She had a stroke in her early 70s and had been housebound for the last 10 years of her life. It was movies and Keanu Reeves that sustained her.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 22: Keanu Reeves speaks onstage during “Collider”: Directors on Directing Panel at Comic-Con at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Lionsgate)

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on August 1, 2022. It has since been updated.

Keanu Reeves is, without doubt, one of the nicest men in Hollywood. There’s an endless list of stories about him taking time out to be courteous and nice to people, from looking after his colleagues on film sets to funding children’s medical care and spending time with fans.

One person recently shared a story that sums up Keanu Reeves, revealing how the “Matrix” star called up their grandmother—who had a longstanding crush on the charming actor—and spoke to her for several minutes, cheering her up.

“My grandmother had a crush on Keanu Reeves because he reminded her of my grandfather when he was young,” they wrote on Reddit. “Saw all his stuff, from Bill and Ted to the Matrix.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 02:(L-R) Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves attend the 2019 LACMA 2019 Art + Film Gala Presented By Gucci on November 02, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

They revealed that the quality of her life had significantly dropped in recent years due to her health condition. “She had a stroke in her early 70s and was pretty much housebound for the last 10 years of her life, so watching movies was her main hobby and became almost like her friend to her because she so rarely got to see any of her own.”

She found comfort in the world of movies and of course, Reeves. “Not too long after the Matrix came out my uncle was in LA for business and was eating at a really swanky restaurant when Keanu came in with a woman.” They both knew they had to tell the actor about his mother’s crush on him. Their grandmother would be even happy to know that they saw Reeves.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 22: Keanu Reeves speaks onstage during “Collider”: Directors on Directing Panel at Comic-Con at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Lionsgate)

“When he finished his meal my uncle came up to their table and said, ‘I don’t usually do this, but I just wanted you to know that my 80-year-old mother loves you and has seen all of your movies. You remind her of my dad,'” they wrote. They figured that was the end of the conversation but Reeves took it one step further.

“He said Keanu asked if he had a cell phone on him and when he confirmed that he did, he said ‘Give her a call, I want to talk to her.’ He spoke with my grandmother for several minutes and it absolutely made her year.” The down-to-earth actor knew the wonders a simple call to the 80-year-old could have.

“She was so isolated and his genuine kindness to her and interest in her showed what a truly amazing man he is,” the Reddit user continued. Reeves was always known to be a star with no airs and his ability to empathize is what makes him different from others.

Reeves himself knows the daily trials of a person struggling with a health condition. His sister was diagnosed with cancer and he took care of her through it. His sister, Kim, battled cancer for 10 years before going into remission. Reeves sold his home and moved closer to his sister to take care of her.

He cooked her meals, cleaned the house and prepared her medication. He put his career on hold to take care of her, which also led to the first two sequels of “The Matrix” being delayed. “She was always there for me, you know. I will always be here for her,” he said, reported The Daily Mail. “I love Kim.

She’s so brave, and I want the very best for her. You can star in hit movies, but that’s nothing compared to going through what Kim’s been through,” Reeves reportedly said. Kim said her brother stood by her throughout the ordeal.

“Keanu helped me so much through my illness. When the pain got really bad, he would sit with me and hold my hand, and keep the ‘bad man’ from making me dance. He was supporting me and comforting me all the time, even when he was away,” she said.

He also runs a private foundation to provide aid to children’s hospitals and cancer research. In a very rare instance, he spoke about his charity work.

“The Matrix,” star told Vogue, “I have a private foundation that’s been running for five or six years, and it helps aid a couple of children’s hospitals and cancer research. I don’t like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does.”