Keanu trained with exorcist

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves today said he trained with an exorcist for his latest film Constantine, and he was relieved that no supernatural forces plagued the movie set.

“There were no paranormal events that took place on the film that I know of. Thank God!” said Reeves, 40, who plays the title character in Constantine – a man who battles to send demons back to hell.

He described his character as a “world-weary” and “nihilistic guy with a heart of gold”.

Adapted from a DC Comics series, the film will have its world premiere in Hong Kong on Tuesday – 10 days before its opening in the United States.

"I went with an exorcist for a bit. I just want to know really practical things, like how do you hold someone possessed by the devil," said Reeves, visiting Hong Kong for the first time.

Reeves said he was excited to be there, but had not had time to see the city.

“I haven’t had a chance to, but looking out of the window, it looks pretty extraordinary out there,” Reeves said.

The star of action thrillers The Matrix and Speed said his latest role also made him less sceptical about the existence of hell.

“Constantine kind of knows it’s fact. So I guess if I had any doubts before, I probably have a little few less doubts now,” he said.

Reeves said he enjoyed playing the saviour-like characters in The Matrix and Constantine.

“They are pretty classic Western hero myths stories. They are fun to play. They offer something for people to think about,” he said.

Asked how he felt about receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Reeves said: “It was a great honour for me. I just hope to be able to continue the journey and continue to make films I am interested in and that people like.”