Hollywood star Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest and highest-paid actors in the industry. He has given multiple hits and is popularly known for his work in John Wick and The Matrix franchise. Reeves is set to appear in the fourth installment of the John Wick franchise and fans are eagerly waiting for his return. As much as the Matrix star is loved for his on-screen roles, Reeves is also cherished and highly respected off-screen.

Keanu Reeves
And from time to time, the Canadian actor has given his fans reason to respect and love him even more. Reeves was earlier praised for giving away millions of dollars for the VFX and costumes crew of The Matrix. The Point Break star also offered a pay cut while working in 1997 The Devil’s Advocate.

 

Keanu Reeves Offered a Pay Cut to Get Al Pacino Onboard

Keanu Reeves starred alongside Al Pacino in the 1997 film The Devil’s Advocate. The supernatural horror film followed a lawyer who ends up working with the Devil. Reeves was cast as Kevin Lomax, and the filmmakers wanted The Godfather star Al Pacino for the role of John Milton (Satan).

However, Al Pacino rejected the offer on three occasions due to the clichéd nature of the character. He suggested filmmakers should offer the role to Robert Redford or Sean Connery. After this, Reeves offered a pay cut worth millions so that filmmakers could meet the Heat star’s salary.

Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate
Al Pacino accepted the offer and portrayed Satan in the film. This was not the only film where he offered a pay cut. The actor still avoids talking about such things as he believes that these are “private transactions.”

“I’d rather people didn’t know that. It was a private transaction. It was something I could afford to do, a worthwhile thing to do,” Keanu Reeves said. The Me and Will actor reportedly did not want to lose the opportunity to star alongside one of the greatest actors in the industry.

Not much information is available about how much salary cut he offered. But the Knock Knock star allegedly deferred $2 million of his salary to get Al Pacino onboard. He also cut the majority of his salary so that Gene Hackman could be cast in the 2000 film The Replacements.

 

Keanu Reeves’s Net Worth

Keanu Reeves made his Hollywood debut with One Step Away in 1985. He went on to star in multiple films but rose to fame with the 1994 action movie Speed. The film was a commercial and critical success and even earned two Academy Awards.

John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick star’s net worth is estimated to be $380 million. Other than starring in huge franchises including The Matrix and John Wick, Reeves also collaborated with several brands.

For the first installment of The Matrix, he was paid $10 million upfront and approximately earned an additional $35 million dollars after the film became a huge commercial hit at the box office.

 

The Speed star has done four films in the franchise and has made $250 million from the first three films in the franchise. According to Variety, he was paid $12 million to $14 million for the 2021 Matrix: Resurrection, plus back-end box office grosses and adjusted bonuses.
The Matrix
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Chain Reaction star made between $1 million and $2 million for the first John Wick. For the second film in the franchise, he was paid between $2 million and $2.5 million along with some ownership of the film.

For John Wick: Chapter 3, Reeves was paid between $2 million and $2.5 million along with some ownership and box office bonuses. Keanu Reeves is set to appear in the next installment of John Wick.

John Wick: Chapter 4 will release on 24 March 2023.

Source: Reddit