What the Hell Happened to Michael Keaton?

Michael Keaton started out as a manic comic and grew into an unlikely leading man and an even more unlikely super hero.  As the first big-screen Batman, Keaton was able to make deals that secured him A-list work.  But when he walked away from the Bat-franchise, Keaton’s opportunities dried up.  Eventually, he all but disappeared from the spotlight.

What the hell happened?

Michael Keaton – Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood - 1968
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood – 1975

After failing to break into stand-up comedy, Michael Keaton worked as a cameraman at a public television station in Pittsburg.  He started appearing onscreen in TV shows like Where the Heart Is and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood where he played one of the Flying Zucchini Brothers.  Keaton was a production assistant on Mr. Rogers and hosted a tribute show on PBS following Fred Rogers’ death in 2004.

I kind of blew past that stand-up comedy career, didn’t I?  Wanna see a clip?  Of course you do.  Here’s an early Michael Keaton stand-up routine.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPZxhk56O_M]Keaton left public television to start a career as an actor.  He appeared on TV shows like Maude and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour.  Here’s a clip of Keaton doing a song and dance number with a pre-fame David Letterman and Mary Tyler Moore.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l-T11erq_kI#!]Man, I do not miss variety shows.  But that was pretty awesome.

As Keaton was entering this phase of his career, he was asked to change his professional name.  Keaton’s real name is Michael Douglas.  In fact, it is still his legal name.  But there was already a famous actor named Michael Douglas and Mike Douglas was a famous TV host.

Ironically, Michael Douglas’ father, Kirk Douglas, was born Issur Danielovitch.  If he hadn’t changed his name to Douglas when he came to Hollywood, the name Michael Douglas would have been available for Keaton to use.  If that had happened, Michael Douglas would have been Michael Danielovitch and Michael Keaton would have been Michael Douglas.

The internet insists that Keaton chose his stage name after reading an article about Diane Keaton on a plane.  However, this is not true.  It’s funny how the internet feeds off of itself some times.  Someone posted the original story without citation and soon it became cited all over the place including Wikipedia.  But Keaton has publicly denied the story.  Keaton picked the name without giving it much thought.  But he has said Buster Keaton was an influence.

In 1978, Keaton had a cameo role in his first movie, Rabbit Test.  Rabbit Test starred Billy Crystal as the world’s first pregnant man.  There was nowhere to go from here but up.

keaton working stiffs
Working Stiffs – 1979

In 1979, Keaton starred opposite Jim Belushi in the short-lived sitcom, Working Stiffs.  Keaton and Belushi played brothers who lived together and worked as janitors.  Nine episodes of the show were produced, but only four episodes were aired.

I’m not sure which is worse.  A pregnant-man film directed by Joan Rivers or a sit-com co-starring the lesser Belushi.  Fortunately for Keaton, one of the writer’s on Working Stiffs was also working on a screenplay for Ron Howard and introduced them.

Michael Keaton - Night Shift - 1982
Night Shift – 1982

That screenplay was Night Shift.

Night Shift was released in 1982 and starred Henry Winkler as an accountant-turned-pimp  and a pre-Cheers Shelley Long as a hooker with a heart of gold (a novel concept if ever there was one).  Ron Howard directed his former Happy Days co-star in what was intended to be a career change for both of them.  Howard was a novice director and Winkler was trying to get away from his Fonzie persona.

Keaton absolutely stole the show.  His motormouth idea man, Billy “Blaze” Blazejowski never stopped rattling off one crazy idea after another to the point where even the Fonz lost his cool and told him to shut up.
But Keaton’s over-the-top performance made the studio nervous.  According to Keaton,

“They saw the dailies and they were telling Ronnie I had to stop chewing gum, I had to get my hair cut. Eventually they were, like, ‘We have to fire him! What the fuck is he doing?’ They didn’t get it. To Ronnie’s credit, he told ’em to wait and see until it was all cut together.”

Night Shift got mostly favorable reviews and performed reasonably well at the box office.  It set off a string of prostitution-themed comedies in the 80’s that included Risky Business and Doctor Detroit.

