Let’s just get one thing out on the table: I am not a fan of celebrity news. I really have no interest in who Taylor Swift is dating, I could care less about the last episode of any given reality T.V. show, and Justin Bieber’s Instagram feed is of little importance to me.
That being said, I love to see celebrity news like this:
Keanu Reeves (you might know him from The Matrix trilogy, John Wick and of course, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) was caught on film in a subway train doing something incredible. The video isn’t new, but the gloriousness of the Internet has resurrected the story to warm our hearts again.
The video begins, trained on Reeves who is calmly seated next to the door of the train. As a new stream of people shuffle inside one woman is left standing. Reeves takes notice, gets up from his seat and lets her take it. It’s nothing spectacular, but … that’s what makes it spectacular.
First of all, he’s on the subway
When was the last time you heard about a superstar taking the subway? While many celebs let fame get to their heads, Reeves seems refreshingly grounded. He’s not wearing fancy clothes. He’s not even wearing the huge sunglasses many stars use to thwart paparazzi and avoid public recognition.
He’s just a normal guy on the train, probably headed to work.
Second, gosh that was nice
Possibly the most enjoyable element of this video is that fact that, as far as we know, he’s completely unaware he’s being filmed. His gentlemanly act seems to be motivated by nothing other than a strong sense of common courtesy and goodwill.
Of course, there are plenty of gentleman out there. What makes Keanu Reeves so special? Compared to the thick volley of sex, scandal and heartbreak we usually associate with celebrities, this act of kindness is a bright star shining in a dark night. Celebrities’ influencial status in society results in a ton of pressure. Every word, every movement, every Tweet is scrutinized by the public, and most celebrities that we hear about seem to fail at providing the public with a good example of how to behave. In this video, Reeves succeeded.
A few things you didn’t know about Keanu Reeves
- In 1999, Reeves’ girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a stillborn daughter. 18 months later Syme died in a car accident.
- While working on The Matrix sequels he reportedly gave about $80 million (out of his $114 million earnings) to the makeup and special effects staff.
- His sister was diagnosed with leukemia and reportedly still struggles with it today. He helped support her through her ordeal, and he has generously donated to different cancer research groups and charities along the way.
- He dropped out of high school and got his start in show biz through commercials.
- Despite struggling with dyslexia, Reeves is still considerably well read (especially Shakespeare).
David Snell, FamilyShare
David Snell is a writer for the FamilyShare team, specializing in humor writing. He’s trilingual (English, Spanish and Movie Quotes), passionate about all things communication and is always up for learning new skills.
