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Friday, September 5, 2014

Born Today- Actor Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Keaton at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con
Born Michael John Douglas
September 5, 1951 (age 62)
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Montour High School
Alma mater Kent State University
Occupation Actor, comedian, dancer, singer
Years active 1976–present
Spouse(s) Caroline McWilliams (1982–1990)
Partner(s) Courteney Cox (1989–1995)
Children Sean Maxwell (b. 1983)
Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor who became popular for his early comedic film roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, and later gained international fame for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne / Batman in Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns. He has appeared in various other films, including Night Shift, Mr. Mom, Clean and Sober, Pacific Heights, The Other Guys and Jackie Brown, and has also provided voicework for Pixar's Cars and Toy Story 3.

Early life

Keaton, the youngest of seven children, was born in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania,[1] and lived in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. His father, George A. Douglas, worked as a civil engineer and surveyor, and his mother, Leona Elizabeth (née Loftus), a homemaker, came from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.[2][3][4][5] Keaton was raised in a Catholic family.[6] His mother was of Irish descent, and his father was of English and Scottish ancestry.[7][8][9] He attended Montour High School in Pennsylvania. Keaton studied speech for two years at Kent State, before dropping out and moving to Pittsburgh.

Career

Early career

An unsuccessful attempt at stand-up comedy led Keaton to working as a TV cameraman at public television station WQED (TV) in Pittsburgh. Keaton first appeared on TV in Pittsburgh-based public television programs, including "Where the Heart Is" and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1975), as one of the "Flying Zucchini Brothers."[10] He also served as a full-time production assistant on the show.[11] In 2004, following Fred Rogers' death, Keaton hosted the PBS memorial tribute program, Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor. Keaton also worked as an actor in Pittsburgh theatre; he played the role of Rick in the Pittsburgh premiere of David Rabe's Sticks and Bones with the Pittsburgh Poor Players.[12]
Keaton left Pittsburgh and moved to Los Angeles to begin auditioning for various TV parts. He popped up in various popular TV shows including Maude and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. Around this time Keaton decided to use an alternative surname to avoid confusion with well-known actor Michael Douglas and daytime host Mike Douglas, as well as to satisfy SAG rules. The rumor that Keaton changed his surname because of an attraction to actress Diane Keaton is incorrect.[13] He chose Keaton because of an affinity for the physical comedy of Buster Keaton.[14]
His next key break was working alongside James Belushi in the short-lived comedy series Working Stiffs, which showcased his comedic talent and led to a co-starring role in the comedy Night Shift directed by Ron Howard. His role as the fast-talking schemer Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski alongside Henry Winkler's nerdish morgue attendant earned Keaton some critical acclaim, and he scored leads in the subsequent comedy hits Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously, and Gung Ho.
Keaton's role as the title character in Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy Beetlejuice, which co-starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder, earned Keaton widespread acclaim and boosted him to movieland's A list. He originally turned down the role, then reconsidered like most of the cast. He now considers Beetlejuice his favorite of his own films. That same year, he also gave an acclaimed dramatic performance as a drug-addicted businessman in Clean and Sober. Newsweek featured him in a story during this time.