Keaton - mr mom
Mr. Mom – 1983

Following Night Shift, Keaton was offered the John Candy role in Ron Howard’s Splash.  But he turned it down fearing that the role was too similar to the side-kick he played in Night Shift.

Instead, Keaton opted for a starring role in Mr. Mom in 1983.  John Hughes’ script for the high concept domestic comedy appealed to Keaton as did the fact it allowed him to grow as a leading man.

Reviews at the time were mixed to positive.  Many noted that the film felt a little like a TV sitcom.  But Keaton elevated the material.  Mr. Mom was a hit at the box office.

MSDJODA FE005

Johnny Dangerously – 1984

In 1984, Keaton starred in the mob-movie satire, Johnny Dangerously.
The film was directed by Amy Heckerling and co-starred Marilu Henner and Joe Piscopo.  It had no less than four screen-writers which is rarely a good sign.  The attempt was to make the Airplane! of crime movies.  But most of the jokes fell flat.  Johnny Dangerously lacked the inspired lunacy of the Zucker Brothers’ films.

Reviews were mostly negative and the film performed weakly at the box office.

Michael Keaton - Ghostbusters - 1984
Ghostbusters – 1984

There is an internet rumor that says that Keaton turned down Ghostbusters.  While I am busting up internet rumors about Keaton, I’ll throw this one on the fire too.  Keaton denies he was ever offered a role in Ghostbusters.  The internet is a funny place.  I think that because Keaton doesn’t give a ton of interviews, it’s pretty easy for these things to get started about him.

keaton - purple rose
The Purple Rose of Cairo – 1985

In 1985, Keaton did NOT appear in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo.  But he was originally cast in the dual role that would eventually be played by Jeff Daniels.

Keaton took a significant pay cut for the opportunity to work with the legendary director.  But shortly into filming, Allen felt that while Keaton was giving a strong performance, it was “too contemporary” to be believable in the film’s setting in the 1930’s.  After ten days of filming, Keaton and Allen parted ways.

Michael Keaton - Gung Ho - 1986
Gung Ho – 1986

In 1986, Keaton appeared in two movies.  First, he reteamed with Night Shift director Ron Howard for Gung Ho.

Gung Ho was about the culture clash between American and Japanese car factory workers.  Keaton played a foreman who goes to Japan to save the local auto factory.  He manages to strike a deal, but the American factory workers struggle to relate to their new Japanese employers.

The material was rife with comic possibilities.  But the only one going for laughs was Keaton.  And even he couldn’t carry the weight of the picture solely on his back.

Gung Ho received mixed to negative reviews and did so-so at the box office.

Keaton - Touch and Go - 1986
Touch and Go – 1986

Keaton made a slightly dramatic turn playing a hockey star in Touch and Go.
In the film, Keaton befriends a juvenile delinquent who tried to mug him. Eventually, he winds up falling in love with the kid’s mom.
Touch and Go was to Keaton’s career what Continental Divide was to John Belushi’s.  The few people who saw it were impressed by Keaton’s dramatic chops.  But most audiences rejected a more dramatic Keaton.  They wanted to see him hip-deep in diapers.

Michael Keaton – The Squeeze – 1987
The Squeeze – 1987

In 1987, Keaton hit rock bottom with the comedy/thriller The Squeeze.
The Squeeze got horrible reviews and bombed at the box office.  After a promising start, Keaton’s film career was in trouble.

Michael Keaton - Beetlejuice - 1988
Beetlejuice – 1988

Keaton’s film career recovered in 1988 when he paired with Tim Burton for the first time in Beetlejuice.

Keaton’s role is relatively small.  He plays a mischievous ghost-for-hire.  When someone speaks his name three times, Beetlejuice appears and all hell breaks loose.

Following the success of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Burton was seen as a bankable film director.  Warner Brothers was willing to finance script development of Burton’s take on Batman, but they wouldn’t go so far as to green-light the expensive comic book movie.

In the meanwhile, Burton began looking for scripts.  He finally settled on the super-natural comedy, Beetlejuice.  Originally, Burton wanted to cast Sammy Davis Jr. as the titular ghost.  But producer David Geffen recommended Keaton for the role and Burton was quickly convinced.  The talented cast included Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones.

