38 years ago, he took his first steps in the cinema, today everyone knows him. Did you know this young actor in his first film?

Rising to stardom in the early 2000s with the Matrix trilogy, in which he is the lead actor, Keanu Reeves is a sure bet in action movies. Also the hero of the John Wick “gun-fu” franchise, he is the prince of stunts, most often performed by himself, and an Internet meme known for his simplicity and accessibility.

But what role did he play in his film debut? For this we have to go back to 1986 and find a film that is quite forgotten or even little known in France, Youngblood, directed by Peter Markle. Reeves is not the hero of the film, as he is Rob Lowe (St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, and the TV series Parks and Recreation).

Youngblood tells the story of Dean Youngblood, a young man from humble origins, who rises to the prestigious “Mustangs Juniors” ice hockey team. A small problem: he falls in love with the coach’s daughter…

Today everyone knows him

And Keanu Reeves in all of this? He plays Haver, the goalie for the Hamilton Mustangs. He is from Quebec and, like many members of the team, lives for his time with Miss McGill, a tea lover, and the players. A role that suits the actor perfectly, because in his youth he was already a hockey goaltender in Canada.

Youngblood was not a success in theaters, but gained a reputation on VHS and through its transatlantic television broadcasts. In France, the film is not really considered a great film, but it still has an average rating of 3.3 out of 5 by the audience.

From hockey player to action star!

After Youngblood, in which he appeared only briefly, Keanu Reeves directed several films and television films, sometimes leading the bill, such as River of Death or Flight, but without really breaking through. His luck changed with the comedy Bill & Ted’s Adventure, which became a success, but it was really Point Break, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, that made him famous to the general public.

This was followed by the independent film My Own Idaho River with Phoenix, but also Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, Taylor Hackford’s The Devil’s Partner and especially Speed ​​and The Matrix, which made him a cult movie star.