Batman

Michael Keaton's career was given another major boost when he was again cast by Tim Burton, this time as the title comic book superhero of the 1989 film Batman. Burton cast him because he thought that Keaton was the only actor who could portray someone who has the kind of darkly obsessive personality that the character demands.[15] Warner Bros. received thousands of letters of complaint by fans commenting that Keaton was the wrong choice to portray Batman, given his prior work in comedies and the fact that he lacked the suave, handsome features and tall, muscular physicality often attributed to the character in the comic books.[16] However, Keaton's dramatic performance earned widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike,[17] and Batman became one of the most successful films of the year.[18]
According to Les Daniels' reference book, Batman: The Complete History, Keaton wasn't surprised when he was first considered as Batman as he initially believed the film would be similar to the 1960s television series starring Adam West. It was only after he was introduced to Frank Miller's comic book mini-series, The Dark Knight Returns, that Keaton really understood the dark and brooding side of Batman that he portrayed to much fan approval.[19] Keaton later reprised the role in the sequel Batman Returns (1992), which was another critically acclaimed success, though also controversial for being darker than the previous film.[20]
He was set to reprise the role again for Warner Bros.' third live-action Batman film, even going as far as to show up for costume fitting. However, when Burton was dropped as director of the film, Keaton left the franchise. He was reportedly dissatisfied with the screenplay approved by the new director, Joel Schumacher, which Keaton considered to be too light-hearted in tone. According to the A&E Biography episode on Keaton, after he had refused the first time (after meetings with Schumacher), Warner Bros. offered him $15,000,000, but Keaton steadfastly refused.[21] He was subsequently replaced by Val Kilmer in Batman Forever (1995).

Later career

Keaton remained active during the 1990s, appearing in a wide range of films including Pacific Heights, One Good Cop, My Life, and the star-studded Shakespearean story Much Ado About Nothing. He also starred in another Ron Howard film, The Paper, as well as with Andie MacDowell in Multiplicity and twice in the same role, Elmore Leonard character Agent Ray Nicolette, in Jackie Brown and Out of Sight. The actor also made the family holiday movie Jack Frost and the thriller Desperate Measures.
Keaton starred as a political candidate's speechwriter in 1994's Speechless with Geena Davis (his co-star in Beetlejuice) and Christopher Reeve (who, like Keaton, had also previously portrayed a famous DC Comics superhero on film: Superman).
Keaton at the 2004 Dallas Comic Con
Since 2000, Keaton has appeared in several films with mixed success including Live From Baghdad (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award), First Daughter, White Noise, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. While he continued to receive good notices from the critics (particularly for Jackie Brown), he was not able to re-approach the box-office success of Batman until the release of Disney/Pixar's Cars (2006), in which he voiced the character Chick Hicks. On New Year's Day of 2004, he hosted the PBS TV special Mr. Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor. It was released by Triumph Marketing LLC on DVD September 28 that year.
In 2006, Keaton starred in an independent film called Game 6, a semi-thriller based around the infamous 1986 World Series bid by the Boston Red Sox. He had a cameo in the Tenacious D short film Time Fixers, an iTunes exclusive. The 9-minute film was released to coincide with Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. Keaton was announced to be the lead in Media 8 Entertainment's film Reaper, a supernatural thriller. He reportedly agreed to star as John Target in the Matt Evans-scripted No Rule to Make Target, and he has directed a drama, The Merry Gentleman.
Keaton reportedly was cast as Dr. Jack Shephard in the series Lost, with the understanding that the role of Jack would be a brief one. Once the role was retooled to be a long-running series regular, Keaton withdrew. The part was then given to actor Matthew Fox. The show ran for six seasons, with the Jack Shephard role continuing throughout.[22][23]
Keaton starred in the 2007 TV mini-series The Company, set during the Cold War, in which he portrayed the real-life CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton. The role garnered Keaton a 2008 SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. The Company also starred Chris O'Donnell, who portrayed Batman's crime fighting sidekick Robin (who was absent from the Batman films Keaton starred in) in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.[24]
Keaton provided the voice of Ken in Toy Story 3 (2010). The movie received overwhelmingly positive acclaim and grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful films ever.[25] He announced in June 2010 his interest in returning for a Beetlejuice sequel.[26] He also played the minor role of Captain Gene Mauch in the comedy The Other Guys.
In early 2013, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Keaton would be starring—alongside Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis—in Birdman, a movie based on a Raymond Carver short story, scheduled for a 2014 release. The comedy is the latest project from 21 Grams and Biutiful director, Alejandro González Iñárritu. In the movie, Keaton will play a former actor, famous for playing an iconic superhero, who puts on a Broadway play to regain his former glory. Stone plays his fresh-out-of-rehab daughter/assistant. Watts is his co-star and Galifianakis is the play's producer.[27] He is also starring in the upcoming thriller Penthouse North, alongside Michelle Monaghan.
In 2014, Keaton co-starred in the remake RoboCop.

