Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1964, he has a name that means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian. His family moved to Australia for a year, but after a divorce of his parents they relocated to Toronto. He wanted to be an actor but it was difficult to get work, even though he studied at the famous Second City workshop in Toronto for a year.
In 1980, he was cast in a television commercial for Coca-Cola. A few years later, a commercial for Kellogg's Corn Flakes was added to his resume.
Two small movies followed in 1985: television's Letting Go with John Ritter, and the little-seen One Step Away. His big break came shortly after when he joined the cast of Youngblood in 1986.
In 1988, he appeared in The Night Before, Permanent Record, The Prince of Pennsylvania. He followed it up with Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. With his stock rising, he appeared in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Much Ado About Nothing and Little Buddha. The international blockbuster Speed established him as an action hero. Film s like Johnny Mnemonic, A Walk in the Clouds, Chain Reaction or The Last Time I Committed Suicide were disappointments. However, he came back in top form with The Devil's Advocate and The Matrix, his most famous film.