Keanu Reeves' worst on-set injury wasn't from John Wick or The Matrix, but from his angelic new comedy: "The pain was banana cakes"

Keanu Reeves in Good Fortune
(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Despite pulling some pretty gnarly stunts in action franchises like The Matrix and John Wick, Keanu Reeves says his worst on-set injury actually came from shooting his new comedy with Seth Rogen, in which he plays an angel.

When asked by Travis and Jason Kelce on the New Heights Podcast if it's true that he got hurt more filming Good Fortune than he did filming any past action film, Reeves confirmed. "My kneecap, I had a vertical break," said Reeves, explaining that his patella split in half. "The pain was banana cakes."

So, how did it happen? Was Reeves taking down a bad guy like his Point Break character Johnny Utah, or was he dodging bullets like The Matrix's Neo? No, he… tripped over a carpet. "I was shooting a scene and then I was going back to the dressing room, they had a carpet laid down," explained the star. "Then there was a little section, and I caught my foot. Then I started to fall and I spiked my left knee like bang! And spiked it."

However, Reeves didn't let the injury stop him from continuing with shooting. "I was immobilized," continued the star, "I wore a brace for basically ten weeks, but I filmed while I had that."

The injury seems kind of fitting, as in Good Fortune, Reeves plays a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel who meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker, Arj, played by Parks and Recreation's Aziz Ansari, and a wealthy venture capitalist named Jeff (Rogen). However, when Gabriel decides to body-swap Arj and Jeff to show them that money isn't everything, he loses his wings and is forced to watch his life's work unravel around him.

Good Fortune is written and directed by Ansari and also stars Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.

Good Fortune is in theaters on October 17. For more, check out our list of the best underrated comedy movies, and keep up with upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.

Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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