Although Keaton had the title role, he’s really only on screen for about 20 minutes.  But once again, Keaton stole the show.  His 20 minutes was the most memorable part of the film and left the audience begging for more.
Beetlejuice received positive reviews and was a hit at the box office.  It went on to inspire a Saturday morning cartoon that ran for four years!  A sequel was planned, but never got up off the ground.

Originally, the sequel took the Dietz family to Hawaii.  But that script has been scrapped.  However, a new script is in development.  Both Keaton and Burton have expressed an interest in returning to the material if the script meets with their approval.

Michael Keaton - Clean and Sober - 1988
Clean and Sober – 1988

Keaton followed up Beetlejuice with a dramatic turn in Clean and Sober.
As the title suggests, Keaton plays an addict who gets clean.  It sounds very “movie of the week” today, but at the time this was pretty hard-hitting stuff.  Especially for a comedic actor.

The movie wasn’t a big hit, but critics took notice.  Keaton was awarded the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor.

Michael Keaton - The Dream Team - 1989
The Dream Team – 1989

Keaton started 1989 with an increasingly rare comedic role in The Dream Team.

The Dream Team was kind of like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest played for laughs.  And with fewer lobotomies.

Keaton, positively rocking the mullet, plays an inmate from a mental institution who leads fellow in-mates Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle and Stephen Furst on a quest to find their doctor.

Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a modest hit at the box office.

batman-michael-keaton
Batman – 1989

Next, Keaton reteamed with Tim Burton for the film that would change his career.  Batman was by far the biggest thing going in 1989.  That summer, the Bat-symbol was on everything.

It’s worth noting that the decision to cast Keaton as Batman was a controversial one at the time.  Comic book fans worried that the casting of a comedic actor in the role signaled a campy take on the character like the 60’s TV show.  In fact, at one point that had been the plan when Bill Murray was attached to the project.

Originally, Sean Young was cast as Vicki Vale, Batman’s love interest.  Young dropped out due to a horse-riding injury.  Burton suggested casting Michelle Pfieffer as a replacement.  But Keaton nixed the idea because he and Pfieffer were in a relationship at the time and he feared it would make for an awkward situation.  Instead, Kim Basinger was cast as Vicki Vale at the last minute.

basinger - batman
Batman – 1989

Reviews for Batman were mixed.  But it didn’t matter.  Batman was THE event movie of 1989.

Melanie Griffith and Michael Keaton - Pacific Heights - 1990
Pacific Heights – 1990

Back in the dark days of the twentieth century, super hero movies were relatively rare.  And actors who played super heroes feared typecasting.  TV’s Batman, Adam West, has argued for years that typecasting as Batman ruined his career.  So it’s no surprise that Keaton followed up Batman with a turn as a villain.

In 1990, Keaton played the tenant from hell in the yuppie horror film, Pacific Heights.  Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine co-starred as the young couple that rent out an apartment to Keaton’s character.  Keaton slowly and methodically destroys their lives to the point where he eventually has Modine’s character arrested.

Pacific Heights got mixed to negative reviews.  Thanks to Batman, it opened in first place at the box office.  But it fell off pretty quickly and only ended up grossing about $30 million at the box office.

russo - one good cop
One Good Cop – 1991

In 1991, Keaton continued to try out dramatic roles in One Good Cop opposite Rene Russo.

Keaton played a cop (a good one) whose partner is killed in the line of duty.  When Keaton tries to adopt his late partner’s daughter, he is denied because his apartment is too small and the child has special needs as a diabetic.  Then the opportunity arises for Keaton’s character to make off with some drug money, buy a house and adopt the girl.

Much like Touch and Go, audiences weren’t especially interested in a dramatic Keaton.  But the critics gave Keaton good notices even if reviews for the film were mixed.

keaton batman returns
Batman Returns – 1992

Inevitably, Keaton returned to the role of Batman for the 1992 sequel titled (what else?) Batman Returns.

