Michael Keaton

American actor

Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), known professionally by the artistic name Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He became popular for his early comedic film roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice and would return to the role in the 2024 sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. He later gained international fame for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne / Batman in Tim Burton's Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992) and in The Flash (2023).

Michael Keaton
Keaton in 2024
Born
Michael John Douglas

(1951-09-05) September 5, 1951 (age 73)
NationalityAmerican
EducationMontour High School
Alma materKent State University
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian, singer
Years active1976–present
SpouseCaroline McWilliams (1982–1990)
PartnerCourteney Cox (1989–1995)
Children1

Keaton won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2015 for his role in Birdman.

In 2016, he played Ray Kroc in The Founder. He played the villain, the Vulture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

Early life

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Keaton was born on September 5, 1951, in Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania.[1] He lived in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. His father, George A. Douglas, worked as a civil engineer and surveyor, and his mother, Leona Elizabeth (nee Loftus), a homemaker, came from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.[2][3][4][5] Keaton was raised in a Catholic family. He is of Irish and Scots-Irish ancestry. He attended Montour High School in Pennsylvania. Douglas studied speech for two years at Kent State, before dropping out and moving to Pittsburgh.

Career

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Keaton first appeared on TV in the Pittsburgh public television programs Where the Heart Is and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1975). For Mister Rogers he played one of the "Flying Zookeeni Brothers"[6] and was a full-time production assistant.[7]

Keaton left Pittsburgh and moved to Los Angeles to begin auditioning for various TV parts. He decided to use a stage name to follow SAG rules, as there were already an actor (Michael Douglas) and daytime host (Mike Douglas) with the same or similar names.[8] As a result, he searched a phone book under "K," saw "Keaton" and decided to stop looking, picking it has his surname.[8]

Keaton's early well known roles were in Night Shift (1982), Mr. Mom (1983), Gung Ho (1986), and Beetlejuice (1988). He became well known for his role as the main superhero in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). He later appeared in Pacific Heights (1990), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), The Paper (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), and The Other Guys (2010). He also had voice roles in the animated movies Cars (2006), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Minions (2015).

Keaton was seen as having a comeback in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman (2014), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He has since appeared in Spotlight (2015), The Founder (2016), and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020).

He also played Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), as well as returning to his role as Batman in The Flash (2023). He also returned his role as Betelgeuse in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).

Politics

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Keaton supported Senator Bernie Sanders for President in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[9]

Movies

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Some movie Roles

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Video Game Roles

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References

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  1. "Michael Keaton Biography". A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2014. Actor, director. Born Michael Douglas on September 9, 1951, in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.
  2. "Michael Keaton Biography (1950–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  3. A Leading Man Without Pause Archived 2013-06-01 at the Wayback Machine. The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
  4. Vancheri, Barbara (November 13, 2002). "Obituary: Leona Douglas / Actor Michael Keaton's mother doted on her seven children". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  5. "Actor Michael Keaton is another who insists he is half-Scottish". Sunday Express. September 25, 2005. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  6. "Keaton offers advice to young actors", ABC.com. April 14, 2008.
  7. "15 reasons Mr. Rogers was best neighbor ever", CNN, July 28, 2008.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "These Celebrities Don't Go By Their Real Names". WMMR. September 18, 2023.
  9. Smith, Emily (February 7, 2016). "Page Six: Michael Keaton feels the Bern". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Michael Keaton is the latest Hollywood star to endorse Bernie Sanders.

Other websites

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