Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton

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Biography

Michael Keaton (born Michael John Douglas, 5.9.1951) Michael Keaton is an American film actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Tim Burton-directed Batman films and Beetlejuice.

Childhood: Michael Keaton is the youngest of seven children. He was born in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania and his Catholic family lived in Robinson Township, Alleghny County. His mother was a housewife and his father was a civil engineer.

Keaton attended Montour High School in Pennsylvania and then studied speech at Kent State University, but dropped out and moved to Pittsburgh.

Acting Career: Michael Keaton's first TV appearance came in 1975, on the Pittsburgh-based Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood. He also worked as an assistant on the show. He also befriended Spike Jonze early on in his career, when he appeared in a Jonze-directed advert for Architect Jeans.

After leaving Pittsburgh, Keaton successfully auditioned for a number of small TV roles in Los Angeles, including The Mary Tyler Moore Hour and Maude. Having to change his name, to avoid confusion with the actor Michael Douglas, he chose Keaton, inspired by the actress Diane Keaton.

A significant break came for Michael Keaton when he appeared alongside James Belushi in Working Stiffs, as well as appearing in a Ron Howard-directed comedy, Night Shift, which also starred Henry Winkler and Shelley Long. His reputation as a decent comic actor was bolstered by appearances in Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously and Gung Ho.

Michael Keaton's crossover to the mainstream came in 1988 when he was cast in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, which also starred Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis. Moving away from comedy, he also gave an acclaimed performance as a drug-addict businessman in Clean and Sober.

Tim Burton gave Michael Keaton another break the following year when he cast him as the lead in his comic book adaptation, Batman. The film also starred Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger. Keaton returned to the role in 1992 for Batman Returns, which featured Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito. Michael Keaton had been lined up to play Batman once more in Batman Forever but left the franchise when Tim Burton was dropped by Warner Bros. in favour of Joel Schumacher. The role went to Val Kilmer and later George Clooney and Christian Bale.

The 1990s continued to be a steady success for `Michael Keaton, though lacking the blockbuster successes that preceded them. Amongst his successes were Pacific Heights (with Melanie Griffith), One Good Cop (with Rene Russo). He then went on to feature in Much Ado About Nothing, in a star-studded cast that featured Kenneth Branagh, Richard Briers, Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson and Denzel Washington.

Keaton returned to work with Ron Howard in The Paper and then worked alongside Andie MacDowell in Multiplicity. In the Quentin Tarantino movie Jackie Brown, Keaton performed alongside Pam Grier and Samuel L. Jackson. He then starred in the Steven Soderbergh-directed Out of Sight, with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez.

In 1998, Keaton starred in Desperate Measures, with Marcia Gay Harden and Andy Garcia. He followed this with a lightweight Christmas release, Jack Frost.

In Speechless, Keaton worked with Geena Davis once more, as well as Christopher Reeve.

Michael Keaton was nominated for a Golden Globe award for his performance in the HBO movie Live From Baghdad in 2002. It also starred Helena Bonham Carter. The years following this failed to regain Keaton's former box office success. He starred opposite Katie Holmes in the box office flop First Daughter (directed by Forest Whitaker). He also appeared in Herbie: Fully Loaded with Lindsay Lohan. In 2006, Keaton provided the voice for Chick Hicks in the animated Cars as well as putting in a cameo appearance in the Tenacious D film Time Fixers.

Personal Life: Michael Keaton was formerly married to the actress Caroline McWilliams. They have a son together, Sean Maxwell (b.1983). Michael Keaton also dated Courtney Cox for around six years.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

Extraordinary

This may be the third reboot of this franchise in 15 years, risking audience exhaustion, but there are plenty of reasons not to miss this one. Most notably, this is the first Spider-Man movie that's part of Marvel's Avengers franchise, which places it in a larger story with lots of cameo possibilities. But more importantly, young British actor Tom Holland seems to have been born to play the role, infusing the entire film with cheeky teenage energy. And it's also one of the funniest, most complex blockbusters of the year.

The film opens with overexcited home videos Peter Parker (Holland) made of his adventure with the Avengers in Civil War. Now he's plunged back to the dull reality of being a high school student living with his sparky Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). He has a crush on classmate Liz (Laura Harrier), but faces rivalry from the school's alpha male Flash (Tony Revolori). And after a night out playing superhero in his Spider-Man costume, his nerdy best pal Ned (Jacob Batalon) is a bit too thrilled to discover his secret alter-ego. Meanwhile, Peter is annoyed that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his assistant Happy (Jon Favreau) are ignoring his calls, especially after he warns them that he has seen winged bad guy Toomes (Michael Keaton) dealing illegal alien weapons around New York while plotting something nefarious.

Director Jon Watts (Cop Car) cleverly maintains a nimble teen perspective throughout the film, which makes it feel more like a comedy than an action movie. And instead of snarky one-liners, the laughs come from character-based humour, most notably Holland's brilliant reactions to everything that comes along. One memorable sequence, which kicks off the final onslaught of action, is both hilarious and terrifying at the same time, perfectly balanced thanks to a knowing revelation, Watts' subtle direction and Holland's hugely engaging performance. And each breathtaking action set-piece pushes the character forward in positive ways.

