Keanu Reeves reveals he ‘thinks about death all the time’ as he nears 60

Despite his youthful looks, the Hollywood star says thoughts of the 'Grim Reaper' are ever present in his mind.

The Canadian actor became a household name in the late 80's and early 90's thanks to appearances in blockbuster films such as Parenthood and alongside River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho.

In an interview with BBC to promote his first foray into publishing, Reeves admitted: "I'm 59, so I'm thinking about death all the time."

The John Wick star has co-written a new fiction novel called The Book of Elsewhere alongside British science fiction author China Miéville.

The story follows an immortal warrior called 'B', who just wants to be able to die - which might explain why Reeves is all of a sudden encumbered with obsessions around mortality.

The 352 page book is available to buy now, and The New York Times describes it as ‘a pulpy, adrenaline-fueled thriller, but it’s also a moody, experimental novel about mortality, the slippery nature of time and what it means to be human.’

The novel is based on the successful BRZRKR (pronounced "berserker") comic book series created by Reeves in 2021.

Speaking alongside his collaborator, Reeves said: "I didn't write a novel. China wrote a novel."

Miéville argued "that's putting it too far," adding: "It wouldn't exist in the form without a lot of very thoughtful and careful work with Keanu."

Expanding on his musings on passing away, Reeves added: "Hopefully it's not crippling, but hopefully it's sensitised [us] to an appreciation of the breath we have, and the relationships that we have the potential to have."

'B', the protagonist of The Book of Elsewhere, is an 80,000-year-old half-mortal and half-God being who is known for his violent streak.

Reeves describes 'B' as someone who can "punch through people's chests and rip their arms off, rip their heads off".

When asked where this level of violence originated from, the Speed star attributes it to his array of weapon-wielding acting roles.

"I think it was influenced by some of the action films that I had done," he said.

"Maybe ultimately the fantasy of building another world brings some kind of comfort in some way," he added.

"There's something ultimately about the creative gesture that comes from pain. Creating stuff is great. Just creating, sharing, and hopefully people like the stories that we tell."

Reeves is currently on a UK tour with his band Dogstar. The alternative rock trio formed in the early nineties.

The genesis of the band was a chance encounter between Robert Mailhouse and Keanu Reeves in a supermarket in 1991. Mailhouse was wearing a Detroit Red Wings hockey sweater, and Reeves (an avid hockey fan and a keen player of the sport) asked if Mailhouse needed a goalie.

As the two men formed a friendship, they began jamming together, and were joined by Gregg Miller as the original lead guitarist and singer in 1992.