Keanu Reeves earns $39,473 a word for John Wick 4
Words are more valuable than ever, it seems, going by Keanu Reeves’s reported salary in John Wick: Chapter 4. The Hollywood superstar banked $15 million in pre-release takings for the film, according to Cosmopolitan magazine.
Although the film is the longest in the multimillion-dollar franchise at 169 minutes, Reeves’s character only utters 380 words, taking his income per word to $39,473. But the role includes more than just dialogue and the actor performs a lot of his own stunts.
It raked in $150.1 million in box-office revenue around the world during its opening weekend, including $86 million in the US, according to film research website The Numbers.
Reeves reportedly earned between $1 million and $2.5 million for the first two movies in the franchise.
The Beirut-born Canadian has a fortune estimated at $380 million, according to wealth-tracking website Celebrity Net Worth.
Reeves, 58, has earned his fortune from an acting career that dates back to the mid-80s.
His films have grossed close to $4 billion, according to The Numbers. The total does not account for inflation. The actor’s biggest salary comes from The Matrix franchise. The four films netted Reeves $250 million when upfront fees and his percentage of box-office takings are factored in, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Outside of acting, Reeves co-founded a production house called Company Films, and has launched a small press and a motorcycle company.
Reeves is notoriously reserved when it comes to his investments. He also appears in few endorsements, although in 2019 he fronted an Yves Saint Laurent fall-winter menswear campaign.
He owns an $8 million home in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. He purchased it in 2003 after years of living at the city’s Chateau Marmont hotel, paying close to $5 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The actor has a reputation for philanthropy. He has set up a cancer charity but it does not carry his name. In addition, he supports Peta, Stand up to Cancer and the SickKids Foundation.
Last year, he and his partner, artist Alexandra Grant, became advisers to the non-profit Futureverse Foundation, which promotes underrepresented artists.
