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Hollywood often marvels at the rise of stars who seemingly emerge overnight, and one such celebrated actor whose career once skyrocketed, is the charismatic icon Keanu Reeves. Beginning his entertainment journey from promising actor to beloved heartthrob, Reeves cemented his place in the industry with career-defining roles inThe Matrixand Sandra Bullock’sSpeed.
However, long before his breakout moment and his subsequent roles that solidified his status and earned him a devoted fan base, Keanu Reeves’ potential was recognized by Michelle Pfeiffer, who had a keen eye for talent. Working with Reeves in Stephen Frears’ 1988 hitDangerous Liaisons,the director revealed recently on how Pfeiffer had identified the actor’s future stardom.
Keanu Reeves’ Rise to Stardom From Breakout Role to Iconic Status
Beginning his career by making his first professional appearance in a 1984 episode of the comedy seriesHangin’ In,Keanu Reevesgradually made his way into mainstream Hollywood, through struggle and determination. Thereafter making his film debut as a hockey player inYoungblood(1986), Reeves tried navigating through the competitive landscape of the entertainment industry.
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Appearing as Jack Traven alongside Oscar-winnerSandra BullockinSpeed, Keanu Reeves solidified his place in Hollywood. Thereafter, the film became a turning point in his career, as it highlighted his versatility and charisma, which later helped him secure roles in critically acclaimed projects likeThe Devil’s Advocate(1997)andThe Matrix(1999). And now, the actor has become synonymous with theJohn Wickfranchise.
Michelle Pfeiffer’s Early Prediction of Keanu Reeves’ Star Quality
Meanwhile, despite Keanu Reeves’ subsequent performance inSpeedandThe Matrix,which solidified his status as a leading man and a beloved Hollywood heartthrob, a recent revelation suggested that his potential was recognized long back by hisDangerous Liaisonsco-starMichelle Pfeiffer. Although the movie itself didn’t help Reeves’ career much, director Stephen Frears noted how the actor was recognized as a budding talent by Pfeiffer.
“You whre! You whre!”: Keanu Reeves Went Against Francis Ford Coppola’s Direct Orders to Protect His Romanian Wife Winona Ryder in ‘Dracula’
During a recent episode ofTHR’s It Happened in Hollywoodpodcast,Dangerous Liaisonsfilmmaker Stephen Frears shared an intriguing anecdote about Michelle Pfeiffer being the one to recognize Keanu Reeves’ potential for stardom. Although at the time of casting, Reeves had not yet achieved widespread fame, Frears noted how Pfeiffer’s intuition about him was notably prescient.
When [Reeves] shot, he hadn’t [yet broken out,]. I saw a lot of young actors [for the role] and said, ‘I like him.’ [Screenwriter] Christopher Hampton actually thought I’d gone mad. But I said, ‘No, no – he’s the one.’ He was the best person I saw.
In the end, you have to believe in things. And he made it all believable. You could see that Glenn would want to go to bed with him, and people would fall in love with him. He was a sweet boy. They all took a shine to him – the girls [on the set].
Speaking about Keanu Reeves’ charisma and gentlemanly behavior that attracted women towards him, directorStephen Frearsnoted how Michelle Pfeiffer was the one who saw through Reeves. After the actor arrived in Paris for the shoot looking “completely lost”, he spent some time chatting with Pfeiffer. And somehow, the brief interaction was enough for the actress to recognize Reeves’ talent. That’s when Pfeiffer had told Frears that Reeves was destined to become “a big star.”
At the age of 23,Keanu Reeves was cast as Le Chevalier Danceny, a handsome musician who drew the attention of Glenn Close’s character Marquise de Merteuil, while falling in love with Uma Thurman’s naive ingénue Cecile. The actor also shared the screen with John Malkovich’s Sebastian Valmont, with whom he dueled for Cecile’s honor.
Dangerous Liaisonsis available on Prime Video.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3218
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Keanu ReevesMichelle PfeifferSandra Bullockstephen frears
