UK in crisis? Enter Keanu Reeves

Star on film industry lobbying trip asked to be next PM.

by Jennie Kermode

Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves Photo: Gordon Correll

The past week has been a turbulent one for the UK, with the public voting to leave the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron resigning and conventional politics in disarray. Many MPs, like members of the public, have been left feeling that they need a hero to save the day. Who should appear in the hallowed halls of Westminster but Speed star Keanu Reeves.

As it emerged, he was neither there to tell them they'd reach Point Break nor to assure them that they were caught in The Matrix and would soon wake up. According to Mark Pritchard, he was there to meet Nadhim Zahawi and lobby for increased support for the film industry, but few MPs had been forewarned. Stella Creasy spoke of amazement at seeing somebody who looked like her teenage crush before she realised that it really was him. Apparently amused by the fuss, he posed for selfies with assorted parliamentarians, but failed to respond to members of the public who asked if he would mind taking over as prime minister for a bit. He did confirm to Sky's Darren McCaffey that he is not planning to join Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet.

Share this with others on...
News

Underrepresented stories Laura Green and Anna Moot-Levin on Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s

Between strangers Anthony Chen in capturing emotion in Drift

Art of observation Matthäus Wörle on his collaborative approach to debut documentary Where We Used To Sleep

Gateway between worlds Anu Valia on expectations, reality and We Strangers

The little things Inside the 2024 Glasgow Short Film Festival

Choosing her colours Joe Lawlor and Christine Malloy on Rose Dugdale and Baltimore

Filmhouse gets £1.5m funding boost Edinburgh cultural hub set to reopen this year

More news and features

Interact

More competitions coming soon.