John Wick has become one of the most popular and profitable action franchises of the last decade, but parts of filming the inaugural movie made Keanu Reeves vomit.
The actor, John Wick co-star Ian McShane, producer Erica Lee, and co-director Chad Stahelski, participated in a 10th anniversary John Wick panel on Sunday (November 3), to reflect on the hit 2014 film. According to People, journalist and moderator, Grae Drake, asked Reeves about the lengths that he went to portray Wick, who violently confronts Russian mobsters over the slaying of his beagle, Daisy.
Calling the role a "gift," Reeves, 60, confessed that he went beyond physical exertion to fully embody the titular character.
"I had so many wonderful teachers and guidance and worked with so many talented actors, actresses and stunt people in the sense of it's such a dance and collaboration and cooperation," he said. "So there's a couple of times where you throw up or puke or whatever, but that's what makes it good!"
McShane added that Reeves "pushes the envelope all the time." "So when your leading actor says, 'We'd like do another one,' and it's raining for the seventh day in a row outside…and you're standing there, whatever. And you go, 'Well, Keanu's doing it. Here we are. Here we go.'"
Reeves' sacrifice made Wick an iconic action protagonist, with the first film amassing $86 million globally, and preceding three additional installments. The most recent, John Wick: Chapter 4, was released last March and earned a whopping $40.1 million worldwide.
In a 2023 interview with Jake's Takes, Reeves shared that he enjoys "playing characters who suffer."
"I think it because it makes good drama, and I feel like that's what connects us to John Wick too, it's like he keeps getting hit by cars, he's getting shot, he's getting beat up, but he keeps trying to fight for what he wants and believes in," Reeves said around the 3-minute mark of the video below.