Keanu Reeves is well-known for his roles in films such as ‘The Matrix’ and ‘John Wick’. But did you know that he is not an American citizen? Keep reading to find out.
Since he started acting in 1984, Keanu Reeves has amassed a large following. Many fans were left wondering if he was Canadian after his recent voice acting appearance in ‘Toy Story 4’ as a Canadian stuntman named Duke Caboom.
Highlights —
- Keanu Reeves’ nationality
- Keanu Reeves isn’t an American citizen?
Keanu Reeves’ nationality
Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon on September 2, 1964. Keanu Reeves is a Canadian citizen, despite being born in Beirut. When he was six years old, Keanu moved to Toronto, Canada, and grew up there. Later, he became a Canadian citizen, and he remains so to this day.
In Canada, there are two types of citizenship: citizenship by birth and citizenship by naturalisation. A Canadian citizen must be born in Canada, in Canadian waters, or even over Canadian airspace to one or two Canadian parents. Alternatively, a child may be born outside of Canada and still be Canadian if both parents are. Naturalization means that a person immigrated to Canada and applied for citizenship. To obtain citizenship, adults must pass a Canadian Citizenship Test. This is how Keanu Reeves became a Canadian citizen as a teen.
Keanu Reeves has a fascinating and varied past. Patricia Taylor, his mum, is an Englishwoman who was born in Essex, a county north of London. His father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., is Chinese, English, Irish, Native Hawaiian, and Portuguese, and was born in Hawaii. When Keanu and his parents met and married, they were both living in Beirut.
Two years later, in 1966, the couple divorced, and Keanu and his mother relocated to Sydney, Australia, and then to New York City, where she was remarried, in 1970, to Paul Aaron. They moved to Toronto, Canada with Keanu when he was six years old after getting married. A year later, the couple divorced, but Keanu and his mother remained in Toronto and became Canadian citizens.
Keanu Reeves isn’t an American citizen?
Keanu Reeves is known as a quintessentially American actor. Thanks to characters like Ted “Theodore” Logan and Johnny Utah, two of the most American human beings to ever exist outside of a cartoon cowboy. As a result, you might be surprised to learn that Reeves isn’t an American.
After his parents divorced and his mother remarried as a stage and film director, he moved to Ontario as a child. Reeves is still a Canadian citizen with an American green card from his stepfather.
Aren’t you surprised? Stay tuned to us to know more surprising facts and updates about Keanu Reeves.
