Keannu Reeves playing an Asian role for the first time

Calgary, Alberta
February 11, 2013 11:43am CST
Keannu Reeves is the most famous Eurasian actor (when you say Eurasian, It means, Half White and Half Asian)Throughout his career though he had been passing as white, I guess because his appearance is more Caucasian than Asian, Plus hollywood always have a discrimination against asian Males,Had he identified as Asian, he would have been playing nerd roles. for the first time on his career, Keannu will play the role of an Asian guy in a movie, On his upcoming movie 47 Samurai, he would be Japanese (he is of Chinese descent though) Many people complained about casting hi as most people thought he is white, as we know Hollywood had been in so many controversies about casting White men for Male Asian roles. Well at least he is part Asian...I guess. I actually wont mind Eurasians playing Asian roles, at least they were still sorta Asian.(in my country though Eurasians got 80% of Tv and movie roles) speaking of eurasians, the following list below are the most famous Eurasians in Hollywood: http://www.imdb.com/list/WKw1gNtgNsc/ You will notice most of them have been passing as white throughout their careers to get roles. Should Keannu accept more Asian roles?
1 person likes this
10 responses
@cecil04 (409)
• South Africa
11 Feb 13
It been a while since Keannu Reeves did a movie worth talking about. On another note Reeves is not only Chinese and Caucasian his also Irish, Portuguese and native Hawaiian, his mother is pure Caucasian so his father is mixed. Reeves will also be in another martial arts movie called Man of Tai Chi which he is also directing.
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@cecil04 (409)
• South Africa
11 Feb 13
Yeah I get what you're saying as his hair is black if I'm not mistaken, but his father is not full Asian so how can Reeves be half. Anyway thanks for informing us about the movie, by the way what happened to the Cowboy bebop live movie Reeves was supposed to be starring in.
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• Calgary, Alberta
11 Feb 13
Hawaiians are pacific Islanders, and they were sorta classified under the mongoloid race, Pacific Islanders have similar genetics with Southeast Asians... so that kinda still make him half asian.
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@vernaC (1491)
• Romania
12 Feb 13
I missed Keanu so much in big screens, in movies that's exciting to watch. Do you have any link for his upcoming movies? It doesn't matter to me how they managed their life being eurasians in hollywood, after all it's their life and future. It's their livelihood to play rules not only in movies but also the rule of their management to keep them in spotlight or at least to have jobs.
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• Calgary, Alberta
13 Feb 13
I know many Asians were hurt when Eurasians try to pass as white, but we know how bad the roles Asians get in Hollywood. so Passing as white really help them on their career.
@MoonGypsy (4606)
• United States
11 Feb 13
thanks for sharing this link. it was interesting to see all of the actors who were really asian, and i never knew it. i knew that keannu wasn't white, i just didn't know he was chinese!
2 people like this
• Calgary, Alberta
11 Feb 13
what shocked me the most is Jennifer Tilly and Kate Beckinsale, I always thought they were white. , what makes me sad is that most of the Eurasians who passes as white are Filipinos... Kristen Kreuk on the other hand plays both Asian,White and Eurasian roles. Have you notice people who are part black have no other choice but to identify as black, even if their skin is very light. While Eurasians seemed to have a choice whether they wanted to be White or Asian.
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@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
12 Feb 13
Hmm it isn't actually Keanu's first time to play an Asian role. Keanu did play as Siddhartha Gautama in the 1993 movie, The Little Buddha. Too hot to be Siddhartha actually.
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• Philippines
13 Feb 13
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Feb 13
its still his first east asian role as Indians are south Asians.
@vernaC (1491)
• Romania
12 Feb 13
Ahh yes..the body..sssiizzzz
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@r0cker (300)
• India
11 Feb 13
Didn't know Keanu is a urasian before reading this although it appears to me sometimes that he looks a little bit chinese . He's one of my favorite actor & it will be great watching his new movie.
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• Calgary, Alberta
11 Feb 13
He used to be accused of being ashamed of his Asian roots for playing too many white roles. But I guess he accepted this role to prove them role.
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• Calgary, Alberta
11 Feb 13
typo correction, Prove them wrong, not role....(geez typo correction is sometimes embarrasing) Usually when caucasians marry southeast Asian (Malaysian,Burmese,Indonesian,Filipino) the child can pass as white, while with east Asians (Japanese,Chinese Korean,Mongolian) Asian features are stronger.
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@r0cker (300)
• India
11 Feb 13
Maybe it's the reason. Well seeing some other urasian celebrities in the list is shocking especially Kate Beckinsale. Who would've thought she is a urasian.
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@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
12 Feb 13
i cant wait to watch it i am a fan of his movies and i never new he was part asian this will be a first for me
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• Calgary, Alberta
13 Feb 13
anyway many Asian Americans are pissed that he is casted,
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Feb 13
They should be happy that he is not passing as white for now right?
• Mexico
13 Feb 13
well its to bad for him he is what he is and should not be judge
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
14 Feb 13
I think Keanu should do whatever roles he wants, be they Asian or white. I know that passing damages your soul. I'm sorry that Keanu felt that he needed to do that. Hollywood is a very screwed up place if your different, not that being biracial is bad, in any way.
• Calgary, Alberta
14 Feb 13
it seemed like its an advantage to him though. But for sure he will play a black guy, there will more crazier controversy as he dont have african heritage.
@stealthy (8181)
• United States
11 Feb 13
Actually to me Kristin Kreuk is more famous than Keannu Reeves. She was in Edgemont, Smallville, Snowwhite: The Fairest of them All(star), Eurotrip, Partition(star), Streetfighter: The Legend of Chun-Li(star), many more things and now is starring in the new hit TV show on The CW, Beauty and the Beast. Lets see Keanu was in that run away bus movie and that is about all I can recall for him.
@stealthy (8181)
• United States
14 Feb 13
Just because the movie is supposedly No. 1 does not make it good. Partition and even Streefighter were better than Speed. I didn't see Matrix mainly because it didn't look that good to me and I'm a beg fan of Science Fiction; not as big a one of SyFy which is a poor copy of the real thing.
• Philippines
12 Feb 13
Maybe he meant "actor" or male. However, Kristin is more popular of television. I love Beauty and the BEast, I watch that sometimes.
1 person likes this
@betlynfrnds (4069)
• United States
14 Feb 13
It's nice to see Mr. Reeves back on screen. I think he had a bit of a low some years back. Apparently he wanted to launch a music career and didn't want to be an actor anymore. Funny thing, the other day I was thinking about Keannu and wondering what he was up to these days. Thanks for the update. I believe he should consider any role offered. He's a pretty versatile actor.
@kourdapya (924)
• Philippines
12 Feb 13
I did not know either that Keanu was half Asian. Now I do! Thanks for that link. I just hope all of them mentioned which Asian country was their other half. I only knew Vanessa Hudgens and Shay Mitchell are half Filipino, and Maggie Q is half Vietnamese (I hope I'm right because I love Maggie)
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• Philippines
13 Feb 13
I think they just give them roles based on their looks. Vanessa looks really exotic, you'd never guess she's got Asian blood.
• Calgary, Alberta
14 Feb 13
actually she looks like the average eurasians we have in Phillippine television. the fact 80% of the actors and actresess in our local showbiz are eurasians, I already knew a Eurasian when I see one. she does look like a Latina though.
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Feb 13
Vanessa , I notice she usually play hispanic roles and Caucasian roles. Maggie Q always play Asian roles. Shay Michelle is the only one who plays a Eurasian. Her character is of Irish and Japanese parentage.