Today, it’s difficult to imagine action cinema without him. Between Matrix, John Wick or even SpeedKeanu Reeves is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. However, the Canadian actor is far from having always been unanimously unanimous. Before becoming the icon we know, the actor has long dragged behind him a reputation as a “limited” actor. An image that stuck with him for several years and which had even prompted a famous British director sharply dismissing one of his most cult projects.
‘I wanted someone who could act’: Mike Newell didn’t want Keanu Reeves
En 1997, Mike Newell réalise Donnie Brascoacclaimed mafia thriller starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. Long before putting on stage Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, the British filmmaker was already recognized in Hollywood thanks to films like Four weddings and a funeral. To play undercover agent Donnie Brasco, Mike Newell had set his sights on Johnny Depp, whom he considered the ideal choice. Questioned by the London Timesvia Far Out Magazinethe director was also full of praise for the star of Pirates des Caraïbesqualifiée “very, very intelligent actor“. But it was especially his remark on Keanu Reeves that made an impression. When asked why he didn’t choose Neo’s voice, Mike Newell responded bluntly: “Well I wanted someone who could play.” A particularly scathing statement which, even today, continues to surprise Keanu Reeves fans. Especially since we don’t even know if the actor had really been considered or if he had auditioned for the role.
The filming of Donnie Brasco was not easy for Johnny Depp
If Mike Newell believed he had found the perfect actor in Johnny Depp, the filming of Donnie Brasco However, it was not an easy experience for the American star. In front of him, Al Pacino impresses as much as it destabilizes. Des années plus tard, Johnny Depp ira même to the point of describing his playing partner as “certified crazy”both the actor of Godfather could be unpredictable in front of the camera. A pretty tasty confidence when we think back to the dig launched by Mike Newell at Keanu Reeves. Because even if the director obviously did not believe in him at the time, the Canadian actor also finally gave the answer to Al Pacino a few years later in The Devil’s Partner. A cult thriller in which Keanu Reeves proved that he was capable of standing up to one of Hollywood’s greatest legends.
