Keanu Reeves Gave Up Millions for the Chance to Work with This Actor
The one thing that could not be bought with money is experience.
Keanu Reeves has gained tremendous respect among his fans not only for the talent he possesses, but also for his kind heart and the respect he has for the people around him.
There have been numerous accounts where he has proven to be just as humble and genuine as he is portrayed in the media.
From the looks of it, his ethics are just as admirable as he was willing to give up a huge chunk of his paycheck just to gain experience working alongside his own idols.
If we had a nickel for every time Keanu Reeves gave up part of his paycheck to work with another actor, we'd have two nickels. It's not a lot, but it's funny that it happened twice.
The first time it happened was during the production of The Devil's Advocate in 1997.
Although the film was considered a success overall, there were a few bumps in the road: one of them being Al Pacino's initial refusal to play the role, which he felt was too clichéd.
Reeves, for his part, was so excited to work with the legendary actor, who he had been a fan of since The Godfather trilogy, that he decided to give up millions of his salary so the studio could offer it to Pacino.
Luckily, it all worked out in the end. Considering that Keanu Reeves also refused to do Speed 2 just to appear in The Devil's Advocate, it could have been an even bigger career loss than just a financial one.
Since the paycheck trick seemed to work pretty well the first time, the actor tried it again on the set of The Replacements. This time Reeves wanted to work with Gene Hackman, but reportedly it took a lot more than just a few million.
Keanu Reeves had to give up about 90% of his salary to secure the role, just three years after The Devil's Advocate.
Later in the interview for Total Film Reeves explained that both cuts seemed a fair price for him, as all he wanted was just to "hang out with them and to see how they go about their craft".
"They're both such beautiful actors. We don't think of Al Pacino now with economy, but that's what he has. He's just a beautiful actor and Gene Hackman is another nonpareil, you know?" he later added, once again stealing the fans' hearts with the kindest attitude towards his co-stars.
Not everything is about the money after all, huh?