Even His Biggest Fans Have Some Pretty Harsh Opinions On Keanu Reeves' Acting

A career in Hollywood can be a tricky business, not just because of the work and the roles that hopefully come with it but also due to the reception waiting for actors and filmmakers when their efforts finally see the light of day. Deliver a dodgy accent or go too wild on-screen and there's as much chance of a star being made into a meme as of them becoming a critical success. Despite Keanu Reeves' legendary status, the actor has stumbled into such pitfalls over the years, from his painful attempt at an English accent in "Dracula" to his wooden performance in "Johnny Mnemonic," and yet like his most beloved action role, John Wick, the totally cool dude keeps coming.

Still, as a bankable star whose films have raked in over $6 billion worldwide (via The Numbers), Reeves must be doing something right. After taking the lead in one of the most iconic franchises ever in "The Matrix" in the early 2000s, he went and found another in the mid-2010s. However, while it's clear that audiences will flock to see Reeves shoot up the screen with flair, some can't ignore their big gripe with the stoic star who has never faded from view, and they're not afraid to mince words over the matter — well, at least not on Reddit threads.

Taking to Reddit, u/firecrackerinthehole shared their thoughts on Keanu Reeves and the rough ups and downs of his career. Opening with an honest defense, they admitted, "I'm personally a big fan but I'll admit that he's one of the most uneven big stars ever. I think his performances in The Devil's Advocate and Constantine are just fantastic but then we also have Dracula and Knock Knock."

Redditor u/Voyager1212 argued that while his time as John Wick, John Constantine, Neo, and Jack Traven established him as the greatest action star of our generation, "in any other roles that require regular to extensive dramatic and/or comedic dialogue, he is NOT great." Other fans shared their love and acceptance as well. "I absolutely love Keanu," said u/whoissanti. "But I don't think he's a spectacular actor. Though he plays his parts really well and his movies are usually fun."

That they are. In fact, none of the films Reeves has appeared in since 2018's "Replicas" has scored below a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. These numbers assure that Reeves has become a welcome talent for just about any film he puts his name to, but in his early years, even the star himself doubted his capability.

Among the chunks of humble, all-around goodness exuding from Hollywood's most lovable dude is a comment he made in his early years in film demonstrating his modesty before his career had even begun. In an unpublished interview from 1987 conducted by TheWrap during the filming of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," a young Keanu Reeves was pretty critical about his work up until then, totally unaware of the cultural icon he would become.

When asked how long he'd been acting, Reeves shuffled around the matter, coyly replying with, "Well... I don't know if I'm acting now. I'm pretty bad." Of course, everyone is their own worst critic, and wherever he stands on his own performances now, the rest of the world is still happy to see them. Thirty-five years on, and there's no denying that Keanu Reeves is indeed most excellent.