Jimmy Kimmel surprises Keanu Reeves with footage from extremely old interview
On Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday, Kimmel surprised Keanu Reeves with old footage of the actor doing press for one of his first film roles, in what he said was a movie that was, at the time, called Young Again. In the extremely old footage, Reeves appears almost in disbelief that he’s being interviewed about a role.
“I didn’t know you were gonna do that,” Reeves said to Kimmel after viewing the footage. “Wow, that was a blast from the past.”
Reeves was a young actor in Canada at the time, struggling to get his foot in the door in Hollywood. But after auditioning for the film, he soon found himself working with already established actors.
“I auditioned for this side role,”\ Reeves said, “but then they were like, ‘Hey, you could be the guy. One of the guys.’ And I was like, ‘Cool.’ And so it was Lindsay Wagner and Robert Urich, and…” “Wow,” Kimmel interrupted, “Lindsay Wagner? Bionic Woman?”
Reeves said this was the break he’d been waiting for. It would be the break that was the first step in him becoming one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
“It was a big break for me,” Reeves said, “because it was, like, a movie of the week, it was a great role, and that allowed me to kind of get an agent in Hollywood.”
Video Transcript
[AUDIO LOGO]
JIMMY KIMMEL: You we're raised in Toronto.
KEANU REEVES: I didn't know you were going to do that.
JIMMY KIMMEL: Oh, you didn't know.
KEANU REEVES: Wow. That's a blast from the past.
JIMMY KIMMEL: What movie were you promoting here? Do you remember?
KEANU REEVES: Yeah, at the time, well, I was promoting was called "Young Again."
KYLIE MAR: On "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Wednesday, Kimmel surprised Keanu Reeves by showing footage of the actor doing press for one of his first film roles.
KEANU REEVES: I'm playing a 17-year-old body with a 40-year-old mind. But then I had to play with my conception of 40, which was sort of older, right? You look at it 40 years old and go you're old, you know?
But he's not. I mean, Robert Juric, I was watching him, he's a bouncy guy, you know? And so, I was trying to get that in there as well.
KYLIE MAR: Reeves explained that, at the time, he was just a struggling actor trying to get his foot in the door.
KEANU REEVES: I had a connection to someone who was a manager in the States, and I went to meet an agent here in Los Angeles and they were like, it's great. But you haven't done anything. Come back when you've done something.
I had an agent in Toronto, there was American productions coming to do like, they needed Canadian content.
KYLIE MAR: And Reeves also said he soon found himself working with two already established stars.
KEANU REEVES: I auditioned for this side role, but then, they were like, hey, you can be the guy. One of the guy. You know? And I was like, cool. And then, and so, was Lindsay Wagner and Robert Ulrich and--
JIMMY KIMMEL: Wow. Lindsay Wagner, oh.
KEANU REEVES: Yeah.
JIMMY KIMMEL: "Bionic Woman."
KEANU REEVES: Yeah. Well, yeah.
KYLIE MAR: That role was the break Reeves was looking for. And what led to him eventually becoming one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
KEANU REEVES: It was a big break for me because it was a like a movie of the week.
JIMMY KIMMEL: Yeah.
KEANU REEVES: It was a great role, and that allowed me to kind of get an agent in Hollywood.
