Entertainment
John Wick 4 star Rina Sawayama praises Keanu Reeves’ ‘calming presence’ on set: ‘He has such an ordinariness about him’-Sabrina Barr and Karen Edwards-Entertainment – Metro
It was ‘great to hang out like he’s a family member,’ the singer said.
Rina will make her feature film debut alongside Keanu in John Wick 4 (Picture: Rex/Getty)
In every corner of the internet, Keanu Reeves – of The Matrix, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Speed fame – is regarded as one of the most lovable, down-to-earth and kind-hearted celebrities on the planet.
His real-life persona couldn’t be more different from his lead role in the John Wick film franchise, where he plays a former hitman with a lethal reputation who’s brought out of retirement. Cue explosive gun fights, an unforgettable horse chase scene and a crime underworld that fans can’t get enough of.
The fourth movie instalment is due to come out next year, with Keanu’s Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne returning as The Bowery King, Ian McShane back as Winston, Lance Reddick as Charon and singer Rina Sawayama making her film debut as Akira.
Rina, who supported Sir Elton John at British Summer Time Hyde Park last week as part of his Farewell Tour, spoke exclusively ahead of the performance, recalling what it was like to film with Keanu on John Wick 4, after principal photography wrapped in October last year.
The 31-year-old emphasised how ‘intense’ the training was to play Akira, saying it was ‘the most physical exercise I’ve ever done’.
‘The process of getting into character was awesome though and having someone like Keanu really on your side, looking after you and making sure you’re alright felt great,’ she said, before sharing some more details on what the 57-year-old was like to work with.
You don’t want to mess with John Wick (Picture: Niko Tavernise/Thunder Road/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)
‘Keanu just has such an ordinariness about him – he’s really down to earth, he’s someone who is so chilled and lovely – just great to hang out with like he’s a family member,’ she said.
‘He just has a great presence, he has a calming presence around him.’
Rina remembered a particularly fond memory she had while training alongside Keanu, when they both shared the exact same thought about the intensity of their gruelling regime.
Rina dazzled at the BST Hyde Park festival (Picture: Alberto Pezzali/AP)
‘My favourite memory is looking over to him while we were both training in the same gym and being like, “F**k!” That was one of my faves – [training] was just so brutal!’ the singer-songwriter recollected.
‘I loved sharing that moment with him – we were both like, “This is horrible.” But I can’t compare to what he’s done – he’s in the whole movie and I am in a portion of the movie. I don’t know how he does it – he does all his own stunts!’
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Keanu is undoubtedly one of the most likeable figures in Hollywood (Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
During an interview in March with The Hollywood Reporter, John Wick 4 director and producer Chad Stahelski teased how the titular character would ‘suffer’ in the next release.
‘We keep finding new and interesting ways to have John Wick suffer,’ he said.
‘That’s where the action comes from. Figure out how to make him suffer, and then design backward.’
As for how many more John Wick films fans can expect – with an Ana de Armas spin-off Ballerina in the pipeline – Keanu said: ‘We just attack one at a time.’
John Wick 4 is due to be released in 2023.
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