The glamour world appears quite shallow to most of us. It comes with its own set of repeated scandals, gossip, indulgence, and luxury – all the negative things we generally try to keep our children away from. But sometimes, you do get a gem in the rubble. Behind the apparent shallowness that Hollywood represents, Keanu Reeves comes out as a glimmering star. Yes, we are talking about the cult-favorite Neo from the Matrix trilogy. It turns out that Neo has been trying to save the real world as well. Keanu Reeves, the famous actor, has another side to him – he’s been donating millions to charities.
Keanu Reeves’ secret
If you did not know about it, it’s because Reeves did not want you to know anything about it. He has his own private charity organization but you won’t find his name attached to it. However, he injects his hard-earned money into it for cancer research. Cancer is still one of the high-ranking fatal diseases that is targeting people all over the world. Humans have conquered thousands of diseases and we believe we can get this one too. The problem – cancer research is severely underfunded. Without the money needed, no researchers could possibly expect a breakthrough – not for a few decades at least. They could do with a lot of help – and it is here that Keanu Reeves and his immense contribution come into play.
Personal grief or big heart?
You could put this great philanthropic intent as a deeply personal subject for Keanu. In the 90s his sister was suffering from leukemia. It’s a kind of cancer that happens in the bone marrow and makes the white blood cells go rouge. Biology 101 says that white blood cells are necessary to fight off infection. Imagine life when your defenders become your enemy. It must have been a tragic time for the family. Thankfully, his sister Kim’s disease went into remission. But Reeves remembered the struggle and he realized he had the resources to do something about it. Save someone else from it. And he did what he planned to do.
Personal reasons also took him down the road to relive his dream to become a pro-hockey player. He may not have fulfilled it, but he had contributed much of his money to Spinal Cord Opportunities for Rehabilitation Endowment (SCORE), a charity that tries to give proper treatment to people with spinal defects. They specialize in treating and mentoring people in sports – young athletes who have suffered spinal injuries.
But if you are thinking that Keanu Reeves is just being too personal, you are dead wrong. He just doesn’t value money enough. He has claimed that he has made enough to get him going through a few centuries – it’s the last thing he thinks about. His purpose is humane. He has also been kind enough to use his fame and create awareness through the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, taking calls from fans and the public in the hope to raise enough money for cancer research.
Doing it for all
But then why have you never heard of his glorious acts yet? We generally feel suspicious about closed people – but Keanu has it all set up. It’s simple – he does not intend to brag about his acts. It’s like the gospel says: ‘But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’. He doesn’t do it for PR or movie promotions, he does it for the world. He just likes to help, and he helps enough. It’s not even limited to just charities. He’s known to charge less money for acting in movies just so that the production could pay everyone properly. While shooting Matrix Reloaded, he had even given up his rights to ticket profits so that the movie producers could use more money for special effects! That’s not the only thing – it is said that he gifted the entire stunt crew of Matrix a powerful set of Harleys. They are mad expensive but when you are giving away gifts, money is not something you are bothered about.
Plus – Reeves is not someone who forgets their mother once they become famous. He had bought a house solely for his mother too – a gem of a son he is!
Favorite actor in favorite series
And on top of everything, Keanu Reeves is coming to our favorite animated series. This time, he is the voice behind an important character in the Toy Story series. We don’t know his role yet, but Tim ‘Buzz Lightyear’ Allen mentions that it’s a great part. We just have to be in the theatre first day, first hour to know what it is.
Keanu Reeves not only gives Hollywood some shine, but sets an example for all of us. He’s an inspiration. Let’s hope he continues this way, but above all, let’s make a decision to support him through our own little random acts of kindness.
Featured Image Credit: BBC.co.uk