King Lear. Jean Valjean. Eva Perón. These are some of the roles that can define an actor's career, but there's only one that can define an actor's life: Shadow the Hedgehog.
In the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3, that role is being filled by none other than John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, and Paramount has put out a featurette about how he gets himself ready to fill those rocket-skates. «For 50 years, Shadow's been in a state of suspended animation,» intones Reeves, solemnly, «he's coming out of it seeking revenge.» Jim Carrey—who plays Dr Robotnik—reckons Reeves is the perfect man for the role. «Shadow's got this brooding kind of darkness that Keanu has mastered so brilliantly,» he says, of a character who is the evil twin of Sonic the Hedgehog with a gun.
It sounds like Reeves almost went method to get himself into the mindspace of gaming's most Byronic hedgehog. It was an «internal journey,» says the actor, «to get to the anger and the emotion.
It was intense.» I have to say, we see a few snippets of Reeves' performance in the video, and he sure sounds like Keanu Reeves.
You could tell me these were clips left on CD Projekt Red's floor from his stint as Johnny Silverhand and I'd absolutely believe it.