Keanu Reeves: 70 percent of his "Matrix" salary went to cancer research

Keanu Reeves is known for his generosity. It was recently revealed that the actor gave Rolex watches to his stunt crew from the fourth "John Wick" film. It's not the first time he's used his high film earnings to help others.

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Keanu Reeves donated 70 percent of his "Matrix" salary

According to the online magazine "LadBible", Reeves donated a whopping 70 percent of his "Matrix" salary for leukemia research. In 1999, he was paid $10 million upfront for the first of the films and $35 million overall. The reason is personal: in 1991, his sister Kim was diagnosed with blood cancer. The now 55-year-old fought the serious illness for around ten years – in the end with success.

Her reference person at the time was her famous brother. He sold his house and moved to be with her. "She was always there for me. I will always be there for her," he once said of his sister. Years later, Reeves went one step further. He set up his own foundation to advance cancer research. "I have a private foundation that's been around for five or six years that supports some children's hospitals and cancer research," he said in 2009.

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Lots of money to the crew

This should be done inconspicuously. He doesn't want to get credit for it. "I don't like putting my name on it, I just let the foundation do what it does," Reeves said. But not only medicine benefits from his generosity. Apparently, he gave another portion of his "Matrix" credit to the film crew, particularly the costume team and animation department. "He felt that they were the ones who made the film and that they should be involved," a source explained.

It's not without reason that Keanu Reeves is one of the most popular Hollywood stars.