With Jack Nicholson out of the picture, it seemed like an ideal time for Keaton’s Batman to shine.  Instead, Michelle Pfieffer’s Catwoman did the show stealing while Danny DeVito chewed scenery in a way that Tim Burton must have found funny.  (But most of us just found gross.)

Famously, Sean Young campaigned for the role of Catwoman.  But Burton was unwilling to see her.  He originally cast Annette Bening in the role, but Bening had to drop out due to a pregnancy.  Just about every age-appropriate actress at the time was considered for the role (including the not-so-age-appropriate Cher) before Michelle Pfeiffer was finally cast.  Keaton had vetoed Pfeiffer for the first movie, but felt enough time had passed that they could work together on the sequel.

keaton - batman returns 2
Batman Returns – 1992

The original script for Batman Returns was written by Sam Hamm who had written the first Batman.  It included Vicki Vale, Harvey Dent and Dick Grayson.  But Burton was unhappy with the script and hired Daniel Waters to re-write it.  Waters pared down the number of characters involved and created Max Shreck as the Penguin’s brother.  Yet another re-write was done at Burton’s request by Wesley Strick.  The end result is a bit of a mess.

Not surprisingly, reviews for Batman Returns were mixed.  The sequel was a hit, but it was mired in controversy over the dark subject matter, violence towards women and sexual content that was deemed inappropriate for children.

Warner Brothers wanted to sell Happy Meal toys and decided they could do so better without Tim Burton making their franchise into a surreal nightmare.  So, Burton was replaced by Joel Schumacher for the sequel.  And Keaton, showing the best judgement of his career, bailed out on the Batman films.

It is rumored that Keaton was eventually offered 15 million dollars to reprise the role of Batman in the third film.  But Keaton didn’t like the campy tone the series was taking.  He wanted to go back to the broody Batman of the original film.  So he turned down the large paycheck much to Val Kilmer’s delight.

Keaton Much Ado
Much Ado About Nothing – 1993

In 1993, Keaton had a comedic cameo in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

The ensemble included Kenneth Branagh (who did just about everything but the catering), Emma Thompson (who would eventually decide that she had enough of Branagh’s ego and divorced him) and Keanu Reeves who was still trying to prove to the world that he was not Ted “Theodore” Logan.  As with Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Reeves merely reinforced that image.

Keaton signed on to play a faith-healer in the comedy/drama Leap of Faith opposite Debra Winger.  He quit the project and the role went to Steve Martin.

keaton - my life
My Life – 1993

Keaton’s next starring role was opposite Nicole Kidman in My Life.  My Life was directed by the writer of Ghost, Bruce Joel Rubin.  Rubin was in the process of burning up all the clout he gained by writing Ghost.

My Life is the worst kind of manipulate tear jerker.  Keaton plays a dying man who records messages for his unborn son.  Yeah, it’s that kind of movie.  Keaton is excellent in it because he’s Michael Keaton.  But the movie can’t escape its shitty premise or the fact it’s written and directed by Rubin.

The reviews were mixed to negative and the film was a disappointment at the box office.

keaton - the paper
The Paper – 1994

In 1994, Keaton headed up an all-star ensemble in The Paper.

The film once again paired Keaton with director Ron Howard.  It’s an interesting if uneven look at tabloid journalism.  There are elements of the stage play The Front Page (which was adapted to film as the classic His Girl Friday and the horrific Switching Channels.)

Keaton co-starred with Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid andRobert Duvall.  The Paper got mixed to positive reviews and performed reasonably well at the box office.

keaton - speechless
Speechless – 1994

Keaton’s next film was the romantic comedy, Speechless.

Keaton and Geena Davis played rival speech writers from opposite political parties who (you guessed it) fall in love.  Unfortunately, the film was neither romantic nor comical.

The best thing about Speechless is that it also included a post-Superman Christopher Reeve making it the unofficial Batman/Superman movie we may never see.

The reviews were bad and the film flopped.

keaton - mulitplicity
Multiplicity – 1996

In 1996, Keaton tried to return to the type of comedy that made him a star with the high concept clone comedy Multiplicity.

In Multiplicity, Keaton stars has an average guy who clones himself so he can get more done.  Each clone has a slightly different personality.  One is an alpha male, another is sensitive and a third doesn’t quite come out right.  Keaton’s character has to hide all three from his wife played by Andie MacDowell.