Personal life

Keaton was married to actress Caroline McWilliams from 1982 until 1990. They have one son, Sean Maxwell Douglas, born in 1983. He also had a relationship with actress Courteney Cox from 1989 to 1995.[28]
Keaton, a long-time Pittsburgh resident, is a big Pittsburgh Pirates fan and negotiated a break in his Batman movie contract in case the Pirates made the playoffs that year. He also wrote an ESPN blog on the Pirates during the final months of their 2013 season, in which the Pirates made the playoffs for the first time since 1992. He is also often seen at Pittsburgh Penguins games. He is also a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.[29] An avid fisherman, Keaton can be seen on the saltwater fishing series Buccaneers & Bones on Outdoor Channel, along with Tom Brokaw, Zach Gilford, Thomas McGuane and Yvon Chouinard.[30]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Klein Time Various roles Television film
1978 Rabbit Test Sailor
1982 Night Shift Bill Blazejowski Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
1983 Mr. Mom Jack Butler
1984 Johnny Dangerously Johnny Kelly/Johnny Dangerously
1986 Gung Ho Hunt Stevenson
1986 Touch and Go Robert "Bobby" Barbato
1987 The Squeeze Harold "Harry" Berg
1988 She's Having a Baby Himself Uncredited cameo
1988 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
1988 Clean and Sober Daryl Poynter National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
1989 The Dream Team William "Billy" Caufield
1989 Batman Bruce Wayne/Batman
1990 Pacific Heights Carter Hayes
1991 One Good Cop Arthur "Artie" Lewis
1992 Batman Returns Bruce Wayne/Batman Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Michelle Pfeiffer)
1993 Much Ado About Nothing Dogberry
1993 My Life Robert "Bob" Jones
1994 The Paper Henry Hackett
1994 Speechless Kevin Vallick
1996 Multiplicity Douglas "Doug" Kinney
1997 Inventing the Abbotts Narrator/Older Doug Uncredited
1997 Jackie Brown Raymond "Ray" Nicolette
1998 Desperate Measures Peter J. McCabe
1998 Out of Sight Raymond "Ray" Nicolette Cameo
1998 Jack Frost Jack Frost
2000 A Shot at Glory Peter Cameron
2002 Live from Baghdad Robert Wiener Television film
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
2003 Quicksand Martin Raikes
2003 Porco Rosso Porco Rosso (voice) English dub
2004 First Daughter President Mackenzie
2005 White Noise Jonathan Rivers Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Scary Scene
2005 Game 6 Nicholas "Nicky" Rogan
2005 Herbie: Fully Loaded Raymond "Ray" Peyton, Sr.
2006 Cars Chick Hicks (voice)
2006 The Last Time Ted "Theodore"
2009 The Merry Gentleman Franklin "Frank" Logan Director
2009 Post Grad Walter Malby
2009 Noah's Ark: The New Beginning Noah (voice)
2010 Toy Story 3 Ken (voice)
2010 The Other Guys Captain Gene Mauch
2011 Hawaiian Vacation Ken (voice) Short
2013 Clear History Joe Stumpo Television film
2013 Penthouse North Hollander
2014 RoboCop Raymond Sellars
2014 Need for Speed Monarch
2014 Birdman Riggan Thomson/Birdman Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1976 All's Fair Lannie Wolf 5 episodes
1977 Maude Chip Winston Episode: "Arthur's Crisis"
1978 Mary Various roles 3 episodes
1978 The Tony Randall Show Zeke 2 episodes
1979 The Mary Tyler Moore Hour Kenneth Christy 11 episodes
1979 Working Stiffs Mike O'Rourke 9 episodes
1982 Report To Murphy Murphy 6 episodes
1990 The Earth Day Special Charles McIntyre
2001 The Simpsons Jack Crowley (voice) Episode: "Pokey Mom"
2002 Frasier Blaine Sternin Episode: "Wheels of Fortune"
2003 King of the Hill Trip Larsen (voice) Episode: "Pigmalion"
2003 Gary the Rat Jerry Andrews (voice) Episode: "Catch Me If You Can"
2007 The Company James Angleton 3 episodes
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2011 30 Rock Tom Episode: "100"

