Keanu Reeves' 56th birthday: Some lesser-known facts about his life

Keanu Reeves almost changed his name before making his acting debut. When the actor was taking his first steps in the world of acting, his manager told him to change his name because it didn’t sound good enough.

The name Keanu is derived from Keaweaheulu, his great-great-uncle’s name, which in the Hawaiian language means 'cool breeze over the mountains'.  

Keenu Reeves has also published his own poetry book, titled ‘Ode to Happiness’ in 2011. The book also contains drawings by painter Alexandra Grant. The two even collaborated again  in year 2015 and published another book titled 'Shadows'.

Keanu Reeves is known for his huge heart. The actor once donated 80% of his 'Matrix' series earnings to charity after his sister got cured of  Leukaemia. So as a gesture of gratitude, he ensured that his hard-earned money went for a good cause.

The actor gave his $75 million of his earnings to 'The Matrix' costume design and special effects teams, and he also bought the whole stunt team Harley Davidson motorcycles.
 

Keanu Reeves nearly married his co-star Winona Ryder. The two together worked in Francis Ford Coppola's 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'. During the press tour, Ryder had revealed that Coppola had actually used a real priest for the wedding scene in the film where she had exchanged the vows with Reeves.

The actor have various ancestries. Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of Patricia Taylor who comes from Essex, England, Great Britain and his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr is from Hawaii, and is of Chinese, English, Irish, Native Hawaiian, and Portuguese descent.

A decade after their movie, 'Speed' co-stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock revealed that they both had a crush on each other. Bullock on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show admitting that she had a crush on Reeves. Responding to the clip, the actor said he wasn't aware that she liked him. "She obviously didn't know I had a crush on her either," he said.