Keanu Reeves Is Closer With Some of His Siblings Than Others
Published Jan. 20 2022, 10:16 a.m. ET
In the words of Dr. Steve Brule, "It's lonely at the top." This is a sentiment that a lot of high-profile and wealthy public figures, artists, politicians, athletes, and celebrities know all too well.
But even famous people sometimes have close family members they can rely on. Many fans these days are wondering if everyone's favorite on-screen loner, John Wick's Keanu Reeves, has any siblings in real life. Here's what we know.
Does Keanu Reeves have any siblings?
The Point Break actor has had a career resurgence in recent years. It seems like everywhere you look, you'll find a tale of Reeves just being a genuinely awesome person. Whether it's helping Octavia Spencer on the side of the road when she first moved to L.A. or leading stranded airplane passengers on a memorable journey through California, people are fascinated with the actor who's been through so much and has steadily worked throughout multiple decades in Hollywood.
But in addition to being everyone's favorite Hollywood star, Keanu Reeves is also a brother! The John Wick star actually has three sisters: Kim, Karina, and Emma.
To understand the family dynamic Keanu has with his siblings, you have to understand the relationship between his mother and father.
Reeves was born in Lebanon to a British mother, costume designer Patricia Taylor, and his dad, geologist Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., who was originally from Hawaii. When Keanu was still a toddler, Patricia left Samuel due to his purported drug addiction.
She then moved to Sydney, Australia, then New York, where she had remarried. The family then moved to Toronto, where Reeves spent his childhood and adolescence before making it in Hollywood.
Keanu's sister Kim also pursued an acting career but unfortunately, she was diagnosed with leukemia in 1991, right before her first film came out. She fought it for years, and thankfully in 1999, when the first Matrix film debuted, Kim went into remission.
For years, Keanu would spend time with his sister when she was in the hospital, holding her hand the entire time, even turning down roles and being more selective with his filming to be her primary caregiver.
Kim said in an interview with People, "My brother is my prince. He listens to every word, to every comma after every word, that you are saying."
Reeves silently donated a whopping $31.5 million of his earnings to leukemia research and rarely discusses it, as he says, "I don’t like to attach my name to it; I just let the foundation do what it does."
Kim wrote and acted in 2002's The Color of Water. These days she's reportedly living in Rome and keeping a relatively low profile.
Keanu's half-sister Karina Miller also works in show business. She produced To the Bone and Semper Fi and is currently working on pre-production for Hail Mary (as of this writing).
Reeves and Karina have been seen on the red carpet together several times, and the family made the premiere of Semper Fi a night out.
When questioned by reporters, Reeves talked glowingly about Karina and her film accomplishments, praising the movie and her work on it and talking about how proud he is of the work she's doing. "It's really awesome to be here and be invited. It's a great accomplishment. It's a wonderful film," he said.
Karina also commended Keanu for his constant support, saying, "He's always been so supportive and so protective of me doing my own thing. I always really appreciate that."
Keanu's father Samuel remarried after his split from Patricia and had a daughter, Emma Rose, with his new wife. It doesn't seem like she's close with Kim or Keanu.
In a 2003 interview, Emma said, "I would love to have a relationship with Keanu. I don't want anything from him — not money, not fame by association — just to get to know my big brother. I see all his films and read all the articles about him, but it's not the same as being part of his life."
The strained relationship between Samuel and the rest of his family might have something to do with that. In a 2001 interview, Samuel said, "He's made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me. My feeling was so intense that it told me how much I missed the kid. It's been so long for everything."