A Playbill bio can be revealing. More than a collection of credits, it can tell you what an artist is most proud of, what being on the stage means to them, and show off a bit of their personality. And because we at Playbill have artists submit their bios to us, when you open a Playbill, you're truly seeing an artist describe themselves in their own words (sometimes with memorable results).
The latest standout Playbill bio comes courtesy of Keanu Reeves, who is currently making his Broadway debut as Estragon in Waiting for Godot. And if you think the John Wick star was going to rest on his film credits in order to justify this stage gig, think again. For the bio, which takes up a whole half page, Reeves goes into his theatre background in detail, explaining how early in his career, he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Trinculo in The Tempest, and Hamlet. And he also gave a shoutout to his improv comedy days.
READ: How to Write a Playbill Bio Like a Pro
Reeves' bio reads: "He was first introduced to Broadway in 1981 while watching his stepfather, Paul Aaron, direct Claudette Colbert in A Talent for Murder. That same year, he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre in Toronto, directed by Lewis Beaumander. His first professional stage role came in 1983 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Brad Fraser's Wolfboy, directed by John Palmer. He attended a summer program at the Hedgerow Theatre in Pennsylvania and completed two Shakespeare programs with Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts, performing as Trinculo in The Tempest (1993) opposite André Gregory, directed by Tina Packer. He portrayed Don John in Kenneth Branagh's film Much Ado About Nothing (1993) and Hamlet at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in 1995, again under Beaumander's direction. Reeves also participated in Second City workshops in Toronto and Los Angeles and performed in Toronto's Theatresports where he had the privilege of being on a team losing to The Kids in the Hall in 1982."
Considering his bio’s emphasis on Shakespeare, perhaps Reeves can be the next star to do Shakespeare in the Park. (Reeves does leave out that he's a longtime board member of the Off-Off-Broadway Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn—though if you're feeling charitable, the theatre is honoring Reeves at its gala October 27.)
Then, after shouting out his longtime friend and Waiting for Godot (and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) co-star Alex Winter, Reeves ends his Playbill bio with a quick nod towards his film career. The bio notes that he's been in "more than 75 films" and then shouted out just four: Point Break, Speed, The Matrix franchise, and the John Wick franchise. For those wondering which of his films Reeves is proudest of, now you know (and should rewatch Point Break if you haven't done so recently).
Similarly, Winter began his Playbill bio describing his Broadway debut as a child, writing that he "entered show business as a child actor, with co-starring roles on Broadway in The King and I with Yul Brynner, Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan, and the American premiere of Simon Gray's Close of Play at Manhattan Theatre Club." We love seeing theatre kids, who have been away from the stage, return with such enthusiasm.
See inside the Waiting for Godot Playbill here. And below, see other times Broadway stars got creative with their Playbill bios.
Death Becomes Her
Maybe Happy Ending
Funny Girl
The Skin Of Our Teeth Playbill - Opening Night
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