Keanu Reeves Finally Reveals How He Was Really Feeling When The 'Sad Keanu' Picture Was Taken

Keanu Reeves is finally sharing his true emotions behind the 'Sad Keanu' meme. The picture went viral way back in 2010, featuring a somber-looking Reeves sitting on a bench and munching on some food. During a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, the 57-year-old shared the story behind the picture when host Stephen Colbert compared the iconic photo to an illustration in the comic book series created by Reeves called BRZRKR. 

Quick refresher: BRZRKR is a graphic novel series co-written by actor Keanu Reeves and comic book writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Justice League of America), with artwork by visual artist Ron Garney (Wolverine, Captain America). It's hard to deny that the protagonist is strikingly similar to Reeves himself. According to Kickstarter, the story follows Berzerker who "is half-mortal and half-God, cursed and compelled to violence...even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, Berzerker will be granted the one thing he desires – the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence…and how to end it."

Back to the Sad Keanu picture, speaking to Colbert, The Matrix Resurrections star exclaimed, "I'm just eating a sandwich, man!" Then, Colbert asked the much-awaited question: "So, you're not actually sad in 'Sad Keanu'?" "I was thinking," Reeves replied. "I had some stuff going on. I was hungry." Reeves added that BRZRKR illustrator Ron Garney slipped the meme reference into Volume 1 of the comic book without his knowledge. And the result is pretty awesome.

The character in the comic book looks pretty similar to the meme as he is hunched over on a bench while rain pours down on him. Reeves thinks Garney's drawing took inspiration from his 11-year-old meme. "I didn't know he was going to do that," Reeves confessed to Colbert. "But that's what he did. So, I think it's kind of meta." He also added with a shrug, "That's life in art." Reeves, who is a fan favorite on the Internet doesn't quite understand the hype and why he is the subject of many a meme. Colbert asked the actor why he is so "meme-able," and he replied, "I have no clue, sir. … Really."

For now, Reeves is keeping busy with his professional life, with several projects in the pipeline. In March, Variety reported that Reeves is set to act in and produce a live-action film and anime series based on the BRZRKR comic book series with Netflix. He's also looking forward to the release of his upcoming film: The Matrix Resurrections, which will be out in theaters and on HBO Max starting Dec. 22.