From party dude to martial arts-expert computer hacker, Keanu Reeves knows how to make waves

Keanu Reeves has come a long way since his 1989 breakthrough with Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Known for box office hits like Speed and The Matrix, he also received critical acclaim for his serious role in The Gift and gave fans a taste of his tender side when he played romantic lead in Sweet November (now out to buy on video/ DVD). Reeves is a versatile star with a sexy combination of boyish good looks and a mysterious persona.

In person, Reeves seems more like a regular guy than a major sex symbol. He turns up for interviews wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and often runs his hands through his dark hair. He is also, apparently, quite reserved.

'Keanu is shy, and he is very focused,' says Charlize Theron, his co-star in Sweet November. She and Reeves worked together on Devil's Advocate (1997), and she welcomed their reunion for Sweet November. 'I knew I was going to work with somebody who was going to be fearless to go with me,' she explains.

Jason Isaacs, who had a supporting role in Sweet November, also calls Reeves shy. But he points out a professional benefit to this trait: 'He has secrets. And the camera loves people who have secrets. It makes you as an audience crane forward when you really want to know what's going on inside somebody's head.'

First among sequels

For the past few of years, Reeves has been working especially hard, filming more than seven movies, including The Matrix, since 1999. His deadpan delivery and inscrutable persona made him the perfect choice for the role of Neo in The Matrix. Following its run-away success, Reeves is now filming the next two in the franchise - The Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions. The sequels are being shot back-to-back with the first one due for release in Summer 2003.

In the Matrix series, Reeves plays a gifted computer programmer, which is a stretch for him: he doesn't even own a computer. 'It makes the directors of Matrix laugh,' he says. When they make comments about it, he replies: 'That's why they call it acting.'

The filming of the sequels has taken its toll. All stars had to undertake exhausting martial arts training for months on end in preparation. 'It has pushed me to my limits,' Reeves was reported as saying. 'Before it was like: "Can you do two kicks?" and now it's like: "Can you do three kicks, but with a jumping backspin hook-kick?"'

By all accounts, the sequels are set to be even better than the original.

The films aren't the only excitement in Reeves' life, however - he also gets animated when he discusses Dogstar, his rock band. Although he grew up wanting to be an actor (he has worked on-screen since he was 15), Reeves taught himself to play bass at 22. He says that performing as a musician is completely different from performing on a movie set, and he appreciates the contrast. 'It's just good, clean fun.'In the meantime, he doesn't regret his demanding schedule. 'I've had the opportunity, especially in the last year and a half, to do some acting,' he says simply. 'I love it more and more.'