Keanu Reeves has landed iconic roles that vary from bullet-dodging freedom fighter to a dude-level time traveler. There was one film, nevertheless, the place he would’ve made for an fascinating addition to an already stellar assortment of solid members, had he solely taken up the provide. In response to The New Zealand Herald, Reeves very almost ended up starring in “Warmth,” the revered 1995 Michael Mann crime film (regardless that Mann did not see it as one) that had Robert De Niro and Al Pacino face off towards each other in an ideal cat and mouse chase. For higher or for worse, although, Reeves as an alternative selected to tread the boards in a Canadian theatre manufacturing of “Hamlet.”
Had he taken the job, Reeves would’ve performed the quantity two to Neil McCauley (De Niro), Chris Shiherlis, which as an alternative went to Val Kilmer and have become one of many actor’s profession highlights. Fortunately, although, Reeves nonetheless managed to work with one of many movie’s display titans simply a few years later when he changed Brad Pitt in 1997’s “The Satan’s Advocate” (starring reverse a louder-than-usual Pacino).
At that time in his profession, although, saying no to initiatives that would’ve probably led to profession defining roles (equal to those he in the end ended up with) wasn’t something new for Reeves. In reality, one other notable provide had come the actor’s manner some years earlier than that within the form of a job in “Platoon.” However much more surprising, given what was to return in his future, was the rationale that Reeves handed on starring in what would change into the most effective Vietnam Struggle motion pictures ever within the first place.
Woah, Keanu Reeves turned down down each Warmth AND Platoon
As well-known as Keanu Reeves is these days for clearing out rooms of anonymous goons with nothing however a gun and a tie when the necessity arises within the “John Wick” movies, the actor apparently (however politely) declined to star “Platoon” on account of it being too violent for his tastes. A reminder that this is similar man who would in the future go on to kill a man with a pencil in one in all his motion pictures.
In an interview with Leisure Weekly to commemorate “Platoon” turning 25 in 2011, director Oliver Stone reeled off a listing of potential stars that had been eyed for the lead function of Chris within the movie, chief amongst them being Reeves. “That is proper, Keanu turned it down due to the violence. He did not wish to do violence,” Stone defined. After all, historical past and weapons (a number of weapons) verify that Reeves’ reluctance to get a little bit tough on display had dissipated by the point he was starring in motion pictures like “The Matrix” and “John Wick” (each of which have change into cornerstones of his profession).
Years after “Platoon” hit theaters (with a younger Charlie Sheen starring as Chris), Reeves mentioned the extent of violence in his movies throughout a 2023 interview with The Telegraph. Regardless of his status for being a fairly chill dude in actual life, the person they name Baba Yaga has his causes for placing on a brand new black swimsuit because the retired hitman:
“I favored his struggling. I favored his grief. After which on the opposite facet of that I favored his will. I favored his violence.”
No matter you say, Mr. Wick.
