We may not see another photo of Keanu Reeves sadly eating a sandwich alone on a park bench anytime soon — but the action star has been having dark thoughts lately.
“I’m 59, so I’m thinking about death all the time,” he told BBC News.
But, of course, the actor put a positive spin on his morbid fascination.
“Hopefully it’s not crippling, but hopefully it’s sensitised [us] to an appreciation of the breath we have, and the relationships that we have the potential to have,” he explained.
In more evidence that Keanu is contemplating his own mortality, he just published his first novel, The Book Of Elsewhere, in collaboration with British science fiction author China Miéville. According to the BBC, the book follows an immortal warrior named “B” who just wants to die.
This is not Keanu’s first foray into writing — The Book Of Elsewhere is based on the popular comic book series he created, BRZRKR (pronounced “berserker”).
“B” is an 80,000-year-old half-mortal and half-god who is plagued by the “curse of violence” and can “punch through people’s chests and rip their arms off, rip their heads off”, according to Keanu.
The Speed star admitted that the character was inspired by “some of the action films that I had done”.
Keanu’s own experiences have undoubtedly reinforced his awareness that life is fleeting.
In 1993, his close friend, actor River Phoenix, died at age 23 from a drug overdose. In 1999, he endured another tragic loss when his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to their stillborn daughter, Ava. Two years later, Jennifer also died in a car accident.
Keanu has long been open about his grief and his reflections on the subject of death. In 2019, Stephen Colbert asked the actor: “What do you think happens when we die?”
The host seemed stunned by Keanu’s thoughtful reply: “I know that the ones who love us will miss us.”