10 Movie Performances Which Saved An Actor’s Career
6. Keanu Reeves - John Wick In John Wick
Despite immortalising himself as Neo and Ted Logan in The Matrix and Bill & Ted series respectively, Keanu Reeves found himself in a bit of a rut in the mid 2000s. Apart from Constantine, which has remarkably gone on to become something of a cult hit, the majority of the star's work ranged from average to mind-numbing. It appeared this rotten run of form was destined to follow him into the 2010s too, with the likes of 47 Ronin and Generation Um... proving to be largely forgettable exercises.
Then, just when it seemed like all hope of the bankable star becoming a force of nature in the film industry again had been lost, Reeves agreed to step into the shoes of a man by the name of John Wick.
As a retired hitman driven to finding the men who killed his puppy, given to him by his recently deceased wife, Reeves brilliantly reinvented himself as a stoic, highly efficient, killing machine. As expected, the rather successful first outing opened the door for two sequels, both of which ramped up the balls-to-the-wall action and outstandingly choreographed combat sequences.
Post-Wick, Reeves has become an in-demand commodity once again, showing up in yet another Bill & Ted sequel, Toy Story 4 and even in the new Cyberpunk 2077 video game. He'll also be returning to The Matrix next year...