The film was directed by Caddyshack and Vacation director (not to mention Ghostbusters co-star) Harold Ramis.  But for whatever reason, it didn’t catch on with critics or audiences.  For my money, I think Multiplicity is under-rated.  There are definitely elements that don’t work.  But Keaton’s comic performance redeems the movie.

When Multiplicity failed to deliver at the box office, one of two things happened.  Either Keaton gave up trying to be a star or Hollywood gave up on Keaton.  I suspect a little bit of both.

keaton - jackie brown
Jackie Brown – 1997
 
In 1997, Keaton appeared in a supporting role in  Quentin Tarantino’s follow-up to Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown.
 
Keaton was reluctant to take the part.  He said he found the character “vague” and turned it down three times before finally deciding to accept the part so he could “hang out with Tarantino.
 
I’m just going to come out and say it, Jackie Brown is under-rated.  I use the phrase “criminally under-rated” a lot.  But Jackie Brown is under-rated and criminally so.
 
Critics and audiences were somewhat disappointed when Jackie Brown didn’t serve up the same pyrotechnics as Pulp Fiction.  But go back and watch it again now.  It’s a damn fine crime drama.
 
Keaton - Desperate Measures
Desperate Measures – 1998

In 1990, Keaton once again played a villain in Desperate Measures.
Andy Garcia played a cop who desperately needed a bone marrow donor to save his son.  Keaton played a rare match who could save his son’s life.  Unfortunately, he’s also got a lot in common with Hannibal Lechter.

I had been looking forward to seeing this movie as I was a fan of both Keaton and co-star Andy Garcia.  But the horrid reviews scared me off.  I completely forgot the movie even existed and have never seen it to this day.  This appears to be the case with a lot of people as the movie bombed at the box office.

keaton - out of sight

Later that year, Keaton reprised his role as Ray Nicolette for Stephen Soderbergh’s Out of Sight.

What’s awesome about this is that the movie has absolutely nothing to do with Jackie Brown other than the fact that both movies are adaptations of Elmore Leonard novels.  (And both movies are terrific.)  It really created a feeling of a larger universe for both movies.  I would have loved to see Keaton as Nicolette in another movie.

Reportedly, during the filming of Out of Sight, George Clooney made several references to a brotherhood with Keaton.  Keaton went along with the idea not knowing what Clooney was referring to.  Later, he discovered that Clooney was referencing their shared role as Batman.

keaton - jack frost
Jack Frost – 1998

After Out of Sight, everything went straight to hell.  Keaton made one last bid to reclaim starring roles with the family comedy Jack Frost in which he was transformed into a snowman!

Jack Frost was killed by the critics and ignored by audiences.  It’s another one of those movies where a dad learns important lessons about parenthood through some kind of magic spell.  Think Liar, Liar except with the dad becoming a snow man!

Believe it or not, the budget for Jack Frost was 85 million dollars.  Who the hell spent 85 million dollars on a snow man movie?  The movie grossed an embarrassing 34 million at the box office and more or less ended Keaton’s time on the A-list.

keaton - live from baghdad
Live From Baghdad – 2002

Following Jack Frost, Keaton went into semi-retirement.  He starred opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the 2002 HBO movie, Live From Baghdad which received positive reviews.
keaton - lost
In 2004, Keaton turned down the starring role on the TV show Lost.  He had reluctantly agreed to play Jack Shephard on the pilot episode of the show when the plan was to kill him off.  But when the studio balked at the idea of killing off the lead character in the first episode Keaton passed on the idea of committing to a weekly series.

keaton - white noise
White Noise – 2005

In 2005, Keaton staged something of a miniature comeback.  First, Keaton starred in the low-budget horror film, White Noise.  The movie got bad reviews but was a hit with audiences.  I agreed with the critics on this one.  But it was good to see Keaton working again.

