Keanu Reeves Is Being Removed From Matthew Perry’s Memoir
Matthew Perry said it was "stupid" to include Keaue Reeves' name in his memoir, and so all future publications will have it removed.
All mention of Keanu Reeves will be removed from future editions of Matthew Perry’s memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. The actor made the revelation during an appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. “I said a stupid thing. It was a mean thing to do,” the Friends star said. He explained that the Matrix star’s name only came up because they live on the same street.
“I’ve apologized publicly to [Keanu Reeves]. Any future versions of the book will not have his name in it,” Matthew Perry continued via Deadline. While the book includes several personal stories from the Friends alum, readers were startled at the unprovoked digs at the John Wick actor. He is mentioned as an actor who “still walks among us” as “the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die.”
Elaborating further on his poor choice, the Whole Nine Yards actor said he plans to apologize to Keanu Reeves in person if the opportunity presents itself. “If I run into the guy, I’ll apologize. It was just stupid,” Matthew Perry added. Following the backlash in October 2022, the 53-year-old issued an apology saying he should have used his own name instead.
“I’m actually a big fan of Keanu [Reeves]. I just chose a random name. My mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead,” he said at the time. During the book festival, Matthew Perry also addressed the criticism about the lack of diversity in Friends. “It was a different time,” he explained. “Nobody talked about diversity. We were all stupid. Diversity is a huge issue. It’s the right thing to do.”
While Keanu Reeves didn’t officially react to his strange inclusion in Matthew Perry’s book, a source told US Weekly the actor felt like the comments “came out of left field.” While he found it odd, the Matrix star didn’t feel like it warranted any public recognition. Instead, the actor is currently enjoying the success of John Wick: Chapter 4.
The film premiered at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on March 6 and was released by Lionsgate a few weeks later. The Keanu Reeves movie received positive reviews from critics, earning over $358 million at the global box office. John Wick: Chapter 4 also became the highest-grossing film in the franchise and fifth-highest grossing movie of 2023 so far.
Keanu Reeves will next be seen in Ballerina on June 7, 2024. Directed by Len Wiseman from a screenplay by Shay Hatten and Emerald Fennell, the story takes place after John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and before John Wick: Chapter 4. The plot focuses on a ballerina/assassin named Rooney who goes on the hunt for those who killed her family.
With Ana de Armas in the titular role, Ballerina also stars Ian McShane as Winston Scott and Keanu Reeves as John Wick. Lance Reddick appears as Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel in New York, and Anjelica Huston as The Director. Norman Reedus, Gabriel Byrne, and Catalina Sandino Moreno have been cast in undisclosed roles.
