Born in Beirut, Lebanon to a British mother and American father (who’s of Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese & Irish extraction), Keanu Reeves was bred in Toronto, Canada and first dipped his toes in the world of theatrics at the age of nine, when partaking in the musical comedy Damn Yankees. It was dint of his Hollywood & Broadway director stepfather, that he was imbued to carve out a career in acting.

When shaping up for the role of Neo, Reeves didn’t have an over-the-top diet plan. He just stuck to some simple ground rules. The first being that he’s allowed to intermittently indulge in a cheat meal — as long as it fits his macros — or tuck into whatever at whim one day of the week. Reeves’ diet includes staples like; chicken, beef, lamb, fish; tofu, oatmeal, pasta, brown rice, fruits & vegetables. Through a curated dietary regiment, he balances out his protein, carb, and fat intake. Eating several small and medium-sized meals daily to curb hunger and eliminate processed food cravings.

Since The Matrix was the first time Reeves got into full action-star mode, it might surprise you that intensive workouts weren’t a part of his routine. His character Neo wasn’t intended to be buff. However, that doesn’t mean Reeves didn’t put in enough sweat and effort. According to Kung Fu Magazine, Reeves and his co-stars went through months of mixed martial arts training to ensure that they had the necessary combat skills to nail the complex choreography required to shoot the movie’s fight scenes.

The plyometric exercises helped Reeves enhance his speed and muscle power when squaring off with agent Smith.