Keanu Reeves has opened up about the origin story of the Sad Keanu meme that took the internet by storm.
The Matrix actor was making an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when he was asked about the meme, which shows him looking forlornly out into space on a park bench.
“I’m just eating a sandwich, man!” Reeves laughed when the image came up on screen. “Man, I’m eating a sandwich!”
Although he admitted that he “had some stuff going on” during the day that the paparazzi shot was taken, he mostly attributed his visible mood to hunger.
When asked by Colbert how it felt to be so “memeable”, Reeves then responded with his version of Bill Withers’ Lean On Me: “Meme on me, when you’re not strong, I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.”
Watch the clip in full below.
Elsewhere, Reeves recently explained why he turned down the chance to reprise his role for Speed 2.
In a new interview on The Graham Norton Show (per Yahoo!), Reeves explained: “At the time I didn’t respond to the script. I really wanted to work with Sandra Bullock, I loved playing Jack Traven, and I loved Speed, but an ocean liner?
“I had nothing against the artists involved, but at that time I had the feeling it just wasn’t right.”
Reeves will next be seen on screen in The Matrix Resurrections, which is released in cinemas next week.
The film was directed by Lana Wachowski, who helmed every previous film in the franchise alongside her sister Lilly. Carrie-Anne Moss will also return to reprise her role as Trinity.