Over the last three decades, Keanu Reeves has cemented himself as one of the leading men in Hollywood when it comes to action. From making The Matrix with The Wachowskis to performing most of his stunts in Chad Stahelski’s John Wick films, Reeves has deservedly earned himself the status of one of the best action stars of our time.

But while it was Point Break and Sandra Bullock’s Speed that gave him the boost in the action landscape, these films weren’t Reeves’ first introduction to the genre.

A Force of One Introduced Keanu Reeves to Filmmaking

Growing up, Keanu Reeves had a fractured relationship with his father Samuel Nowlin Reeves, who was mostly absent during his childhood. But Reeves’ bond with his step-father Paul Aaron, who was briefly engaged to his mother Patricia Taylor after she moved to New York with Reeves and his siblings, would prove to be crucial. 

Being a Hollywood director, Aaron introduced the then 15-year-old Reeves to the realm of filmmaking, after he took him to the set of the action flick A Force of One, starring Chuck Norris.

I believe I was 15? It was my summer holiday from school. And for a parent it’s, like, what do you do with this kid over the summer? I know, we’ll make him a production assistant on a movie! I was watching the grips, I was watching actors, I was seeing how a film set really works, the call-sheets, the generator, the lights, the lunchtimes.

While The Matrix star’s main duty was to lug buckets of ice and keep all the drinks and snacks on set cold, he never saw it as demeaning, stressing that he enjoyed being involved in the process.

I could start lugging ice right now. A movie is all-hands-on-deck. I love all-hands-on-deck

Even though A Force of One is far from Norris’ best action films, which made $20M at the box office, it did leave a huge impact on a young Reeves, who, not long after it, would pursue the field.

Keanu Reeves Entertained the Idea of Collaborating With Tom Cruise

Although Reeves has done it all in the realm of action, the actor once expressed his desire to star alongside another action icon, Tom Cruise. While singing praises and sharing admiration for Top Gun: Maverick, the biggest film of Cruise’s career, the John Wick star stressed that he’d love to star alongside the action star and fight a common enemy.

When asked about his thoughts on collaborating with the Mission: Impossible star, he told ExtraTV:

I don’t know if he’s an inspiration, he’s just amazing. Yeah, he’s just incredible. You know, what he does, I mean we know him as this great actor. I don’t know, maybe we can be side by side with a common goal.

With Cruise currently busy with MI 8, it can’t be said for certain if a potential collab between the two will ever see the light of day, as it’s important to note that Cruise is currently 61 and Reeves is 59. But considering the two have been pushing the barriers of action filmmaking even in their late 50s and early 60s, it’s reasonable to be optimistic.