SINGAPORE - He was the bodacious dude Ted “Theodore” Logan in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, the heartthrob pin-up Johnny Utah in Point Break, a bisexual hustler in My Own Private Idaho, Prince Siddhartha in Little Buddha and every girl’s favourite action hero, Jack Traven in Speed.

But it was Keanu Reeves’ role as Neo in the pop culture phenomenon that was the Matrix trilogy that made people realise there was much more to this handsome but oft-critically disparaged actor.

Mr “Cool Breeze over the Mountains” has made it a point to sustain a surprisingly varied and incredibly successful career filled with re-inventions, experimentation and cult classic characters, and the 49-year-old actor seems just as determined to take on Asia with gusto, first with his directorial debut, Man Of Tai Chi, and now, with Carl Rinsch’s 47 Ronin.

So can Reeves work a traditional legendary Japanese tale of loyalty and sacrifice and serve it up as a fantastical epic featuring special effects, giants and witches? Only time will tell. If history serves us well, we know never to discount the man.

Q: What was it about 47 Ronin that made you want to be a part of it?

A: I loved the themes of honour, revenge and sacrifice in the script as well as the tragic love story. I also liked my character Kai, whom I think of as an outsider trying to regain honour, who yearns to be accepted. He is honourable and a man of nature, which helps ground him. But he is also a bit cursed and he is aware of that. I’ve watched 47 Ronin evolve and change with Carl Rinsch, who paid a lot of respect to all the elements that were inspired by Japanese folklore. Being on this journey and collaborating with Carl on the story have been a great experience.

Q: Were you familiar with the legend of the 47 Ronin before working on the film?

A: I was not familiar with the legend, but as soon as I knew about the project, I did my research and read as much as I could about it. This movie is one of those rare examples of something that comes your way and is just so exciting from the beginning.

Q: How did you prepare for this role?

A: I basically tried to familiarise myself with the source material and think about my character’s place in the story. (The concept of) these Ronin becoming samurai outsiders was universal because all cities and towns and places have these kinds of events and integration problems. I tried to get in touch with who Kai is and how this affected him. I wanted my character to have a dignity and respect towards the world around him and others. I also wanted him to be capable, to be a hunter and a tracker who is connected to nature.

Q: This is an action-adventure that also has a beautiful love story.

A: The relationship between Kai and Mika is in the great tradition of impossible romantic love stories. That pure love and yearning of something that cannot be is, in a way, a sweet pain. It hits a soft spot.

Q: The story wouldn’t work without a powerful villain, in this case, Lord Kira, who is aided by a witch to obtain his goals.

A: Lord Kira and The Witch made a great couple and I really thought they managed to put their performance between their teeth, as I would say. I think they are wonderful and delicious villains with even a kind of yearning to them, which made them a bit sympathetic.

Q: You are surrounded by a great Japanese cast. What can you say about Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi?

A: I had already seen some of Hiroyuki’s work in the past and knew a bit about him, but meeting him was special because he is such a gentleman and a movie star on an epic level. Hiroyuki is a master actor, and it was wonderful to work with him. I had also seen Tadanobu Asano’s and Rinko Kikuchi’s work before getting involved in the movie. The truth is that everyone was so excited about this story and participating in it. We all got along very well and felt we were part of something special.

Q: What kind of training did you go through?

A: I was excited to work with the katana, the Japanese long sword. I trained a lot with the expert Tsuyoshi Abe and worked with the stunt teams. Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Oishi, also gave me some tips. I did a lot of exercises with the sword and some dieting as well.

Q: Did you enjoy the martial arts and action side of the shoot?

A: I love shooting action and was very excited to be in a samurai film. The fights were tough but fun to do.

Q: Were there any bumps and bruises along the way?

A: As I was working with great professionals, I didn’t get beat up much - although I did hit Hiroyuki Sanada a couple of times by mistake!

Interview transcript courtesy of UIP. 47 Ronin opens in cinemas tomorrow.