Keanu finally comes clean

For years, he's been private about everything, but Cosmo found the candid side of sexy, still-single Keanu Reeves. He reveals what he wants from a woman, the crazy things he'll do for love, and the death-defying way he gets his kicks.

by Jennifer Kasle Furmaniak

When Keanu Reeves enters the back garden of Elixir Tonics and Teas in West Hollywood, the quiet zen like atmosphere erupts into whispers and giggles. You see, even jaded, hardcore Hollywood locals can't help but be starstruck by the 39 year old face of The Matrix trilogy, one of the biggest movie franchises ever to hit the big screen. No doubt, too, the attention he commands has something to do with his hot-without-trying look: worn in Levi's, a white-tee, and brown longish locks that are perfectly mussed from wearing a motorcycle helmet.

But beyond his alluringly exotic appearance (his father is part Chinese, part Hawaiian, his mother is English) Keanu has an unmistakable air of mystery. He's fiercly guarded and known for evading questions about his personal life. And he's hard to pin down because he rarely stays in one place for too long. He's been living out of a suitcase and in hotels ever since he appeared as Jack Traven in 1994's Speed. But the vagabond lifestyle is coming to an end. The Toronto native has finally laid down roots for the first time in nine years by purchasing a palatial pad in the Hollywood Hills. He's also blown his famous hush-hush interview policy and gotten downright forthcoming with Cosmo. Read on for a very rare glimpse of the secretive star's life.

Cosmo: It must have made you feel pretty damn good to have The Matrix Reloaded make $93 million the first weekend it was out, huh?
Keanu: Yes, it's very exciting. I think the films are incredibly special, and to have so many people respond to them and to come out and see them in such a big way is a very rare thing to happen.

Cosmo: Will the The Matrix Revolutions answer the remaining story line questions?
Keanu: The cycle will be complete. The directors aren't going to rip you off. At the end of the second one, they didn't say "To be continued" they said "To be concluded," which I thought was a cool thing.

Cosmo: What are the Matrix fans like?
Keanu: People do Matrix costume parties and get tattoos and that sort of thing. But there was a breakfast cereal called Bill and Ted's Excellent Cereal, named after that movie, so nothing seems all that strange anymore.

Cosmo: Is it true that you, the guy who plays the computer hacker Thomas Anderson, (aka Neo) don't even own a computer?
Keanu: Oh yea that's totally true. Isn't that great? I really should get one. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Cosmo: Playing Neo is physically demanding. How did you get into shape?
Keanu: I trained all day long for four months, doing kicking, stretching, punching, and wirework (learning to use wires for all the gravity-defying kicks and flips). It was intense. The hardest part was the fight scene from Reloaded with the Smiths (a sequence with his enemy and multiple clones). I fought with 12 stuntment, we worked on it for three weeks, and I think Neo had something like 500 moves.

Cosmo: Did you ever get hurt?
Keanu: One of the things about playing Neo is that you don’t get hit a lot. But there was a bit of blood. My thumb got cut and it burst open.

Cosmo: You’ve injured yourself on your bike a lot. Are you a big risk taker?
Keanu: No, no, no. I’m just a really bad driver. Over the years, I’ve broken some teeth off, and I broke my ankle. I have a two-level fusion – which means I have a metal plate in my neck – and a ruptured spleen, some road-rash scars.

Cosmo: What’s so great about riding?
Keanu: Oh, it’s just always so refreshing and invigorating. You’re completely exposed to the elements, and you feel like you have a real connection with them when you’re riding. And the best thing about it of all is that you’re totally alone.

Cosmo: You’re pretty private. How do you deal with the media attention?
Keanu: The best I can. I really don’t pay a lot of attention to it. If it becomes overly intrusive, then it is an issue. I’m just surprised by what people feel they have a right to do or ask. It’s amazing. People choose what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. Oftentimes, it’s not well-mannered and it’s none of their business.

Cosmo: Are you still with your band, Dogstar?
Keanu: No. We just needed to take a break from one another. Now I’m in a new band called Becky Band.