Keaton also starred in the independent drama, Game 6.  Reviews were better, but the film was too small to be noticed at the box office.  Keaton worked for just $100 a day to make the film.

keaton - herbie
Herbie: Fully Loaded – 2005

Later that year, Keaton appeared in Herbie: Fully Loaded.  Wait a minute?!  Herbie: Fully Loaded?  What the hell happened?!?

Seriously, Michael.  You go into semi-retirement but you come out of it to appear in a Lindsay Lohan Disney remake?  And the worst one of the bunch at that!

I am assuming Keaton was paid a lot more than $100/day for that one.

keaton - ken
Toy Story 3 – 2010

Thank god Pixar found Michael Keaton’s number.  After voicing Chick Hicks in Cars in 2006, Keaton went on to steal Toy Story 3 as Ken in 2010.  He reprised the role for the short, Hawaiian Vacation in 2011.  I wonder if the toys met Beetlejuice while they were in Hawaii?

keaton - merry gentleman
The Merry Gentleman – 2009

In 2009, Keaton starred in the independent drama, The Merry Gentleman.
Just before shooting began, the film’s original director had to drop out for health reasons.  In order to keep the project alive, Keaton offered to direct.  The movie got generally positive reviews although most audiences were unaware of it.

keaton other guys
The Other Guys 2010

In 2010, Keaton popped up in a cameo role in the cop comedy, The Other Guys.  The movie starred Will Ferrel and Mark Wahlberg as second-rate cops and Keaton as their captain.  Reviews were generally positive and The Other Guys was a hit at the box office.

keaton - robocop
Robocop – 2014

In 2014, Keaton played a villain in the Robocop remake.

Like the original, the remake tells the story of a cop killed in the line of duty who is brought back as a robot.  Keaton played the head of the evil corporation that brings the hero back from the dead for nefarious purposes.  I mean, it’s called OmniCorp.  How much more ominous can a company name be?  Keaton plays the part like an evil Steve Jobs.

Keaton got the role when Hugh Laurie dropped out at the last-minute.  The cast included Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Oldman.  Oldman and Keaton both had ties to the Batman franchise.  Oldman played Commissioner Gordon in the Nolan movies.

The production was plagued with difficulties.  Director, José Padilha, described making the Robocop remake as “hell” and the studio pushed the release date from 2013 to 2014.  Padilha wanted to deliver an R-rated action movie like the original. But as the budget ballooned from $60 million to $120 million, the studio demanded a PG-13.

In the end, the extra time didn’t help.  Despite slightly positive reviews, the Robocop remake flopped.

Keaton - Need for Speed
Need For Speed – 2014

Later that year, Keaton had a cameo role in the racing movie, Need for Speed.

Need for Speed is loosely based on a series of racing video games.  It starred Aaron Paul was was fresh off the hit series, Breaking Bad.  Keaton played  Monarch, a reclusive and eccentric host of an “underground” race competition.

Like most video game adaptation, Need for Speed got bad reviews and tanked at the box office.  However, it was hugely successful in China and ended up grossing over $200 million worldwide.

Keaton - Bridman
Birdman – 2014

In the fall of 2014, Keaton starred in the offbeat movie, Birdman.
Keaton played a washed up actor who is best known for playing a super hero – sound familiar?  He is trying to put on a Broadway play, but he struggles with personal issues and may be losing his mind.  The movie co-starred Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Stone.

Reviews were positive and the movie has been nominated for several awards.  Keaton won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was nominated for an Oscar which he lost to Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything.

So, what the hell happened?

Keaton describes meeting President Barrack Obama for the first time.  According to Keaton, the president’s first words to him were, “Why don’t you make more movies?”  Good question, Mr. President.  May I suggest you start reading What the Hell Happened… for the answers?

In another interview, Keaton summed up his career as follows:

“It’s great to make your own choices but there’s a price to pay. I could’ve made more money or been more famous. I could be the current groovy guy. You don’t want to lose your status, but I was never willing to preserve it by doing things I didn’t want to do. I put myself in a position where the studios were saying, ‘It’s not obvious what we should do with him.’ I’m not calling them stupid. It’s not their job to figure out where to put me. Hey, it’s a business. They know I make X amount of money when I play a certain guy, so they want me to play that guy, whoever he is. But my take is: I’ve done that, and if I do it again I’ll end up blowing my brains out. I always thought that was smart. I never wanted to play the short game.”

