Keanu Reeves Can’t Stop Thinking About Death
In a recent interview with the BBC Keanu Reeves confessed that he thinks about death a lot these days. The interview that revealed his fixation with mortality was about his new novel The Book of Elsewhere, in which mortality is a central theme. His mortality was one of many topics he discussed in the interview.
Comfort In Meditating On Death
Keanu Reeves told the interviewer, “I’m 59 so I’m thinking about death all the time. That’s a good thing.” He went on to talk about how his fixation on death leads him to appreciate the time that he does have as well as the people around him. While some may find a fixation on death morbid, the actor seems to have found comfort and inspiration in the subject.
The Book Of Elsewhere
It makes sense, given his thoughts on the matter, that death is a central theme of the actor’s new novel The Book of Elsewhere. Co-written by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, the book is about an immortal searching for a way to die, making mortality a clear motif. Despite the heavy themes, the novel is a speculative fantasy action novel, setting it firmly in the realm of genre fiction.
BRZRKR
The Book of Elsewhere is set in an alternate version of the BRZRKR universe, a comic book co-created by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney which also features death as a central motif.
That comic, which was a huge hit and is currently being adapted by Netflix, also follows a violent immortal protagonist. In addition to its immortal demi-god protagonist, BRZRKR is noteworthy for its hyperviolent action, which features lots of blood and gore.
His Action Movies
Many have pointed out the physical resemblance between Keanu Reeves and the unnamed protagonist of the BRZRKR universe. It seems a fixation on death is another commonality between the creator and his creation.
Despite these similarities, it would be a mistake to think of the character as a self-insert, with the fictional character being incredibly violent and murderous, a contrast to the actor known for his calm demeanor.
Keanu Reeves attributes all the violence and death in the stories he writes to his history starring in action movies. The actor is best known for action movies like The Matrix and John Wick along with the numerous sequels both of those movies spawned.
When the interviewer asked about concerns with fictional violence encouraging real-life violence the actor was fairly dismissive.
Speaking Positively About Death
It’s unsurprising, given his comments about death, that Keanu Reeves is very focused on the joy of creating and sharing a fictional world. He described the process of worldbuilding as comforting and talked about the joy of creating something and sharing it with the world.
His positive fixation on mortality fits naturally with this mindset, encouraging him to use his limited time on Earth to create something that brings joy to himself and others.
Hearing an A-list actor like Keanu Reeves talk so frankly about death is undeniably unusual. However, it seems like his focus on mortality is a key part of his creative life which is reflected in his writing.
The Book of Elsewhere and BRZRKR both directly examine the topic of mortality and it’s clearly a motivating factor for the beloved actor.
Source: BBC
