• Viral badge

Keanu Reeves Shared How He Was Really Feeling When The "Sad Keanu" Picture Was Taken And It's Pretty Relatable

"That's life in art."

Larry Fitzmaurice
by Larry Fitzmaurice

BuzzFeed Staff

If you've been on the internet, like, ever, you've seen the "Sad Keanu" meme.

Reeves looks into the camera
Jason Kempin / Getty Images

The meme features an image of the iconic actor sitting on a bench with food in his hand. He looks very sad in the photo — but is he, really?

Keanu sits on a park bench and eats lunch
/ Splashnews.com

During a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, Keanu finally revealed all about what was going on in his head when that fateful photo was snapped.

View this video on YouTube
youtube.com

"I'm just eating a sandwich, man!" he explained to Colbert when he brought the photo out. The talk show host then asked, "So, you're not actually sad in 'Sad Keanu'?"

Keanu raises his hands while talking to Colbert
Scott Kowalchyk / Cbs Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images

"I was thinking," Keanu replied. "I had some stuff going on. I was hungry."

Keanu looks down while walking outside and wearing a suit and tie
Raymond Hall / GC Images

As Colbert also pointed out, the actor's contemplative chew was also memorialized in the first volume of the comic book BRZRKR. "I didn't know he was going to do that, but that's what he did," Keanu stated. "So, I think it's kind of meta. That's life in art."

The Sad Keanu photo and the comic book image side-by-side
CBS

And when Keanu was asked why he thinks he's become so endlessly memeable, his answer was very Keanu: "I have no clue, sir… Really."

Reeves holds a cup of coffee while standing next to a truck
Robert Kamau / GC Images

You can practically hear him say that, can't you?

Watch the entire interview here.