Keanu Reeves is opening up about the physical toll years of stunt work has had on his body, but a source exclusively tells Closer he’s still fitter than most people half his age thanks to a dedicated regime that’s putting him in prime position to reprise his role in the John Wick franchise.
“Keanu is so committed to his workout regime, he trains seven days a week without fail,” the source says. “He does a combination of martial arts, endurance training and strength training along with all sorts of recovery hacks like hot and cold therapy and lots of cardio.”
In addition to the gym work, “he’s also fastidious about hydration and nutrition,” while at home, so much so that “every meal is carefully planned, so that he’s giving his body the fuel it needs to keep his muscles and joints in top shape – nothing is left to chance.”
But like all good things, Keanu takes his regime in moderation: “He doesn’t restrict himself, if he wants to have some junk food, he eats it, but he always makes sure to get three balanced meals in as well as a ton of supplements.”
The Speed star is famous for his impressive stunt work reaching all the way back to Point Break in 1991. For the Matrix trilogy, the reclusive actor pushed himself above and beyond and ended up falling in love with martial arts, as he practiced religiously to make his moves convincing for the camera.
Keanu said he did about 90 percent of the stunts for the first John Wick and about 95 percent of the stunts for the second installment of the franchise.
Now 60, the action star is paying special attention to the needs of his body to ensure his longevity in the action scene. “He works incredibly hard to be able to handle the stunts and the overall wear and tear on his body that these demanding shoots require,” the insider says.
Keanu will be reprising his role as John Wick for the Ana de Armas-led spinoff, Ballerina, but the intensity of his stunts for that movie remain to be seen. When asked about whether or not he’ll still be gung ho about putting his body on the line for another full John Wick chapter, he said, “You can never say never,” but qualified his enthusiasm with some sensible thoughts at his age: “My knees right now are saying ‘I can’t do another John Wick.‘ So my heart does, but I don’t know if my knees can do it.”
“He likes doing his own stunt work,” the source continues, “but he’s not maniacal about it the way that some stars are, he’s very level headed and looks at this with a view to the long-term.”
Luckily, Keanu is known to leave his ego at the door, unlike some other A-listers like Tom Cruise. “If there are stunts that he and his trainers feel are going to be too taxing for him, he’s fine letting a stuntman step in,” the insider assures.
