Keanu Reeves took a moment to toss around a football with a nine-year-old fan before his performance with the band Dogstar at the House of Blues in Houston.
The young fan's grandmother, Annette Cruz, told KHOU News that she enjoys meeting famous people, a pastime she likes to call "fishing," and she went to the music venue to see if she could fish around for Reeves.
She also took her grandsons Caleb, 11, and Elijah, 9, with her to see if the actor would sign autographs as he arrived at the venue with his bandmates.
Reeves more than delivered.
After Elijah got the star's autograph, he had an additional request for The Matrix actor.
“When I got his signature and my brother got his signature, I asked him if he could play catch with me."
Being Hollywood's all-around good guy, the 59-year-old happily obliged the young fan.
Elijah recalled:
“I asked him the first time and he kind of mumbled something."
"But I didn’t hear him so I asked him again and he said, ‘Yeah come on, let’s go.'”
The two tossed the pigskin back and forth for the next 30 seconds on the sidewalk by the stage door.
Football is the sport that brings people together.\n\nFor one young fan, this recently included having the opportunity to play catch with K\u0336e\u0336a\u0336n\u0336u\u0336 \u0336R\u0336e\u0336e\u0336v\u0336e\u0336s\u0336 Shane Falco on a city sidewalk.\n\n\ud83d\udcf9 @pubity— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@Pro Football Hall of Fame) 1696884021
You can watch a news report, here.
Actor Keanu Reeves plays catch with 9-year-old Houston boy youtu.be
Elijah said:
“I was really nervous because I was playing catch with a famous superstar."
That's fair. But it turned out to be Elijah's big "top moment."
And the football they tossed together? Elijah said he was going to keep it "forever and ever," just like the special memory he made.
Elijah's older brother Caleb didn't walk home empty-handed, either, as he got a selfie with the John Wick star.
Social media users commented on the feel-good interaction, and they weren't surprised by the actor's affable personality with fans.
@PopCrave Keanu Reeves is THE BEST HUMAN from America .— Kanhaiya Lal Saran (@Kanhaiya Lal Saran) 1696864255
@PopCrave He IS that nice! Never heard a bad word about Keanu!— Vikas \u26a1 (@Vikas \u26a1) 1696864072
@PopCrave He really is the best— MUSIC VIBES (@MUSIC VIBES) 1696864221
@PopCrave Awww so cute . Keanu reeves is an amazing person— heartbeat\u2764\ufe0f (@heartbeat\u2764\ufe0f) 1696864130
@PopCrave The only good human being in Hollywood— \ud835\udd34\ud835\udd22\ud835\udd2a\ud835\udd1e (@\ud835\udd34\ud835\udd22\ud835\udd2a\ud835\udd1e) 1696867713
@IbVictan @PopCrave The most genuine guy in Hollywood! How can someone be this awesome and not let fame get to him— Next Level (@Next Level) 1696864422
Playing football comes naturally to Reeves.
In the 1991 action thriller Point Break, he played an FBI agent who was an All-American quarterback.
He also portrayed a left-handed former All-America quarterback for Ohio State in the 2000 sports comedy film The Replacements.
@ProFootballHOF @pubity I\u2019m like a lot of actors trying to play quarterback Keanu could actually throw.\ud83c\udfc8— Glen Graham MSEd (@Glen Graham MSEd) 1696884850
The quarterback coach for the film, T.J. Rubley, said of Reeve's athleticism:
"Truth be told, when Keanu was done, he could drop back, he could throw just about every throw on the route tree."
"He probably would have been recruited by Division II or Division III (schools) out of high school."
Beyond the field and off-camera, Reeves is still winning.
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