• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Keanu Reeves made more money from The Matrix than any actor has earned from a single franchise in history

Home> Entertainment

Published 20:55 9 Mar 2023 GMT

Keanu Reeves made more money from The Matrix than any actor has earned from a single franchise in history

The Matrix star beat out some serious competition.

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Protagonist of The Matrix - Keanu Reeves - has made more money than any actor from any other franchise in history.

The film star famously played the role of cybercriminal and computer programmer Neo (Thomas Anderson) in all four films.

And just incase our memories need a refresh, the film follows a future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside 'the Matrix' - a simulated reality that intelligent machines have created to distract humans while using their bodies as an energy source.

Advert

When Neo finally uncovers the truth, he joins a rebellion against the machines along with other people who have been freed from 'the Matrix'.

Warner Bros

After bringing in a whopping $467.2 million at the Box office, with a budget of $63 million, it was clear that the first film (1999) took the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction to another level.

As a result, it seems that Keanu has been rewarded more generously for his role, than any other actor.

The 58-year-old reportedly came out ahead of the likes of Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. for Mission Impossible and Avengers respectively.

Advert

According to a 'non-definitive list of actors who have received $30 million or more as compensation for their services in a single production', Keanu's total income for The Matrix franchise was a whopping $156,000,000.

Too many zeros to count.

In joint second place was Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise and Will Smith, who all reportedly brought in $100,000,000 of total income.

Warner Bros

Amid such a successful film career, everything could have completely gone to pot as Keanu was offered the possibility of taking up a crazy stage name early on in his career.

Advert

Ahead of the release of The Matrix Resurrections, Keanu told Good Morning America that he was once asked to take on a stage name because 'Keanu' was dubbed by some as 'too 'exotic'.

The 57-year-old explained: "So, I’m 20 years old, I’m in my first car, I wanted to be in movies, I went to Hollywood.

"And I get there and they’re like, ‘we wanna change your name'."

When a young Keanu questioned the Hollywood people at the time, their response was that his name is 'a little too exotic'.

Wanting to make a good impression, he then considered some alternatives.

Advert

ABC

After taking a deep breath, he gives interviewer Michael Strahan a name.

"Chuck Spadina," the actor claimed was the stage name he almost adopted.

"I just came up with ridiculous names," he added.

However, to the relief of many, he opted to stick with his real name.

Advert

Reeves admitted that he simply 'couldn't do it'.

Featured Image Credit: Action Press/Shutterstock/Warner Bros. Pictures

Topics: The Matrix, Keanu Reeves, TV and Film, Celebrity

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
13 hours ago
14 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Charlize Theron explains why she won't name 'scumbag' director who allegedly sexually harassed her

    Charlize Theron bravely opened up about the harassment in 2019 but says she won't name and shame

    Entertainment
  • 11 hours ago

    Netflix subscribers highlight key issue that makes streamer's latest shows 'pointless'

    Netflix subscribers have highlighted the major issue on social media

    Entertainment
  • 13 hours ago

    Little known Netflix hack shows you exactly how good every show is

    The little known Netflix hack is a game-changer

    Entertainment
  • 14 hours ago

    Jeremy Clarkson leaves brutal comment as Kaleb Cooper posts rare video of lookalike brother

    Clarkson left a brutal comment on the video

    Entertainment
  • Keanu Reeves pauses and chokes up during interview when asked about The Matrix
  • Keanu Reeves confirmed he's accidentally been married to Winona Ryder for 30 years
  • Sopranos actor says she makes more money through OnlyFans career than she did while acting
  • Actor who performed act on director in unsimulated sex scene on how it impacted her career