The Directors Of John Wick Fought Off Studio Pressure To Make Keanu Reeves Clean-Shaven, Leading To The Birth Of An Iconic Character. When you think of John Wick, it’s hard to imagine the gun-slinging, suit-clad assassin without his rugged beard. However, that now-signature look wasn’t always a given. As directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch recently shared in an interview with Business Insider, one of the more unexpected battles they had to fight in the making of John Wick was about the facial hair of their leading man, Keanu Reeves. The Studio's Clean-Shaven Obsession According to Stahelski, the financiers behind John Wick initially pushed for Reeves to appear clean-shaven, reflecting his earlier action hero appearances in movies like Point Break, Speed, and The Matrix. The studio argued that international markets preferred a clean-cut Reeves, and covering up the star’s recognizable face with a beard seemed like a risky move. Leitch added, “I don’t want to get into it, but ...
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