Cinema is a visual medium, but actors are often cast for their verbal proficiency as well. Dialogue is an important part of performance, and more often than not, the lead stars get the bulk of the lines.
That was not the case, however, for this one particular star. He landed a role that had him speaking only 638 words in the entire movie, yet he was the highest-paid star for it. (John Wick director reveals how Keanu Reeves ‘stood up’ for puppy death scene that crew thought was the ‘worst idea’)
The actor who earned $1 million per line
The Wachowskis’ ground-breaking two-part sequel to The Matrix (Reloaded and Revolutions) saw Keanu Reeves reprise his role as Neo. The first film’s success meant that the actor’s star power had increased, and he could command a higher salary. As per Ranker, Keanu took home $100 million for the joint production of the two films. Given that he had less than a hundred lines of dialogue in the two films, he earned a solid million dollars per line or about $159,000 per word. No other actor has been paid as much in the history of cinema.
During his time in The Matrix films, Keanu also impressed fans with philanthropic gestures. For the first film, he earned over $45 million, and reports stated that he donated 70% of it later on. Keanu also gave away gifts worth millions of dollars to the VFX team of Matrix 2 and 3. He gave similar gifts of expensive watches to the stunt team of his most recent hit, John Wick 4. The actor is considered one of the biggest philanthropists in the world of cinema.
Keanu Reeves’ fees today
Like most other actors today, Keanu Reeves charges his remuneration in films in two parts – an upfront salary and bonuses from box office collections. According to ScreenRant, the actor took home $15 million upfront for John Wick 4. E! reported that Keanu earned $25 million in total for his role in the film after accounting for a bonus payout as well. This makes him one of the highest-paid actors in the world. The highest-paid Indian stars pale in comparison. Top stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Prabhas, and Salman Khan earn between $12 and $18 million per film ( ₹100-150 crore) today. Only two Tamil stars – Rajinikanth and Vijay – out-earn Keanu from among all Indian actors.
Keanu Reeves’ upcoming work
In 2025, Keanu will reprise the role of John Wick in a cameo in the Ana de Armas-starrer spinoff From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. He has two other films lined up after that – Good Fortune and Outcome. He will also be voicing a character in one episode of the animated anthology series Secret Level, set to release on Amazon Prime Video on December 10.