Keanu Reeves Remembers The Replacements Costar Gene Hackman ‘Didn’t Suffer’ People Who Weren’t Ready on Set: ‘He Had a Look’

Keanu Reeves got to work with one of his acting heroes, Gene Hackman, in 2000’s The Replacements. 

Reeves, 61, opened up about the beloved football comedy on the Friday, Oct. 17 episode of New Heights, where hosts Jason and Travis Kelce dove deep with him into the film. 

During the podcast, Jason, 37, asked the Matrix star what it was like to work with Hackman. Hackman died in February at age 95. In The Replacements, Hackman played Coach Jimmy McGinty, who leads the replacement players who fill the team when the real players go on strike. Reeves played left-handed quarterback Shane Falco. Jason noted Hackman “plays a great coach,” having also played a coach in 1986’s Hoosiers.

Reeves called Hackman “such a gentleman and a “hero of mine.” He explained, “When you look at his career, the breadth of roles like comedy, drama, the filmmakers, it’s just so special. And he was really nice to me.”

Reeves continued, “He was generous and we had a good chemistry.” 

“Basically, he was like no nonsense, no b——- came to work ready to go, knew the lines, knew what was going on, and didn’t really suffer people who weren’t doing that,” he said. “He had a look,” Reeves said, mimicking Hackman’s stare.

Travis, 36, noted that Hackman sounds like “a real coach,” and said his head coach on the Chiefs, Andy Reid, can use “one look” to tell you that “you better tighten it up.” 

Reeves said Hackman was a “total pro” and also “sweet.” He was glad, too, that the movie let him meet other legends like actor Jack Warden (who died in 2006), and commentators Pat Summerall and John Madden who played themselves. Summerall died in 2013 at age 82. Madden died in 2021 at 85. 

Reeves said of Madden, “He’s a sweetie pie,” and noted that he had a “huge head” and “hands.”

During the podcast, Reeves also debunked a common Internet myth that he was scouted to actually play in the NFL. Travis said that Reeves was “one of the most convincing movie quarterbacks of all time” and asked, “Is it true that the Ravens wanted to give you a tryout after this movie?”

“That’s absolutely nonsense,” Reeves said, to the laughter of the Kelce brothers. He said that even though he could pull off some of the throws while filming, “don’t start believin’ you can really do it.” 

The Replacements also starred Orlando Jones, Brooke Langton, Rhys Ifans and Jon Favreau and was directed by Howard Deutch.