Keanu Reeves has ridiculed critics who say he never smiles.

The 46-year-old is best known for his role in the Matrix trilogy, where he played lauded saviour Neo. The actor - parodied for his deadpan persona in films - has turned on his detractors who insist he’s always melancholy, instead questioning how he should present himself for best first impressions.

“How do I live with any happiness? I’m not living if I don’t have a Golden Retriever! I see articles all over about what is the new happiness. What’s the happiness length? How many units of happiness does it take? Well... you have to have at least six portions of four units of happiness in each cycle,” he laughed to Elle.

Keanu added he feels fortunate to have experienced his rush of fame when celebrity worship wasn’t as prominent as it is now. He often wonders how today’s new stars cope with the almost continuous intrusion into their private lives.

“I didn’t experience it like they do. I don’t know if it’s an obsession with celebrity, or because there’s more output opportunities for it. In 1992, there weren’t so many. Twitter, all that stuff, is definitely a new world. Their privacy is a lot less,” he said.

Belfast Telegraph