Keanu Reeves Was Gary Busey's 'Very Vulnerable' Little Brother Making Point Break

Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey in Point Break

Keanu Reeves was Gary Busey’s "very vulnerable" little brother while making Point Break. The two actors starred together in the 1991 Kathryn Bigelow film as FBI agents trying to stop a string of bank robberies, Keanu Reeves the wide-eyed rookie Johnny Utah and Gary Busey the surly veteran showing him the ropes. Gary Busey recalled what it was like working with 2019’s favorite person on Point Break, saying:

The standout memory I have from working with Keanu Reeves on Point Break is -- 21 years old, rode a cheap motorcycle to work every day, and he was there to learn and grab. He was like a sponge, taking information from all the other players, the director, the crew, everyone. Very active, very conscious, and very vulnerable. He was like my little brother and I had my invisible arm around him whenever he needed me, and that's pretty much constantly. No, I'm kidding.

It sounds like Gary Busey tried to take the younger actor under his wing a bit during the making of the action classic and be someone Keanu Reeves could turn to when needed. And it seems there was some need because, according to Gary Busey, Keanu Reeves was very vulnerable at that time. Gary Busey doesn’t elaborate on that, but Keanu Reeves was young when making Point Break, still coming up in the industry and apparently emotionally vulnerable in some way.

So Gary Busey tried to be there for him in any way he could. Although he jokes about Keanu constantly needing his big brother, by remembering Keanu Reeves as his little brother on Point Break, Gary Busey gives the impression that he had a great deal of fondness for him.

Although Keanu Reeves was vulnerable during the making of Point Break, he was also quite engaged, it seems, active and conscious of what was going on. Gary Busey told The Hollywood Reporter that his young co-star was soaking up the entire experience like a sponge, learning everything he could and not just from the other actors and director Kathryn Bigelow, but from the crew as well.

We’ve often heard that Keanu Reeves treats everyone the same and with respect and his desire to learn from everyone on Point Break, regardless of position, really reflects that. He was young and eager to learn and Point Break was both a job and a learning opportunity and one that was just a step in his journey to become the action icon he is today.

Gary Busey also paints an incredible image here of the standout memory he has from working with Keanu Reeves. A young Keanu Reeves riding a cheap motorcycle to set, sounds exactly right for the motorcycle enthusiast who now owns his own motorcycle company, Arch Motorcycles.

Gary Busey will next star this fall in an off-Brodway musical called Only Human, where he will basically play God in a corporate version of heaven. As for his Point Break little brother, well Keanu Reeves is having an outstanding 2019 and it was recently announced that in 2020, he will be filming The Matrix 4, reprising his iconic role as Neo.

Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of what’s headed to theaters this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest movie news.

Nick Evans

Nick grew up in Maryland has degrees in Film Studies and Communications. His life goal is to walk the earth, meet people and get into adventures. He’s also still looking for The Adventures of Pete and Pete season 3 on DVD if anyone has a lead.