Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas, known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor, comedian, producer, & director. Keaton first rose to fame for his comedic film roles in Night Shift, Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerouslyand Beetlejuice, and he earned further acclaim for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne / Batman in Tim Burton's Batmanand Batman Returns. Since then, he has appeared in a variety of films ranging from dramas and romantic comedies to thriller and action films; such as Clean and Sober,...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth5 September 1951
CityRobinson, PA
CountryUnited States of America
My first manager, he had left Germany when he was five, but he would joke about the Nazis. And I'd laugh, but I'd look at him, and he was the first one who told me, 'You know, funny is a powerful thing; it's a wonderful weapon.'
David Letterman used to say, 'I wasn't the class clown, but I wrote for him,' and that's exactly it. You want to be known to be funny without having it pointed out.
When I was in improv workshops or doing stand-up or writing comedy with others, or just doing comedy, I just laughed. Funny was funny; I loved to laugh. I always liked people I found generally funny.
Weirdly, for someone who wanted to be funny, I didn't like a lot of attention.
There just is not one person in my family who is not funny.
I read that John Hughes script for 'Mr. Mom,' and I thought, 'This guy is a funny writer.' I went: 'You ought to stick around and direct this thing.' But he didn't; he left, and look what he became. A really legendary comedy director.
If you get a good comedy once a year, man, that's pretty good. I may be pickier than some, but still, there aren't that many movies that are really, truly, honestly that funny.
In high school, I was too shy to perform. It's one thing to get laughs from your family, to be funny at parties and in class. It's another thing to get up on the stage.
I've proven I'm courageous. I'm gutsier than anybody; I've got a better imagination than anybody; I'm essentially more creative than any other actor I know, and I've proven I take risks. I don't think I need to prove anything to myself any more.
Sometimes I don't feel like an actor. Sometimes I speak about it like it was another job, and then I go, 'Wait a minute - I am one!'
Sometimes I do movies that aren't any good, or sometimes I might not be any good in them, or sometimes they don't do very well.
I was raising a child full time, sharing the responsibility with his mom. He lived with me half the time, so I chose not to go away and make certain movies.
I was never a huge 007 fan, but I sure liked Sean Connery. I'm sure Pierce Brosnan is good and has his moments, but I've not seen him; I've only seen bits and pieces on TV, so I can't really judge. Pierce looks very natural in the role.
I was a really involved dad - not because I'm such a wonderful person. I like being a dad.