The ‘nicest celebrity’ in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves, is out there proving that he lives up to the standard set by his loyal fans.
Eagle-eyed admirers of the 58-year-old John Wick star have noticed that Reeves has a particular habit when it comes to taking photos with both female fans and fellow female celebrities.
Fans have spotted that Reeves chooses to never actually touch those he's posing with - instead, opting to place his hands in his pockets or hovering his hand over their back - a gesture that many have praised as evidence that Reeves is respectful towards women.
Back in 2019, a tweet went viral after a fan spotted a pattern in multiple photos of the actor with different women.
In each picture, Reeves’ hand is slightly hovering above the waists and arms of the women, not actually making any physical contact with them.
Reeves even extends the respectful gesture when posing with fellow female celebrity friends, such as Dolly Parton.
In an Instagram post that the country singer posted back in 2019, Reeves’ hand can be seen hovering just behind Parton’s back:
In fact, not only does Reeves also extend the gesture to men, but he will also sometimes keep his hands in his pockets to avoid any touching - such as when he met AEW wrestler Kenny Omega at an airport:
Or, once again, with fans:
The gesture earned Reeves the nickname of the ‘respectful king’.
Many fans think it is natural for Reeves to do this, as he is well-known for being a kind and lovely man.
"It’s not about not taking chances, it’s about being considerate and respectful, qualities that Keanu carries in spades," one Twitter user commented.
While another fan informed Twitter that it is actually an Asian custom, called ‘Manner hands’.
According to Korean news site KoreaBoo, South Korea is a country that places high importance on respect, which is where the gesture called ‘Manner hands’ stems from. As a result, a lot of Korean male celebrities also choose not to touch their female colleagues and fans out of respect when taking photographs.
Some Twitter users are also recommending the Keanu Reeves ‘way’ when talking about etiquette for taking photos.
The "respectful king’s" method has been encouraged in all different ways, even in pictures with sports stars.
No matter why Reeves chooses to do this, it is inspiring to see a celebrity displaying respectful behaviors and acting as a positive role model toward younger fans.