Alexandra Grant gave a rare, candid glimpse into her relationship with Keanu Reeves at the launch of her new wine brand in Los Angeles recently. The 53-year-old visual artist spoke candidly about their dynamic, touching on everything from creative boundaries to mutual respect and the importance of giving each other space to work.Speaking with PEOPLE at the event, Grant reflected on what made their relationship successful, especially when it came to supporting each other’s individual creative processes.
How Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves supported each other’s creativity
Grant revealed that she and Reeves, 61, were cautious when it came to offering feedback about each other’s work. “He’s always appreciative of it, so he’s always careful, in terms of his comments, and I would say the same,” she said when discussing whether she allowed Keanu to visit her art studio while she was working.
“You always want to be respectful and let the other person bake their cake. Just talking about my love makes me sweat.
“She went on to describe the listening and communication that strengthened their bond. “I would say that there is all the world we know of listening, where we can talk about any problem, challenge or creative idea and talk about it forever if necessary, and also respect the individual’s need to delve deeply into a perhaps quiet process or other collaboration.”
For Grant, the secret to their dynamic lies in two things. “The key to this is mutual respect, and also, come on, it’s a game, right? It’s a game we have to play creatively,” she said. “The last thing I’ll say that I think we share is just a belief in projects. Every project has its own autonomy, its own team, its own kind of rules, it has a beginning, middle and end. So we’re both people who do projects, and you know, I’ve lived with John Wick, I’ve lived with Neo.”
“She detailed what it meant to respect Reeves when he was deep in a role. “When he’s in character, for example, I have great respect for that understanding that this is the middle to end of a project. And I think the same thing applies to drawing. When I’m in painter mode, I’m in it. I’m in it completely, and it’s not playing a character, but it’s a performance. And, you know, drawing is really a form of performance as well.”
How did Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves meet?
Grant and Reeves first connected while working together on the book Ode to Happiness. The couple later co-founded a publishing house together, and eventually went public with their relationship. Grant has been a regular at Reeves’ red carpet events and premieres, attending the “Outcome” premiere earlier this year and sharing a sweet moment at the “Good Fortune” premiere last October.