doubles John Wick," he revealed. "They hit him with a car. He's standing there, and they hit him – that's a stunt. Me? I'll shoot some guns, flip some people – and that's action. So, yeah, I do as much action as I possibly can, because I love it – and I love the opportunity to bring the audience along."
Keanu Reeves confessed that he had to make career choices based on money. He's now worth $380 million.
