Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Patricia Taylor, a British costume designer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., an American of mixed Hawaiian, Chinese, English, and Portuguese descent.

His parents divorced when he was two years old, leading to a series of relocations with his mother.

Reeves moved to Toronto, Canada, with his mother, where he spent most of his childhood and developed an interest in acting.

Reeves participated in school plays and community theater, including a production of "Damn Yankees" at the age of nine.