Continue reading: Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

Michael Keaton Was Mesmerised By John Carroll Lynch And Nick Offerman


Michael Keaton

It doesn't matter how many awards you've won in your career, sometimes it's the lesser known actors that can leave you stunned. At least, that's what happened to Michael Keaton during rehearsals for McDonald's movie 'The Founder' when he sat down with his co-stars.

Michael Keaton in 'The Founder'Michael Keaton stars in 'The Founder'

He's worked with many amazing casts before on the likes of 'Batman', 'Spotlight', 'Birdman' and 'Jackie Brown', and his involvement on 'The Founder' was no different in his mind. He stars alongside 'American Horror Story''s John Carroll Lynch and 'Parks and Recreation''s Nick Offerman who play Mac and Dick McDonald to his Ray Kroc.

Continue reading: Michael Keaton Was Mesmerised By John Carroll Lynch And Nick Offerman

Michael Keaton Insisted On Going Dark For The Founder


Michael Keaton

And this year Michael Keaton is impressing critics with his nuanced portrayal of Ray Kroc in The Founder, the man who made McDonald's a global phenomenon. "Before this, I knew there was a Ray Kroc," Keaton says, "but if someone asked, I'd probably have offered the generic response that he started McDonald's. I didn't know there were McDonald's brothers, and 90 percent of the population doesn't know that! I would argue that that's mostly where branding started, and I don't think he knew he was starting it."

Michael Keaton at his Star ceremonyMichael Keaton at his Star ceremony

Keaton was keen to play the character warts and all. "Ray Kroc is not a lovable guy," he admits, "but he's got an extraordinary work ethic and a decency. Although once he sells his soul to the devil, he becomes a different, almost sadistic human being."

Continue reading: Michael Keaton Insisted On Going Dark For The Founder

Michael Keaton Turned Down 'Batman Forever' Because The Script "Sucked"


Michael Keaton

The resurgent Michael Keaton has spoken about why he chose to quit what was arguably his most famous role as Batman, revealing that he dropped out of 1995’s Batman Forever because the movie “sucked”.

The 65 year old actor portrayed The Caped Crusader in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, which were both directed by Tim Burton, but he elected to drop out of the Joel Schumacher-helmed Batman Forever three years after that, with Val Kilmer taking on the role for that movie and 1997’s Batman & Robin.

Michael KeatonMichael Keaton spoke about his decision to quit playing Batman

Continue reading: Michael Keaton Turned Down 'Batman Forever' Because The Script "Sucked"

How Mark Knopfler Inspired Michael Keaton's McDonald's Movie


Mark Knopfler Michael Keaton

The story of how the world's biggest fast food restaurant was founded is a shocking one rife with betrayal and dishonesty. 'The Founder' directed by John Lee Hancock tells as much about the beginnings of McDonald's, but it was actually a song that inspired the creation of the biopic.

Michael Keaton in 'The Founder'Michael Keaton stars in 'The Founder'

When producer Don Handfield heard Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler's 2004 single 'Boom, Like That' - from his album 'Shangri-La' - he was fascinated by the narrative and the central figure; a former milkshake mixer salesman Ray Kroc. It's written in his perspective with lyrics like: 'These boys have got this down ought to be one of these in every town/ These boys have got the touch It's clean as a whistle and it don't cost much/ Wham! Bam! You don't wait long, shake, fries, patty you're gone/ How about that friendly name, heck, every little thing ought to stay the same'.

Continue reading: How Mark Knopfler Inspired Michael Keaton's McDonald's Movie

Michael Keaton seen at the 'The Beatles: Eight Days a Week' World Premiere held at Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom - Thursday 15th September 2016

Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton

Rachel McAdams Confirms Her Casting In Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’


Rachel McAdams Benedict Cumberbatch Tilda Swinton Chiwetel Ejiofor Stanley Tucci Mads Mikkelsen Michael Keaton Mark Ruffalo Rihanna Scott Derrickson

Rachel McAdams has joined the cast of Doctor Strange. The 36-year-old Canadian born actor, best known for her roles in The Notebook and True Detective, confirmed her casting whilst appearing at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday (14th September).

Rachel McAdamsRachel McAdams at the New York premiere of Southpaw in July 2015.

Read More: Benedict Cumberbatch Officially Confirmed As Playing Doctor Strange.

Continue reading: Rachel McAdams Confirms Her Casting In Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

Awards Season Kicks Off With Venice Film Festival 2015


Venice Film Festival Jake Gyllenhaal Robin Wright Emily Watson Jason Clarke Eddie Redmayne Idris Elba Johnny Depp Tilda Swinton Ralph Fiennes Dakota Johnson Michael Keaton Mark Ruffalo Stanley Tucci

With the Venice Film Festival kicking off this week, awards season is officially underway. Venice has been the launchpad for a number of films that have gone on to Oscar glory. Last year, the opening night film was Birdman, and the year before it was Gravity. So there are big hopes for this year's opener, the true-life thriller Everest, directed by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur with an ensemble cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Robin Wright, Emily Watson and Jason Clarke.

Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Everest'Jake Gyllenhaal stars in true story disaster thriller 'Everest'

And anticipation is running even higher for a number of other movies. Venice is hosting the premiere of The Danish Girl, the true story of one of the world's first-known transgender women, played by Eddie Redmayne. Can he win back-to-back Oscars? This week's new poster and trailer are very promising.

Continue reading: Awards Season Kicks Off With Venice Film Festival 2015

Spotlight Trailer


Michael Rezendes is a dedicted reporter for the Boston Globe and part of their Spotlight Team; an investigative division focused on justice and whistle-blowing. When accusations of child sex abuse by members of the Catholic Church arise, he leads the team into their latest case, determined to uncover the truth about a morally questionable priest and his scandalous activities across six different parishes over the course of several decades. It is alleged that the church knew what was going on, but chose not to act and hold their reputation above the welfare of their children. Not only that, but past statements from attorneys don't appear to add up and a delicate battle ensues with the government and police all getting involved as the Boston Globe take on the church. There's a large team at the newspaper working on bringing this case into the open once and for all, and they refuse to let these atrocities be swept under the rug another time.

Continue: Spotlight Trailer

McDonald’s: Minions Happy Meal Toys Are Not Swearing At Children


Jon Hamm Michael Keaton Pierre Coffin Steve Coogan Sandra Bullock Allison Janney

McDonald’s is adamant those Minions Happy Meal toys aren’t really swearing at children. Controversy arose this week when parents shared videos of their children’s Happy Meal toys seemingly saying ‘what the f**k. Some of the videos, uploaded on YouTube, have been watched millions of times. However, McDonald’s has no intention of recalling the toys despite widespread distaste and a number of complaints.

MinionsThe Minions movie is out in cinemas now.

Read More: Minions Offers Freedom To Jon Hamm And Allison Janney [Review].

Continue reading: McDonald’s: Minions Happy Meal Toys Are Not Swearing At Children

'Minions' Offers Freedom To Jon Hamm And Allison Janney


Jon Hamm Allison Janney Pierre Coffin Sandra Bullock Michael Keaton

For the Despicable Me prequel Minions, filmmaker Pierre Coffin had no trouble finding A-list actors to voice characters because so many are fans of the earlier films. And most are looking for the freedom offered by starring in an animated movie.

MinionsVoicing characters is much simpler than performing onscreen

Jon Hamm voices the groovy inventor Herb, married to super-villain Scarlet Overkill (who's voiced by Sandra Bullock). He loved creating an all-new character. "You're not constrained by what you look like or what haircut you're stuck with from whatever thing you just finished filming," he says. "Part of it for me was getting the artist's rendering of the character. I was like, 'Oh wow, that guy looks so cool. I wonder what he sounds like.' And then messing around with voices in your head like a crazy person, or like a child basically. You know, things I do normally in my day-to-day life, like I talk to my dog, I talk to myself. It's really fun and it's completely creative. And when you're working with people who are also incredibly collaborative too, they're just like, 'Go!' So you get to go."

Continue reading: 'Minions' Offers Freedom To Jon Hamm And Allison Janney

Michael Keaton Thursday 20th March 2008 Eating out with a female friend at Le Pain Quotidien Hollywood, California

Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton Quick Links

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Michael Keaton

Date of birth

5th September, 1951

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.78




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Michael Keaton Movies

Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review

This may be the third reboot of this franchise in 15 years, risking audience exhaustion,...

American Assassin Trailer

American Assassin Trailer

Mitch Rapp truly has nothing left in his life to lose. Following the death of...

Spider Man: Homecoming Trailer

Spider Man: Homecoming Trailer

It turns out that Tony Stark makes a better Avenger than a mentor. After a...

The Founder Movie Review

The Founder Movie Review

This is the story of Ray Kroc, the man who created the concept of McDonald's....

The Founder Trailer

The Founder Trailer

Ray Kroc is a milkshake maker salesman who is intrigued by a large number of...

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

Peter Parker is a teenager who has a lot to deal with after being bitten...

Spotlight Movie Review

Spotlight Movie Review

This film demonstrates that you don't need guns to make an exciting thriller. Based on...

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Spotlight Trailer

Spotlight Trailer

Michael Rezendes is a dedicted reporter for the Boston Globe and part of their Spotlight...

Minions Movie Review

Minions Movie Review

Utterly charming, this silly prequel rewrites the origin story of the minions and sends them...

Minions Trailer

Minions Trailer

Since the dawn of time, the Minions have been desperately looking for a master. From...

Minions - International Trailer

Minions - International Trailer

It's a wonder why the prehistoric tribe of Minions have managed to survive so long...

Birdman Movie Review

Birdman Movie Review

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu continues to reject traditional narrative structures with this whizzy, ambitious...

Birdman - Exclusive Featurette Trailer

Birdman - Exclusive Featurette Trailer

The cast and crew of 'Birdman' discuss the visionary filming techniques behind the movie in...

Birdman Trailer

Birdman Trailer

Riggan Thomas (Michael Keeton) is faced with a serious problem. In an attempt to make...

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