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Ali Wong Reveals That Keanu Reeves Is Way Funnier Than You’d Think

The “Baby Cobra” comedian shared how Reeves pitched and improvised many of his hilarious bits in “Always Be My Maybe.”

Thanks in part to Keanu Reeves’ action star persona, the actor is generally thought of as brooding and, well, badass.

Although the “John Wick” star got his big break thanks to a little comedy called “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” in 1989, fans of the 54-year-old actor often forget that Reeves can also be pretty funny.

The most excellent example of this can be seen in his latest role as a caricature of himself in the Netflix romantic comedy “Always Be My Maybe,” in which the actor improvised many of his funniest bits.

“It’s hard to describe just how shockingly funny he is,” comedian Ali Wong, who stars in the film and co-wrote it along with Michael Golamco and co-star Randall Park, told Rolling Stone.

Nahnatchka Khan, Ali Wong, Randall Park and Keanu Reeves arrive at the premiere of Netflix's "Always Be My Maybe" on May 22.
Kevin Winter via Getty Images
Nahnatchka Khan, Ali Wong, Randall Park and Keanu Reeves arrive at the premiere of Netflix's "Always Be My Maybe" on May 22.

In the film, Reeves plays the worst possible version of himself — an aggressive, egotistical international movie star who’s also a total fuck boy.

It seems that Reeves himself began crafting this cartoonish version of himself the moment he walked into Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont hotel to have his very first meeting with Wong and director Nahnatchka Khan to discuss the possible role in the film.

For instance, Reeves’ hilarious entrance in the movie — which has already gotten the meme treatment due to its undeniable swagger — stems from real life.

Apparently, the actor strutted into that meeting like he was goddamn Keanu Reeves.

“I think the entire Chateau just went silent for a moment,” Khan told Vulture. “That could have just been in my head, but there’s a different aura about him. It was wild.”

Wong said that Reeves had read the script prior to that initial meeting, had a few ideas for the character and began introducing them to Wong and Khan right away.

“He was getting into the character already,” Wong told Vulture. “He took my hand in his hand and just stared at me like, Hi. Kind of like he does in the movie and held my hand for an awkwardly long comedic time. It was unbelievable how much he committed to it already in that moment.”

Reeves also improvised a few things in the movie that he’d pitched during that meeting.

“Like wearing glasses that had no lens,” Wong told Rolling Stone. “And the part in the game night scene where he lists all of these Chinese dignitaries, that was all his idea. And when he says, ‘I don’t have a problem, Sasha. What’s your problem?’ and starts air-fighting.”

Hey, we’re just happy some of his Matrix and Jon Wick moves are serving a new and hilarious cause.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.