Keanu Reeves Explains Sad Keanu Meme

Keanu Reeves tried to explain what was really going through his mind during the Sad Keanu meme. The viral picture saw The Matrix star sitting on a bench contemplating life. During an appearance with Stephen Colbert, the actor explained that he was really just trying to eat a sandwich. (Eagle-eyed Internet commenters have enjoyed this little detail so much in the past.) But, seriously, Reeves says that he just had some things on his mind, but most of his focus was on lunch. When asked about why he is so innately meme-able, the actor said, “I have no clue, sir.” It would be hard to argue with such a sentiment as social media seemed to run on a mixture of his and Ben Affleck’s despairing faces. Something about the natural state of The Matrix star just appeals to people from all over the world. Reeves clearly enjoys that a bit but doesn’t really get all of it. You get the feeling he’d just rather be eating that sandwich. Check out what he had to say down below.

“I’m just eating a sandwich man,” Reeves laughed. “Okay, I was thinking, I had some stuff going on. I was hungry. So, life and art. Ron Garney is the amazing artist who is illustrating and drawing BZRRKR. I didn’t know he was going to do that. But, that’s what he did. So I think it’s kind of meta. He decided to take, and this is what I think, what I believe to be true, he took this moment. And the character is waiting for this moment to happen. Because he’s being studied by the American government, a black ops program to figure out why he’s immortal, why does he regenerate. I’m just trying to figure out why I exist.”

This kind of humor has done miracles for the actor in the past. Another example of his calm deadpan humor is his story about how he was recruited back for The Matrix Resurrections. He told Graham Norton about it on his show.

“I was at home, and I got a text from Lana Wachowski, the director and writer, and she was like, ‘What do you think about doing another Matrix film?’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds amazing, but I’m dead.’ And then she was like, ‘Are you?’ and I went ‘Do tell.” And she wrote a beautiful, beautiful script, a wonderful story, I think.”

Here’s a description for The Matrix Resurrections:

“In “The Matrix Resurrections,” return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. And if Thomas…Neo…has learned anything, it’s that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of—or into—the Matrix. Of course, Neo already knows what he has to do. But what he doesn’t yet know is the Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before.  Déjà vu.”

Do you love the Sad Keanu meme? Let us know down in the comments!