- Keanu Reeves, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, 1987. “I hate to say it, but we kind of gave up on the movie,” recalled Winter. “It was much closer to the chopping block than anyone knows.” Director Stephen Herek whittled down 200-300 actors to 24 for the time-travellers meeting Beethoven, Billy The Kid, Freud, Lincoln, Napoleon, Socrates. The script’s skinny teenagers became more cool when Winter, 21, and Reeves, 22, blew away all other – even though they tested for each other’s role. (Also testing forTheodore Logan III, were Josh Richman and Pauly Shore).“Everyone was auditioning for both roles,” Reeves told Hollywoocd Reporter 30 years later. “We were playing these clowns, fools but in an epic sense that they’re confronting tragedy with ebullience. They never say die… It’s still funny.” Washington Post critic Hal Hinson called them frisky and companionable. “Like unkempt ponies.”They remained fridends with Reeves making cameos for several films directed by Winter, such as Freaked, 1993.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 1