Cosmo: When you’re up onstage and there are hundreds of people in the audience, what’s that like?
Keanu: It’s really fun and exciting. It’s just such a creative way to express yourself and have a good time. I’ve had a couple of bras thrown onstage which is great. Keep the bras coming!

Cosmo: You’ve had some huge gigs too. With Dogstar, you opened for David Bowie and Bon Jovi.
Keanu: Yeah. Bowie was at the Hollywood Palladium on Halloween night. That was crazy. We went on tour with Bon Jovi in Australia. We were the first of three bands, so we basically played to empty lawns and security guards, but we had a blast.

Cosmo: If you had to pick what would be a great day off for you?
Keanu: Spending time with friends, maybe going for a short bike ride on my motorcycle, reading a little, having a good meal. I also like leaving days open for surprises. I try not to make schedules, because work is so focused. When I come home, it’s nice to leave things open and see where the day takes you.

Cosmo: What would be a perfect date?
Keanu: One where we mutually had an exceptional time that had the wonderful thing that can happen on a first date where you are intoxicated with each other’s company and everything becomes good in the world and there’s hope and you’re just excited to see them. And you have great ease with them. Just a good experience.

Cosmo: Are you single?
Keanu: I am currently single.

Cosmo: And looking?
Keanu: Begging, pleading.

Cosmo: Do you ever want to get married?
Keanu: I think so.

Cosmo: Would a girl need to commit to riding around on a motorcycle to date you?
Keanu: No. It would be fine if she didn’t.

Cosmo: Do you like women to approach you, or do you prefer to approach women?
Keanu: Yes. All of it. Any which way.

Cosmo: What are you still trying to figure out about women?
Keanu: The figuring out is the fun part. It’s always wonderful to get to know women with the mystery and the joy and the depth.

Cosmo: Is there anything you know to be true about women?
Keanu: That if you can make a woman laugh, you’re seeing the most beautiful thing on God’s earth.

Cosmo: If you could have one get-out-of-jail-free card with a woman, what would you typically use it for?
Keanu: I’d have to say lying and cheating.

Cosmo: Really?
Keanu: Well, if I’m going to need that card, I’m going to keep it for the big stuff.

Cosmo: So are you saying that you lie and cheat? You walked right into that.
Keanu: Oh, I knew exactly what I was walking into. Not to say that I’m a liar and a cheater, but since you’re offering it up it’s good to have that card. Maybe I can give it away to someone.

Cosmo: What’s a turn-on?
Keanu: I’m pretty easily amused.

Cosmo: Anything in particular? Eyes, legs, hair, cleavage…..
Keanu: Oh, those all sound so good.

Cosmo: Do you have a least-favorite body part and a favorite body part?
Keanu: I’m not telling you that. Are you crazy?

Cosmo: Where is the most outrageous place you’ve ever had sex?
Keanu: I don’t know… what is outrageous anymore? What I thought of as outrageous when I was 17, and now being 39, you know, that doesn’t count.

Cosmo: Right, because at 17, having sex in your parents’ bed is outrageous.
Keanu: Yea, and now you just shouldn’t be doing that – it’s creepy. You probably shouldn’t have been doing it before, but you were 17. So let me think. I’ve made out in a cab, but I’ve never gone all the way in a cab. Or have I? No, you’d remember that right? Or maybe you wouldn’t and that would be the only way that you did it. You know what? Okay, yeah, I did, but I don’t remember. You can’t be sober and have sex in the back of a cab.

Cosmo: Exactly. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to get a woman’s attention?
Keanu: I haven’t done the letter-writing airplane in the sky or the “Come over for dinner and now we’re going to Paris” thing. I can’t wait to do those things, but I haven’t done them yet. If I ever meet someone, we’re going to have a good time, because I’m making a list.

Cosmo: What would you like to have in your life in 10 years that you don’t have right now?
Keanu: I’d like to have another one of those get-out-of-jail-free cards in my pocket so that I could use it for this question so I don’t have to answer.

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Tagged: Matrix, The , Matrix Reloaded, The , Matrix Revolutions, The , Speed , Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure , Dogstar , Becky

dotdotdot Forum Posts: 24 Comments: 4 Reviews: 0	lol (2009-11-14 08:16:45)
	Keanu is playing with the journalist. Love it!