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Keanu Reeves is one of the most fascinating celebrities to follow in Hollywood. He is a massive movie star, appearing in many franchise blockbusters, but he also appears to be one of the kindest and sweetest people in the industry. However, his childhood wasn’t as glamorous, but he found unique ways to entertain himself before coming to Los Angeles. One thing Keanu Reeves would do In Toronto is ride the subway alone until the end. 

Where did Keanu Reeves grow up?

Keanu Reeves speaks onstage at Collider: directors on directing panel at Comic-Con at San Diego
Keanu Reeves | Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Lionsgate

Reeves was born in 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. His mother was an English performer and costume designer, while his father was a Hawaiian geologist. According to Britannica, they divorced when he was a kid, and he went to live with his mother. The two lived in New York and Sydney before moving to Toronto, where Reeves grew up. 

He struggled in school and attended four different high schools, one of which had a program focused on the arts. He dropped out to pursue an acting career and made his acting debut in a 1984 episode of the comedy series Hangin’ In. He later made his film debut in a hockey movie called Youngblood

Keanu Reeves would ride the Toronto subway alone until the end of the line when he was young

In an interview with Esquire, Keanu Reeves talked about growing up in Toronto and what he would do to entertain himself. He grew up in the Yorkville section of Toronto and was a “latchkey” kid who hung out with other latchkey friends. During the day, they would play street hockey until it was dark or have wild chestnut fights. 

Other times, Reeves would go off by himself and ride the subway. There were only two trains in Toronto at the time, and the actor lived near where the two trains would meet. One direction went down into a U and back, while the other would go east until the Kennedy stop. Children could ride for a quarter, and Reeves said he would ride for hours.

After departing, he would emerge from the subway and explore unfamiliar areas of the city, where he could explore the various shops and buildings. Esquire writes that Reeves does a similar thing in other new cities and almost seems like a local whenever he arrives at a new destination. 

Reeves began acting at a young and has become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars

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After making his film and television debuts, Reeves became a more recognizable name after starring in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. In 1994, he transitioned into becoming an action star with Speed. He has become a central part of other action franchises, including The Matrix and John Wick

Some of his other movies include The Devil’s Advocate, Constantine, Point Break, The Replacements, and Something’s Gotta Give. He reprised the role of Ted in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey and Bill and Ted Face the music. His upcoming projects include John Wick: Chapter 4 & 5, BRZRKR, Rally Car, Past Midnight, and the upcoming Hulu series Devil in the White City