Keanu Reeves Almost Starred in This Famous War Film

Before Charlie Sheen became the face of Platoon, director Oliver Stone originally offered the role of Taylor to Keanu Reeves.

Reeves turned it down, unsure if a violent war film was the right move for his young career. According to Stone, Reeves didn’t want to do a film that featured heavy violence. “Keanu turned it down because of the violence. He didn’t want to do violence,” Stone told Entertainment Weekly.

Reeves wasn’t the only actor considered for the role. Stone also thought about Kyle MacLachlan and a young Johnny Depp. However, Stone felt Depp wasn’t quite ready for such a demanding part.

“Frankly, it’s going to sound cliche, but I clearly believed he was going to be a star,” Stone said of Depp.

“He was a great-looking kid. He was considered for other roles, but I didn’t think he was quite ready at that time to play Charlie’s role. We got to know each other pretty well in the jungle and I really thought he was going places. He was shy. I think it was before Jump Street.”

Stone ultimately chose Charlie Sheen, describing him as the perfect fit for the role. “Charlie was a dumb-struck 17-year-old the first time he came in for the film, back when we were going to make it in ’84. And in those two years, he’d grown and seemed perfectly wide-eyed and had a vaguely privileged look,” Stone said. Reeves, though also young, already had a brooding intensity that might not have suited the part.

Platoon went on to become one of the most celebrated war films ever. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an 89% approval rating based on 123 reviews, with an average score of 8.5 out of 10.

The site’s critical consensus reads, “Informed by director Oliver Stone’s personal experiences in Vietnam, Platoon forgoes easy sermonizing in favor of a harrowing, ground-level view of war, bolstered by no-holds-barred performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe.”

The film received widespread recognition at awards shows. At the Academy Awards, Platoon won Best Picture, Best Director for Stone, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe earned acting nominations, and Stone was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. The movie also performed well at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Silver Bears, and the Writers Guild of America Awards.

Looking back, Reeves’ decision to decline the role seems like a missed opportunity, but Stone believes Sheen’s performance was exactly what the film needed. Platoon remains a landmark in war cinema, blending realistic storytelling with powerful performances.

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