Since 1999, we’ve all been certain Keanu Reeves is The One. He’s the savior of mankind, and so nice the only explanation is that he’s actually some form of spiritual being sent to remind us to be excellent to each.
How else can you explain this Keanu Reeves anecdote from former MCU director Scott Derrickson? The actor behind so many of the best ’90s movies was once approached to give his blessing to a bona fide religious text, and Derrikson took to Twitter to share the details.
They were both in Prado Museum in Madrid, admiring a painting by Diego Velasquez, when a Reeves fan came over. “An old Spanish woman approached with a Bible and pen, holding them out to Keanu,” Derrickson writes. “Taken aback he said, ‘You want me to sign that?’ The old woman said nothing, so Keanu reluctantly signed The Bible, and the old woman shuffled away.” Making the best action movies gets you some devout fans!
Little did Derrickson know, he was witnessing history. “‘How many times have you been asked to sign a Bible?’ I asked,” he continues. “‘First time,’ he said. I looked up at Christ Crucified, then back at Keanu (whose Neo is one of the great Christ figures in film history) and I thought to myself, ‘He is The One’.”
Us too, after reading this! But then again, watching The Matrix movies in order would tell you that too, as would the John Wick movies. Reeves has a penchant for playing Christ figures and prodigal sons, and difficult kinds of heroes that seem to have an incredible manifest destiny they aren’t entirely sure of.
His work, which includes some of the best science fiction movies and best thriller movies ever, clearly made some think he can only be a gift from God. I’m not so sure about that, but we should be thankful nonetheless.