New-look Keanu's keen to be mean

by David Rowe

MEET the new-look Hollywood heart-throb - Keanu Reeves.

He's shed the greasy grunge look, and pumped himself up to become a crew-cut, hard-muscled hunk in the Paul Newman/Harrison Ford action-man mould. In his latest blockbuster, Speed, Keanu plays a tough Los Angeles cop trapped on a runaway bus that's going to explode if it falls under 50 miles per hour.

Off came the lank locks and in came a personal trainer and work outs at the gym six days a week.

A friend said: "He alternated weight training and aerobics and was physically sick after the first few sessions. But it has changed his life - and appearance.

"He has muscles and lives a healthy, clean life. He knows if he sticks to this regime, he can ask for £6 million a movie. That's worth staying fit for!"

Keanu, 29, needed to be at his macho best for the new cop drama - he has to flee for his life from an inferno, and still retain enough energy for passionate love scenes.

Keanu got into grunge after playing a male prostitute in My Private Idaho with his close pal River Phoenix.

After River died from drugs, Keanu turned to Buddhism to help cure his depression, and says: "Its teachings have brought me inner strength, and tranquility."