The classic, iconic Vietnam War movie, Platoon, by writer-director Oliver Stone, was almost a much different film. Charlie Sheen led an all-star cast in one of his most celebrated roles as the main protagonist, Chris Taylor. However, multiple other young actors were up for the role when the film was gearing up for production, including the likes of Kyle MacLachlan, Johnny Depp, and none other than Keanu Reeves. Stone revealed in a May 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly that Reeves turned the role of Chris Taylor down due to the film’s violence. Or as Stone himself put it, “Keanu turned it down because of the violence. He didn’t want to do violence.” It’s a bit shocking and ironic to learn that Reeves would turn down the role in a prestigious, award-winning film, a film that could have elevated his burgeoning film career, for such an unusual reason. This is especially true considering the films Reeves would become most known for are incredibly violent R-rated films. At the same time, putting ourselves in Reeves’ shoes, one can also understand his decision. It’s time to take a deeper look at Reeves’ rejecting the role of Platoon.

Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.

Release DateDecember 19, 1986DirectorOliver StoneCastKeith David , Forest Whitaker , Francesco Quinn , Kevin Dillon , John C. McGinley , Reggie JohnsonRuntime120 minutesKeanu Reeves Took a Pragmatic Approach to Pacifism Earlier in His Career

On the one hand, Reeves taking a pacifistic view of violence and applying that to his professional career is understandable. While Reeves admitted in a 2005 interview with The Associated Press that he does not follow a secular religion, he always puts off a very spiritual vibe, and treats his peers with kindness and compassion. Case in point, during an interview with The Sunday Times, Reeves’ Bram Stoker’s Dracula co-star, Winona Ryder, revealed that Reeves would refuse to insult her and attempt to make her cry while filming a scene in the film. As Ryder put it while making the Francis Ford Coppolagothic horror movie, “To put it in context, I’m supposed to be crying. Literally, Richard E Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu … Francis was trying to get all of them to yell things that would make me cry.”

As Ryder continued, “But Keanu wouldn’t, Anthony wouldn’t … the more it happened, I was like [she crosses her arms like a sulky teenager and frowns]… It just didn’t work. I was, like, really? It kind of did the opposite.” Reeves bringing that type of moral pragmatism to his work is admirable, especially in such a difficult business as the entertainment industry. It’s understandable that at around the age of twenty to twenty-one when he was likely in talks for Platoon, a young up-and-coming actor such as Reeves, who was just getting his start in films at the time, would be seeking to avoid taking violent roles. However, as Reeves would later realize, applying that to his career would limit his roles and success.

Keanu Reeves Would Come to Embrace Violence in R-rated Roles

The reason Reeves’ reasoning for rejecting Platoon at first glance is unusual is because some of Reeves’ most famous and iconic roles are in R-rated films. While Reeves’ breakout role was as “Ted” Theodore Logan in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, he’d come to star in multiple R-rated films throughout the 1990s, such as the hit films Point Break, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Speed, and of course, The Matrix. More infamously, he also starred in such flops as Johnny Mnemonic and The Devil’s Advocate. When you look at some of Reeves’ most famous and iconic roles, be it Neo in The Matrix or John Wick in the John Wick franchise, they are R-rated films packed with action and violence.

Also, Platoon was not a film that depicts violence for the sake of violence. Platoon was a harsh, realistic, grounded war film, depicting the tragedies and horrors during the Vietnam War. It’s also celebrated as one of the best and most celebrated films of the genre and its subject matter, earning the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. While Charlie Sheen was not nominated for his performance as Chris Taylor, actors Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger were recognized for their work and both received nominations for Best Supporting Actor for their performances in the film. By turning down the role of Taylor, Reeves potentially handicapped his career just as it was gearing up and also lost a shot at possibly earning awards for a high-profile prestige film. Also, while Platoon is a dark, violent, and grim film, it showcases the violence in a realistic, horrific manner. It’s not glorifying the violence or death that occurs in the film. Arguably, Platoon’s depictions of violence fit more in line with Reeves’ view of pacifism and non-violence at the time. Regardless, it’s good that Keanu Reeves took a less restrictive approach to violent roles as his career progressed. Otherwise, he would not have become the cinematic icon he’s known for today.

It’s Tough to Imagine ‘Platoon’ With Keanu ReevesPlatoon (1986) | Official Trailer | Hemdale Film Corporation

It’s interesting to imagine how Platoon would have turned out with Reeves in the lead role of Chris Taylor. Ultimately, it seems to be for the best. While Reeves rejected the role, he would later go on to find career success throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and later experience a career resurgence with what’s called the “Keanussance.” Sheen would experience a career of ups and downs, largely downs due to his turbulent personal life. However, having success with Platoon so early in his career arguably set him up for great success later in his career. It’s tough to imagine Platoon with Reeves portraying Chris and without Sheen in the role. Likewise, it’s tough to imagine many of Reeves’ most iconic roles in various R-rated films, such as Point Break, Speed, The Matrix, and John Wick without the celebrated actor.

Interestingly, while Reeves had a pragmatic view about non-violence earlier in his career, there is somewhat of a sense of that moral view in roles like John Wick. Wick is a man who is at war with himself and his violent nature. In the first John Wick, Wick is an ex-assassin of the criminal underworld who left that life behind to be with his wife, whom he dearly loved. After his wife dies due to cancer, Wick’s heart is broken. When mobsters 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 the dog his late wife gifted to him before her death, the last line keeping Wick tethered to a peaceful life of non-violence is cut. He resumes his old ways to get revenge, which continues over several films. Wick is a man who wants peace, but circumstances and various events conspire against him. As a result, Reeves still brings that sense of moral pacifism to his roles despite their depictions of graphic violence.