Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. was the father of Hollywood megastar Keanu Reeves. Here’s everything we know about his life.
Before Keanu Reeves became the man we love and adore on our screens, he had a rough childhood that involved his absent father, Samuel. Keep reading to know more about him.
Who Is Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr.?
Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 13, 1942. He was the father of Hollywood action star Keanu Reeves. The public does not know details about Samuel’s early childhood and formative years.
Samuel trained as a geologist in the early 1960s at the American University in Lebanon. While he was there, he met Patricia Taylor, a university student. She would later become his wife, and the couple settled in Beirut and married in 1964.
They had two kids together and divorced two years into marriage due to Samuel’s many problems. Patricia took both of her kids, Keanu and Kim, and moved to Canada to make a better life for them all by designing clothes for rock bands such as Led Zeppelin.
Samuel married Morita and had a daughter, Emma Rose, in 1980. He would eventually divorce and marry a third time to an unknown woman. Samuel battled many problems during his lifetime; the most significant of them were his drug abuse and addiction.
He had a farm that he struggled to run and maintain, which led to him accumulating a lot of debt over the years. Due to his debts and drug addiction, he resorted to importing Mexican heroin and cocaine in the 1990s.
He was apprehended and sent to prison on a ten-year sentence for selling heroin at Hilo International Airport in 1992. Samuel got his GED while incarcerated but discarded it when he was released on probation after serving two years out of his ten-year sentence. He continued to battle drug addiction and was estranged from his children until his death.
Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr.’s Cause of Death
The exact cause of Samuel’s death is unknown as his son, Keanu, has not yet revealed the reason. Multiple reports suggest that he had Grave’s disease and diabetes, which could have resulted in his death.
In conjunction with his drug problems, his conditions predisposed him to many health problems and could have also been the reason for his death. However, it is confirmed that Samuel died at 75 on January 26, 2018, in Ewa Beach, Honolulu.
Sources claim that Samuel tried making up with all his children before he died, but he never did eventually. Samuel expressed regret for his troubled past and the pain caused by his son’s public remarks in his interviews. He longed for a reconciliation that remained elusive as his children had moved on and did not want anything to do with him.
Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr.’s Net Worth
Samuel did not have a known net worth due to his multiple run-ins with the law and inability to hold a stable source of income. His farming business, which was booming initially, dwindled thanks to his constant drug use.
He could not keep his farm in optimum condition or get another paying job. Even after selling drugs, he was still in a lot of debt, so he did not have an appropriately estimated net worth.
Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr.’s Ethnicity
Keanu Reeves’ father was a man of many descents and ethnicities. His heritage included Chinese, Irish, English, Portuguese, and Native Hawaiian. He was of mixed descent due to his parents’ heritage, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Snr. and Sarah Monilani Victor.
He had two brothers, Victor and Gill, of mixed descent.
Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr.’s Children
Samuel had three confirmed children from his three marriages. He had two children with his first ex-wife, Patricia, Keanu and Kim Reeves. Keanu was born on September 2, 1964, shortly after his parents got married, while Kim was born on September 16, 1966, the year her parents divorced. Both children have successful careers in Hollywood as actors in various movie genres.
His third child is Emma Rose, born in 1980 from his second marriage. There is currently no information on Emma’s career pathway or personal life as she keeps a low-profile life away from the media.
Keanu is the most successful of the three children, with a career that many can only wish to have. He has featured in many high-grossing Hollywood blockbusters and is most famously known for his recurring role in the “John Wick” franchise, where he co-stars some of Hollywood’s biggest names like Halle Berry.