That pretty much sums it up.  Keaton isn’t seeking out the spotlight.  He reached a point where he can pick and choose projects that interest him.  And those projects don’t tend to be in the mainstream as often as they used to be.

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Geo
Geo
12 years ago

Enjoyed your article.
Would like to suggest your next subject: Val Kilmer

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

: )

F13
F13
12 years ago

Here’s the thing: The Paper was actually a successful film, both critically and financially. It was a star-studded film (come on, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei and Robert Duvall were all in it) by a popular director (Ron Howard is popular, right?). So yeah, that argument had to be made.

wingnut
wingnut
12 years ago

Thanks for the article. You will never know how many times I have actually asked this question(not aloud). I have to admit, though, I loved watching him play the different parts of a personality in Multiplicity. Thanks again.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

What the hell ever happened to a guy like Michael Keaton? He was the best actor i have seen that can be funny or serious like robin willliams but better than tom hanks. hanks is a pussy. Keaton is better. i always liked that keaton could play a hero as well as a villian. they should have him in a movie as a villain up against mel gibson, john travolta, bruce willis, harrison ford, ed harris, richard dreyfuss, alec baldwin, kurt russell, arnold schwarzenegger, sly stallone, johnny depp, gary oldman, etc. they should have him in ron howard movies and… Read more »

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

like i said Keaton is better. i hope anybody who reads this understands what i’m talking about. Tom hanks is a pussy and a friggin poster boy. why can’t michael keaton get oscar nominations and be more famous than tom hanks? Can somebody tell me that? everybody talks about how great tom hanks is and that he’s a nice guy. nice guy, my ass! Like I said, tom hanks is a poster boy. Michael Keaton is the best actor who can do action movies better than tom hanks can. Keaton joins the list of action movie stars with movies like… Read more »

Circle
Circle
12 years ago
Reply to  andymovieman

hey calm down, I want my Meg Ryan back too, while I won’t call J Roberts, R Witherspoon, or, uh, E Stone… (who else?)… biXches.
Anyway, I like your idea of having Keaton in a movie as a villain up against ..Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sly Stallone, etc… Maybe you can call/ mail Mr Stallone about the future The Expendables series. (I mean it)
By the way, I watched The Other Guys twice. I think… I feel… I’m afraid Mr Keaton have to retire, just like Ms Ryan… ( T_T )

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

maybe someone else who reads this should put michael keaton in the expendables as well. they should put him as a villian too. i don’t think keaton should retire. i didn’t like the other guys that much. i was pissed that they had to kill off samuel l jackson and dwayne johnson in the beginning and then focus more on mark wahlberg and will “the pussy” ferrell. i mean, what the hell is that? i like wahlberg, jackson, johnson and keaton, but i hate will ferrell. i don’t think will ferrell is that funny. i think michael keaton is funnier… Read more »

Circle
Circle
12 years ago
Reply to  andymovieman

First of all , I am sorry.
I just watched a movie Too Big to Fail (TV 2011), lead by … I have to say … two great guys James Woods & William Hurt. I love them very much. I hope they will stay in business forever.
Considering Woods and Hurt are both older than Keaton , I am a idiot to say Keaton have to retire. Sorry again.

sacha
sacha
11 years ago
Reply to  andymovieman

I couldn’t agree with you more about Will Ferrell. That guy is so annoying. Never makes me laugh. I don’t know why he is so popular.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

they should put him as a villian or hero in a action movie.

Circle
Circle
12 years ago
Reply to  andymovieman

Yes, indeed.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

william hurt was only good in michael with john travolta and a history of violence. i hated the village. i don’t like william hurt that much. i hate that the academy awards gave him an oscar for best actor over harrison ford. that pissed me off. same with tom hanks winning an oscar a second time for forrest gump over john travolta in pulp fiction. travolta and ford should have won. hurt and hanks should have lost. michael keaton should have been nominated in 1988 not tom hanks. like i said, hanks is a pussy. james woods is a good… Read more »

Joshua Ray Flener
4 years ago
Reply to  andymovieman

Your an idiot

#1 Son
#1 Son
12 years ago

Lebeau, I must say, I have really enjoyed your ‘What the Hell Happened’ posts lol! I’ve just read everyone of them! I must say I’m thoroughly impressed and I love all of the Marlon Brandon quotes. That man was an actor. By the way, I am 38 years old and I still love how Brandon called some of these individuals out. Good work and I look forward to reading this blog on a regular basis!

