Keanu Reeves Once Called His Private Life a ‘Boring Disaster’

Keanu Reeves has long been praised for being an all-around sweet guy who is humble, despite his level of fame. He maintains that he has a pretty low-key private life, revealing in a 2008 interview with Lorraine Kelly that it’s actually rather boring.

Keanu Reeves doesn’t buy into the A-lister lifestyle

Kelly spoke with Reeves about the movie he was promoting at the time, The Day the Earth Stood Still, before moving into a discussion about how down-to-earth the actor is.

“I think that’s what probably keeps you sane,” Kelly remarked of Reeves not buying into the Hollywood A-lister mentality. “I think you are probably really one of the sanest actors of the A-listers, I really do.”

“Some of them [other actors] buy into it and they kind of get sucked into the craziness but you don’t seem to do that,” she added.

Reeves said there’s a reason for that. “I lead a very quiet, normal kind of really … I mean, my private life is a boring disaster. But work is good.”

Reeves had the best answer for why he’s grounded

During a 2019 BuzzFeed interview, where Reeves answered fan questions while surrounded by puppies (cute overload!), he was asked, “What is your secret for always staying down to earth?”

Reeves had the perfect cheeky answer, while avoiding getting too serious. “Well, I mean, gravity,” he answered.

Another Reeves fan wondered, “What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?”

The actor, rather than coming up with an introspective answer, gave his honest reaction. “I hate giving advice,” he answered.

Similarly, at the 2019 Toy Story 4 premiere, when a reporter from People asked him his thoughts on being called “the internet’s boyfriend,” Reeves was thrown off a bit. He called the distinction “wacky,” adding “the positivity’s great.”

Ever the pro, he redirected the conversation to focus on his work rather than fans gushing about him.

Keanu Reeves got uncomfortable when he was praised for being a nice guy

Reeves continues to demonstrate how humble he is and perhaps that was never so apparent as when an interviewer made him uncomfortable when she said he’s often called the “nicest guy in the world.”

He clearly wasn’t going to talk himself up, answering, “Oh, that’s ridiculous” and acknowledging, “Anyway, it’s nice to hear but it’s not true. It’s nice to hear.” 

Reeves attempted to change the subject and the interviewer later felt a bit bad about putting him on the spot. “I am so sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable,” she told him.

During a December 2020 Vanity Fair interview, Reeves shifted a compliment about his kindness to his hope that anyone’s interaction with him has been positive.

“I don’t think of myself as a role model or anything like that,” Reeves said. “If people have had any impact from however they interact with me — in terms of entertainment or in real life or on social media — I just hope it’s been positive.”