Keanu Reeves has had good chemistry with pretty much all his romantic costars. Whether Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix films, Lori Petty in Point Break or Winona Ryder in Destination Wedding, there’s a spark between Reeves and his leading lady. Two of his most special co-stars, however, were Charlize Theron and Sandra Bullock.
Bullock, of course, played replacement bus driver Annie in 1994’s Speed. Reeves and Bullock reunited for The Lake House in 2006. Reeves also co-starred with Theron in The Devil’s Advocate and Sweet November in 1997 and 2001 respectively. Here’s what Reeves thinks of those on-screen pairings.
‘Speed’ was tough act to follow for Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock
“I’ve heard relationships based on intense experiences never work out.” That was the joke between Jack Traven (Reeves) and Annie, since they met on a bus that would explode if it didn’t speed above 50 mph. Nevertheless, their on screen kiss lost the MTV Movie Award to Jim Carrey and Lauren Holly in Dumb & Dumber.
At the 2006 press junket for The Lake House, Reeves thought they had another shot.
“I think it will rate right up there,” Reeves said of their Lake House kiss. “There’s such a war of words now between Jim Carrey and I in the MTV kissing [category].”
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock liked their ‘Lake House’ reunion
Alas, The Lake House did not even get Reeves and Bullock a nomination for Best Kiss. In the film they play two residents of a magical house at different times, who can write letters to each other via the mailbox. Given the challenging premise of the film, Reeves felt they resparked their Speed chemistry.
“It helped that we had worked together before and I guess we filmed about two weeks together,” Reeves said. “I think it helped that we’ve kept in contact over the years and we like each other, so it was kind of instant rapport.”
Charlize Theron had to be a twofer too
In The Devil’s Advocate, Theron was an up and coming actress. She played Reeves’ wife, when Kevin Lomax (Reeves) accepts a legal job in New York, and his boss (Al Pacino) turns out to be Satan himself. By 2001’s Sweet November, Theron was already making a name for herself in lead roles. At the 2000 press junket for The Gift, Reeves looked ahead to the release of Sweet November and asserted why he thought his chemistry with Theron was so strong.
“We get along really well,” Reeves said. “We’re friends, we know each other and stuff, but there’s something that happens when we act together that’s very different than how we are when we are together in life. It’s the oddest thing. When I watch The Devil’s Advocate, I go ‘That’s a great couple. They rock. If I saw that couple I’d say they’re f*cking hot. They’re just hot’ and I felt that again on Sweet November that even though they’re such different characters that they should be together.”
