Keanu Reeves was left gobsmacked at the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday evening (8 June) after he was straddled during a performance by Broadway star Jonathan Groff.
The John Wick icon appeared to be caught off guard during Groff’s high-tempo rendition of “Mack the Knife”, from the Bobby Darin musical Just in Time, at New York’s Music City Hall.
Groff, who appeared alongside Reeves in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections as the villain Agent Smith, dived on top of the Hollywood star’s seat and stood on both arms of the chair.
Reeves had clearly been caught unaware by Groff as when the camera cut to him he had a look of complete shock on his face, especially when the performer began to slide his hand down the Speed star’s face.
Soon enough Reeves, who was sat next to his Bill & Ted co-star Alex Winter, embraced the moment and gave the “rock on” hand sign in approval.
The simultaneously awkward and hilarious moment soon went viral with many people praising Reeves for being such a good sport.
“Jonathan Groff flirting with and singing to Keanu Reeves wasn’t something I had on my Tonys bingo card but I’m here for it,” said one viewer.
“See what happens when you’re unproblematic. You age like Keanu,” joked another person.
“Watching Jonathan Groff sensually live on the side of Keanu Reeves’ face on live television might have been my Roman Empire,” said third referencing a recent TikTok trend.
“Keanu Reeves already won the Tonys with this moment,” remarked a fourth.
The ceremony itself saw Maybe Happy Ending win the most gongs of any production, taking home six trophies, while Buena Vista Social Club won four awards. Stranger Things: The First Shadow was the most recognized play with three Tonys.
History was made several times throughout the evening on both the performance and design fronts. Actor Cole Escola became the first non-binary performer to win the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play trophy. Escola, in their Broadway debut, won for their role as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!, beating out Hollywood A-lister George Clooney.
Succession star Sarah Snook took home the evening’s first acting award for her expansive, one-woman take on The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger took home the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical trophy for playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Snook and Scherzinger won Tonys for their Broadway debut roles – both in productions that transferred from London’s West End.
Glee star Darren Criss won his first two Tonys; one for his performance in Maybe Happy Ending, and the other for producing the musical. He became the first known Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI) actor to win the leading actor in a musical category, and the first person to win that award for a show they also produced.
Paul Tazewell won for Death Becomes Her, marking the first time in 73 years that a costume designer has won an Oscar and a Tony in the same year. He won an Oscar earlier this year for Wicked: Part I.
