Editing Keanu Reeves (section)

===1984–1990: Early work===
[[File:Keanu reeves anthony griffith (cropped2).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Reeves in 1986]]
In 1984, Reeves was a correspondent for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC) youth television program ''[[Going Great]]''.<ref name="YouTube">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io0BqClHuPE YouTube clip] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512150912/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io0BqClHuPE |date=May 12, 2016 }}, CBC RetroBites: Keanu Reeves. Retrieved October 22, 2014.</ref> That same year, he made his acting debut in an episode of the television series, called ''[[Hangin' In]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/photos/13032/stars-first-roles/778819|title=Keanu Reeves from Stars' First Roles|website=[[E! Online]]|language=en-US|access-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616133917/https://www.eonline.com/photos/13032/stars-first-roles/778819|archive-date=June 16, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1985, he played [[Mercutio]] in a stage production of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' at the Leah Posluns Theatre in North York, Ontario.<ref name="MrReeves">{{cite web |title=Leah Posluns Theatre School Performances |url=http://mr-reeves.com/leah-posluns-theatre-school-performances/ |website=Mr-Reeves |access-date=July 20, 2018 |date=July 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225627/http://mr-reeves.com/leah-posluns-theatre-school-performances/ |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Leah%20Posluns%20Theatre|title=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia – Leah Posluns Theatre|website=www.canadiantheatre.com|access-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806100015/http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Leah%20Posluns%20Theatre|archive-date=August 6, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> He made further appearances on stage, including [[Brad Fraser]]'s cult hit ''[[Wolfboy]]'' in Toronto. He also appeared in a [[Coca-Cola]] commercial in 1983,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernández |first=Alexia |date=August 7, 2018 |title=Keanu Reeves Says He Shaved His Legs for a 1980s Coca-Cola Commercial: I Went 'Method' |url=https://people.com/movies/keanu-reeves-shaved-legs-coca-cola-commercial/ |website=People |access-date=December 13, 2021 |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213021107/https://people.com/movies/keanu-reeves-shaved-legs-coca-cola-commercial/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and in the [[National Film Board of Canada]] (NFB) [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]], short film ''One Step Away''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/|title=National Film Board of Canada|website=onf-nfb.gc.ca|date=October 11, 2012|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626180947/http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/|archive-date=June 26, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Reeves later said that, when he was looking for work in the mid-1980s, his agents advised him to go by a different name because his first name was "too ethnic". He briefly initialized his first and middle name and attended auditions as "K. C." or "Casey" Reeves before reverting to Keanu.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Eammon |title=Keanu Reeves says he was told to change his name when he first started acting because it was 'too ethnic' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/keanu-reeves-says-told-change-120955751.html |access-date=April 28, 2023 |work=[[Yahoo Life]] |date=March 30, 2023 |archive-date=April 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428234703/https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/keanu-reeves-says-told-change-120955751.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Reeves made a foray into television films in 1986, including [[NBC]]'s ''[[Babes in Toyland (1986 film)|Babes in Toyland]], [[Act of Vengeance (1986 film)|Act of Vengeance]]'' and ''[[Brotherhood of Justice]]''. He made his first motion picture appearances in [[Peter Markle]]'s ''[[Youngblood (1986 film)|Youngblood]]'' (1986), in which he played a [[Goaltender|goalkeeper]], and in the low-budget romantic drama, ''[[Flying (film)|Flying]]''. He was cast as Matt in ''[[River's Edge]]'', a crime drama about a group of high school friends dealing with a murder case, loosely based on the [[Murder of Marcy Renee Conrad|1981 murder of Marcy Renee Conrad]]. The film premiered in 1986 at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] to a largely positive response. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' describes the performances of the young cast as "natural and credible", with Reeves being described as "affecting and sympathetic".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|date=May 8, 1987|title=Film: 'River's Edge'|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/08/movies/film-river-s-edge.html|url-status=live|access-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412120720/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/08/movies/film-river-s-edge.html|archive-date=April 12, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Towards the end of the 1980s, Reeves starred in several dramas aimed at teen audiences, including as the lead in ''[[The Night Before (1988 film)|The Night Before]]'' (1988), a comedy starring opposite [[Lori Loughlin]], ''[[The Prince of Pennsylvania]]'' (1988) and ''[[Permanent Record (film)|Permanent Record]]'' (1988). Although the latter received mixed reviews, [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] magazine praised Reeves's performance, "which opens up nicely as the drama progresses".<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 1, 1988|title=Permanent Record|url=https://variety.com/1987/film/reviews/permanent-record-1200427501/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412131800/https://variety.com/1987/film/reviews/permanent-record-1200427501/|archive-date=April 12, 2020|access-date=April 12, 2020|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref> His other acting efforts included a [[Supporting character|supporting role]] in ''[[Dangerous Liaisons]]'' (1988), which earned seven nominations at the [[61st Academy Awards]], winning three: [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]], [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]], and [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989|title=The 61st Academy Awards {{!}} 1989|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 5, 2014 |language=en|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417063017/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989|archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> This was followed by ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'' (1989), in which he portrays a slacker who [[Time travel|travels through time]] with a friend (portrayed by [[Alex Winter]]), to assemble historical figures for a school presentation. The film was generally well received by critics and grossed $40.5&nbsp;million at the worldwide box office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0096928/?ref_=bo_se_r_2|title=Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-date=June 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624191721/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0096928/?ref_=bo_se_r_2|url-status=live}}</ref> Film [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gave the film a 79% approval rating with the critical consensus: "Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are just charming, goofy, and silly enough to make this fluffy time-travel Adventure work".<ref>{{Citation|title=Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bill_and_teds_excellent_adventure|work=Rotten Tomatoes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229232241/https://rottentomatoes.com/m/bill_and_teds_excellent_adventure|language=en|access-date=April 12, 2020|archive-date=December 29, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1989, Reeves starred in the comedy-drama ''[[Parenthood (film)|Parenthood]]'' directed by [[Ron Howard]]. Nick Hilditch of the [[BBC]] gave the film three out of five stars, calling it a "feelgood movie" with an "extensive and entertaining ensemble cast".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/03/16/parenthood_1989_review.shtml|title=BBC – Films – review – Parenthood|last=Hilditch|first=Nick|date=March 16, 2001|website=www.bbc.co.uk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201015526/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/03/16/parenthood_1989_review.shtml|archive-date=December 1, 2017|access-date=April 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1990, Reeves gave two acting performances; he portrayed an incompetent [[Contract killing|hitman]] in the [[black comedy]] ''[[I Love You to Death]]'', and played Martin, a [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]] employee in the comedy ''[[Tune in Tomorrow]]''. He also appeared in [[Paula Abdul]]'s music video for ''[[Rush Rush (Paula Abdul song)|Rush Rush]]'' which featured a ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]'' [[Motif (visual arts)|motif]], with him in the [[James Dean]] role.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 3, 2005|title=Cinematic music videos: Paula Abdul's ''Rush, Rush''|url=https://ew.com/article/2005/10/03/cinematic-music-videos-paula-abduls-rush-rush/|access-date=October 19, 2020|website=EW.com|language=EN|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021211129/https://ew.com/article/2005/10/03/cinematic-music-videos-paula-abduls-rush-rush/|url-status=dead}}</ref>