This post is in partnership with Walt Disney Studios however all opinions are my own.
Who doesn’t have a soft spot in their heart for Keanu Reeves? And now that he’s part of the Toy Story franchise, you’ll fall in love with his character, Duke Caboom, as well!
Keanu Reeves has had quite the year so far! From making cameos in “Always Be My Maybe” on Netflix to having John Wick shattering all expectations, it’s safe to say he’s having a good 2019. Honestly, it was no surprise that he would eventually end up in a Disney-Pixar movie.
The Keanuissance
Have you heard of this? There’s been a buzz lately all over the internet about Keanuissance.
And amazingly enough ladies and gentleman, I was there when that epic term came up during the recent Toy Story 4 press junket. My friend Amanda Taylor from Crazy Amanda Reacts was the one that asked Keanu the epic question on his revival. (My opinion? I think he was quite shocked that he was even having a revival!)
Let’s be honest…Keanu might be having a great year but overall the man has had an amazing career! I first fell in love with him back when Pointe Break came out…who doesn’t like a man that knows how to surf? Plus, he wears those wet suits so well!
Keanu has always been able to play a wide variety of roles from comedy and romance and even to action, he is one of those actors that can captivate us no matter what character he portrays.
Keanu’s Back Story
From what we have seen, Keanu is a very humble human. He’s not for many things which include giving up his seat on the subway, riding with stranded flight passengers whose flight was canceled and giving to some amazing children’s charities. If we had more Keanu’s in Hollywood we could definitely be making a drastic change in the world.
And I’m not saying that most celebrities aren’t giving…but Keanu puts the icing on the cake. Most recently he was dubbed the Internet’s boyfriend for the way he decided not to hug women. This actually left some wondering “Why?” or “Why the paranoia?”
It may have something to do with his backstory. Keanu has been in a few relationships in his life and was married at one point as well. Tragically, he lost his daughter and wife both in a car accident and from that moment forth, the actor has been even more private and even more selective with the type of roles he plays. Some have been similar to what he has gone through in his actual life.
So Why Duke Caboom?
Toy Story 4 isn’t Keanu’s first animated film. If you recall, he made Scanner Darkly back in 2006. Now, unlike Toy Story 4, Keanu still had to act out the parts for it to be animated vs Toy Story 4 where it was all voiced.
Keanu was cast solely off of his voice for Toy Story 4, as we learned from director Josh Cooley. He said they don’t look at headshots for casting. In fact, they lay them face down and just listen to the voice.
They felt Keanu would be the perfect fit for Duke Caboom after all he grew up in Canada, and in the film, Duke is Canadian, “EH”. Plenty of elements of the character seem like a natural extension of Keanu himself, particularly the passion for motorcycles. (If you’re not aware, he owns his own motorcycle company.)
“Duke Caboom, Canada’s greatest stuntman. He’s a daredevil. He’s got a really good heart, brave,” -Keanu Reeves
Duke Caboom – A Cry Baby?
In Toy Story 4 Duke has a key part in helping Bo, Woody, and Forky. However, in some parts of the film, Duke can come off as a bit of a cry baby. During the press junket, someone asked Keanu how he was able to play in John Wick, which is the high action movie, to channeling his inner crybaby in Toy Story 4. His response? “There are so many different kinds of people going through different things. And Duke Caboom just happened to be a crybaby. And super with a big heart and brave who loved life and so I think that there’s a bit of Duke Caboom in all of us.”
The truth is we all have a bit of Duke Caboom in all of us, who will see for yourself when you see the movie!
Toy Story 4 comes out June 21st!
Leave a Reply