Video games

Year Title Role
2006 Cars Chick Hicks (voice)
2009 Cars Race-O-Rama
2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops II Jason Hudson (voice)

References

  1. "Michael Keaton Biography". A&E Television Networks. Retrieved December 31, 2010. "Actor, director. Born Michael Douglas on September 9, 1951, in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania."
  2. "Michael Keaton Biography (1950–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  3. A Leading Man Without Pause. 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. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  5. "Actor Michael Keaton is another who insists he is half-Scottish". Sunday Express. September 25, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
  6. and went to St. Malachy Church ENTERTAINMENT NEWS | WHAS11.com | News for Louisville, Kentucky[dead link]
  7. Fulton, Rick (June 11, 2010). "Michael Keaton: I dropped my phone in surprise when I was offered the role of Barbie's Ken in Toy Story 3". Daily Record. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  8. http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/K/Keaton_Michael/2008/01/25/4793291-sun.html
  9. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000474/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
  10. "Keaton offers advice to young actors." ABC.com. April 14, 2008.
  11. "15 reasons Mr. Rogers was best neighbor ever." CNN.com. July 28, 2008.
  12. Conner, Lynne (2007). Pittsburgh In Stages: Two Hundred Years of Theater. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 178. ISBN 978-0-8229-4330-3. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  13. Kellison, Daniel. "Dinner With Daniel: Michael Keaton". grantland.com. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  14. Keaton, Eleanor; Vance, Jeffrey (2001). Buster Keaton Remembered. Harry N. Abrams Inc. pp. 124. ISBN 9780810942271. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  15. Nancy Griffin; Kim Masters (1997). "Hit Men". Hit & Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony For A Ride In Hollywood. Simon & Schuster. pp. 158–174. ISBN 0-684-80931-1.
  16. Hilary de Vries (1989-02-05). "Batman Battles for Big Money". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  17. Alison McMahan (2005). "Burton's Batman: Myth, Marketing, and Merchandising". The Films of Tim Burton: Animating Live Action in Contemporary Hollywood. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale. ISBN 0-8264-1566-0 121–156.
  18. Staff (1989-06-27). "Batman Sets Record And So Does Hollywood". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  19. Les Daniels (2000). Batman: The Complete History. Chronicle Books. p. 164. ISBN 0-8118-2470-5.
  20. Salisbury, Burton, p.102-114
  21. "Batman 3". Entertainment Weekly. October 1, 1993. Retrieved August 16, 2008.
  22. ^ J.J. Abrams (Director), Lloyd Braun (Director) (2004). Lost Season 1 DVD (DVD). Los Angeles: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  23. Jensen, Jeff (November 24, 2006). "When Stephen King met the 'Lost' boys". Ew.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  24. "Michael Keaton STILL Interested in 'Beetleuice 2'". Bloody-disgusting.com. June 7, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  25. "Keaton would do Beetlejuice 2 "in a heartbeat"". Moviehole.net. June 6, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  26. "Michael Keaton REALLY Interested in Resurrecting Beetlejuice for a Sequel". Dreadcentral.com. June 7, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  27. "Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Keaton to Star in 'Birdman' (Exclusive)". Hollywood reporter. 3/5/2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  28. "PAGE REPORT DISPLAY FOR 24961466800". Herndon1.sdrdc.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  29. Nightengale, Bob (July 28, 2011). "Pirates are talk of baseball with captivating run". USA Today.
  30. Buccaneers And Bones. Retrieved Feb 24, 2011.

External links

Preceded by
Adam West		 Batman Actor
1989–1992		 Succeeded by
Val Kilmer
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