How a dream rom-com cast Keanu Reeves and redefined the genre with humor

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Ali Wong and Randall Park developed their romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe, they considered Keanu Reeves an impossible casting choice. Yet, the actor not only signed on but actively shaped his own hilarious, self-deprecating scenes, helping the film become a critical and streaming success for Netflix in 2019.

The 2019 film Always Be My Maybe, directed by Nahnatchka Khan and written by Wong, Park, and Michael Golamco, follows childhood friends Sasha and Marcus as they navigate fame, grief, and romance in San Francisco. The project originated from a long-standing friendship between Wong and Park, who met in the late 1990s. By 2016, they were actively developing what they described as their own version of When Harry Met Sally, a goal that gained momentum after a supportive column by Jackson McHenry. Netflix green-lit the project in August 2017.

Casting Keanu Reeves was initially viewed as a pipe dream, with the production team even brainstorming alternatives like M. Night Shyamalan and Paul Giamatti. However, Reeves, a fan of Wong's stand-up, enthusiastically accepted the role, even pitching specific comedic beats—such as wearing lensless glasses and improvising dialogue about Chinese dignitaries. His commitment was so significant that he flew in between filming John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum to complete his scenes. The film's title is a play on Mariah Carey's 1996 song Always Be My Baby, and its soundtrack includes the track I Punched Keanu Reeves, which Park wrote with producer Dan the Automator after receiving Reeves's personal approval.

Upon its release in May 2019, the film reached 32 million households on Netflix within four weeks. Critical reception was largely positive, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting an 89% approval rating. While some reviewers, such as Beandrea July, felt the film struggled under the pressure of representing Asian love, others like Peter Travers praised its ability to turn familiar genre tropes into something fresh and funny. The film's success highlights how Wong and Park utilized their personal chemistry and creative control to subvert rom-com conventions, ultimately earning nominations at the People's Choice Awards and winning at the Chicago Indie Awards.

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