Keanu Reeves has amassed a reputation for being a sweetheart in real life and, after all these years, that rep still proceeds him. During the holiday weekend, the Matrix actor was traveling from London to New York City when a 14-year-old fan spotted him and decided he had to approach him after the flight to meet him. The encounter resulted in another viral moment for Reeves when the actor sweetly took time to answer his questions and sign an autograph for him. The kid at the center of it all has now shared the experience from his perspective.
Alex Katsanos was the teen who shared the same flight as Keanu Reeves and went viral on July 4. He’s a self-proclaimed fan of the Matrix trilogy, but when he noticed Reeves he wasn’t completely sure it was him at first. The young man explained the situation, saying:
When the plane was first boarding, I was pretty sure I saw him, but he entered the plane so quickly, so I wasn’t sure. The whole flight from London I was thinking about, ‘What if it is him? What should I say? What should I get him to sign?’
When speaking to ET, the 14-year-old said he took to the internet to find out if the star had been in London this week and ultimately found out that he was spotted at the Grand Prix. It made him more “confident” that he might actually be in the presence of Keanu Reeves. Alex Katsanos tore off a piece of a paper bag for the actor to sign and summoned up the courage to approach him. Here’s how their conversation played out, in his words:
It was really a natural conversation. He was very nice and we had a great conversation for around 10 minutes while we were waiting for our luggage. I still can’t believe I not only got the chance to see him but to have a conversation with him and get his autograph. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing and it was incredible.
The moment was shared by TV producer Andrew Kimmel on his Twitter, and it went viral from there. Check out the post:
Kid: Why were you in London?KR: Filming a documentary.Kid: I saw online you were at the Grand Prix (pronouncing the x)KR: Yes, the Grand Prix (in a French accent, without correcting him). F1! Race cars!Kid: Do you drive?KR: Not F1, but I like riding motorcycles.July 4, 2022
Following those initial questions, Alex Katsanos began running out of them and then Keanu Reeves began asking him some of his own, such as why he was in Europe and what galleries he visited while in Paris. As Andrew Kimmel shared:
The man could not have been nicer, especially after an international flight. I thought I’d share this because the dude is a class act and little moments like this can make such a big difference in people’s lives. We need more Keanus!July 4, 2022
The 57-year-old, as you’d expect has been a busy man as of late. He recently finished production on the fourth John Wick movie, which features stacked cast that includes Donnie Yen and Rina Sawayama among others.
This isn’t the first cute Keanu Reeves story out in the real world. In 2019, he went viral for buying ice cream just so he could autograph the receipt for a young fan. And in 2015, he also made headlines for graciously giving up his seat on a subway for a fellow passenger who had a heavy bag with them. Needless to say, Reeves is a sweetheart, and I’m hopeful we’ll get more fan moments like these in the near future.
Next, Keanu Reeves will reportedly star in the Hulu series The Devil in the White City, a project on which he replaced Leonardo DiCaprio. Meanwhile, John Wick: Chapter 4 is among 2023’s biggest upcoming movies, as it’s set to hit theaters on March 24.