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

i still think michael keaton deserves another good movie. i hope he is nominated for an oscar and shows that asshole tom hanks who’s the best actor. If I had to choose between Michael Keaton and Tom Hanks. I choose Michael Keaton. Keaton is not a poster boy like tom hanks is. Hanks is just like bill clinton. like i said keaton is the best. keaton shouldn’t retire ever.

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

The thing that surprised me in a negative way about Tom Hanks was the Esquire article where he admitted that he cheated on his first wife for nearly two years with Rita Wilson. He also claimed in the article that when he saw Rita on the set of Volunteers that he was just blown away (suggesting love at first sight). Well, the problem with that is that they had already met when she co-starred in an episode of Bosom Buddies years before. His first wife died of cancer many years later and I guess he made peace with her before… Read more »

Geo
Geo
12 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Actually, nothing Sean Young has done even comes close to this in my opinion. Sean acts nutty, and does silly things. What he did was deceptive and cruel. I don’t assume that celebrities are good or bad, but when I find out something like this I can’t automatically erase it from my memory so I can enjoy a movie like Larry Crowne (which is not doing well, by the way). I agree with you about Mel. I also would never want to watch Michael Richards perform his standup routine. I think we’re just talking about different types of failure. I… Read more »

Geo
Geo
12 years ago

Yeah, the contrast with his image is undeniable. I think the reason why it isn’t widely known is because his first wife didn’t go out and try to ruin his career with it. He also hadn’t reached “Gump status” yet. Let’s face it, it took him 20 years to even come clean about it. Personally, I think if he did the same thing to Rita Wilson, the whole world would know about it. What bugs me about her is that she was “the other woman”. She knew he was married and stole him away – with his permission of course.… Read more »

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

tom hanks is a egotisical political big mouth poster boy whether any of you like it or not. michael keaton is the best actor i have seen and so is mel gibson. if any of you like hanks better than keaton or gibson, then you are assholes. i hate tom hanks. i’m glad that larry crowne didn’t do well in the box office. i hated him in philadelphia. i didn’t buy him playing a gay guy or sean penn for that matter. tom hanks sucks. seriously why do any of you waste time seeing him any movie? watch better movies.

wtfhappenedtomyreallife

85% of all movies could be made better with at least 15 seconds of Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton is underrated and underappreciated. What was that movie where he was in Tokyo at the car factory and they were trying to save the plant? I grew up with Michael Keaton. He is up there on my top 10 list of great comedic actors who do great drama too. Thanks for writing this! P.S. I love Tom Hanks too and Andymovieman seems to have a personal grudge against him for some reason. I look forward to reading whatever you post about Tom… Read more »

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

lebeau, (1.) honestly i think gung ho is the best movie that keaton did with howard as well as the paper. (2.) in answer to your other question is the reason i hate tom hanks is that he has gotten too political and too cocky and frankly he insulted world war 2 veterans including my grandfathers and great uncle as well with his wars are caused by racism comment. he should keep his mouth and act. nobody cares about his stupid liberal politics. i used to think he was funny then but, now i don’t think he’s funny at all.… Read more »

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

i messed up on tom hanks should keep his mouth shut. he really should.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

so i’m glad you understand. i don’t like will ferrell either. i think he is a pussy.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

i liked that keaton worked with andy garcia in desperate measures and rene russo in one good cop.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

yeah me too. if you got any facts for this blog. please say what you need to say.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

keaton is still the best. hanks lost my vote of being my favorite funny actor.

andymovieman
andymovieman
12 years ago

one time i remember seeing pacific heights with the hunt for red october on channel 11 years ago. it was good seeing a michael keaton movie with an alec baldwin movie.

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