In 1984, a relatively unknown 19-year-old actor by the name of Keanu Reeves (yes, that Keanu Reeves) landed a lead role in a small Canadian play called Wolfboy.

The "homoerotic thriller", which co-starred actor Carl Marotte, was written by Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator Brad Fraser. It told the story of two boys in a mental institution - and soon became a cult hit with Toronto's gay community.

For, er, obvious enough reasons.

According to a short documentary on the production, Reeves' character was "an innocent teen who got sucked into a relationship with a deranged boy who believes he is a werewolf."

The production's photographer, David Hlynksy, described Reeves and Marotte as "nervous and giggly" while shooting the play's intimate poster artwork.

"The poster was stolen a bit off the street," Hlynksy said, adding that members of the local gay community sold the artworks for hundreds of dollars.

"He was absolutely gorgeous," the play's director, John Palmer, added when asked about casting Reeves in the role.

"He was a knockout...There was an honesty about him. He had so much energy that he didn't know what to do with."

Carl Marotte and Keanu Reeves.

Source: Instagram

Palmer went on to mention that the production included a three-minute scene featuring Reeves doing sit-ups and push-ups in nothing but "white jocks".

You can find out a bit more about the production below: