Keanu Reeves is the kind of man legends are made of, at least if you believe the crazy rumor about him being immortal. The Matrix actor was big even before he became the face of the John Wick franchise, which is practically booming with a 4th and 5th installment on the way. Co-star Donnie Yen adds to ever-growing reputation of Reeves when he practically throws praise at the actor, along with John Wick 4 director Chad Stahelski.
If you needed another reason to believe that Keanu Reeves is a stand up guy and love him for it, other than portraying a character who basically rips the underground crime world apart because of the death of his dog, John Wick 4 star Donnie Yen gives us just that. In an interview with Collider, Yen praises Reeves for just being an all-around good guy. He gives the same praise to John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski, as well as saying that he just gets movies. Here it is in the actor’s own words:
I have to take this opportunity to (express) my utmost appreciation for Chad and Keanu. They’re just lovely men, gentlemen, they’ve got a big heart. Keanu’s got a good soul, a good man. Chad is also a very good man, very knowledgeable. People think of him as a brilliant action guy, he’s not (just that), he understands films. He’s a film librarian, he knows what’s going on. I’m having the best time working with them in this movie, (more) than any of my previous Hollywood movies, so I wanted to express my appreciation.
Donnie Yen is a new addition to the John Wick franchise, the fourth film being his first so working with both Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski may be new for him, he does say it’s the best Hollywood experience he has had on a film. The John Wick franchise is actually the first directorial experience Stahelski has, having an extensive background in stunt work otherwise, so it’s huge praise for the director.
In the same interview, Donnie Yen goes more into depth about his feelings toward star Keanu Reeves. The John Wick newcomer basically says that Reeves is the real deal, doing everything himself and earning all the respect he is given. This is what Yen says about the long time action star, exactly:
He’s great, it’s more than I expected. He’s the guy, he does everything himself. He put in the hours, he put in the work and he can do it. He’s no joke. I have that respect for him, and he’s just a cool guy to be around and to work with.
With a franchise as successful as John Wick, it’s good to hear that the people behind the films are so grounded and beat the typical big Hollywood stereotypes, especially when such praises are coming from newcomers in an already established franchise. John Wick 4 is still filming and is set to release May 27th of next year, and Chapter 5 will soon follow.
