It's tough to count (or rank) all of Keanu Reeves' successful films and epic acting roles. But while many of his gigs are super-famous -- the 'Matrix' franchise, for one thing -- what's lesser-known are the films he passed on completely.
While he almost skipped acting in favor of another career entirely, Keanu has since turned down very few movie opportunities. And the ones he has said no to involved some interesting consequences.
Then again, Keanu has also said yes to some movies that fans would've shaken their heads at. For example, the revival of 'Bill & Ted' seemed a little bit like grasping at straws of the younger actors' former glory.
Anyway, there was at least one film that Keanu said no to, and for good reason: he just really hated the script. As Closer Weekly quoted, Reeves had plenty of great experiences while filming the original film 'Speed.' Alongside Sandra Bullock, Keanu played an action hero who rescued a bus full of people from impending doom.
But when it came time to discuss 'Speed 2,' Keanu wasn't totally down with the plot. He explained that after reading the script, which outlined that the action would happen on a cruise ship, he knew he had to object.
In an appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel' in 2015, notes Closer Weekly, Keanu explained his reasoning for bailing on Sandra and director Jan De Bont: "It was about a cruise ship … a cruise ship is even slower than a bus and I was, like, ‘I love you guys, but I just can’t do it.'"
The studio behind the original movie was Fox, and of course, after the wild success of 'Speed,' they knew a sequel could be a big money-maker. The bummer was that Keanu turned down a significant payday when he refused the role, but it turned out OK for him in the end.
The studio, on the other hand, enlisted Jason Patric as Sandra's new co-star, and the film bombed. Keanu was also blacklisted from working with the studio; 'Speed' came out in 1994, and it wasn't until 2008 that Reeves was asked back.
The joke was on Fox though -- Keanu went on to earn critical acclaim for a long list of films while he was "blacklisted." Clearly, Fox's blacklisting didn't mean Hollywood blacklisting. In fact, that period was when Keanu began starring in the 'Matrix' films.
Movie jail turned out to not be so bad for Keanu, though Fox may have regretted their decision to overlook him after he turned down their prized sequel. Fortunately for them, Keanu held no ill will toward the studio and rejoined them later for more acting work.
He may be a snob about one aspect of his work and public persona, but Keanu's pretty humble when it comes to taking gigs and sharing opportunities with his fellow actors.