15 Canadian things America should trade for to form a pop culture super team

2. Leonardo DiCaprio for Keanu Reeves

Though they may seem drastically different, Leonardo DiCaprio and Keanu Reeves share some striking similarities. Both have long-lived careers and began their working lives as something of a teen heartthrob. Perhaps Leo was the more obvious of the two in the teen idol department, but you’ve got to admit that the goofy Keanu in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure has a distinct appeal.

Leo himself has built more of an accolade-ridden career. He finally won his Academy Award at the most recent Oscars ceremony, though he’s been gaming for the recognition for years. Witness his roles in big-time films like The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, and Gangs of New York.

But don’t underestimate Keanu Reeves. He’s certainly built a name for himself in the acting world, thanks not only to the Bill and Ted movies, but also his genre-breaking role as Neo in the Matrix trilogy. If you think that makes him an artistic lightweight, however, I beg you to reconsider. He played Hamlet at the Manitoba Theatre Center in 1995, which garnered favorable reviews. He also took on a supporting role in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho, also loosely based on a Shakespeare play Henry IV. His recent success with the John Wick films has also brought him critical acclaim.

So, though Americans seem to really like Leonardo DiCaprio – certainly, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally turned a corner regarding him – Keanu Reeves is a perfectly comparable replacement. Plus, while Leo has been living it up Hollywood style, with parties and model girlfriends, Keanu is a little more low-key. Perhaps American pop culture could use a more steady leading man, while Leo could take a nice, quiet vacation somewhere in British Columbia.