Over his nearly five-decade acting career, acclaimed actor Michael Keaton has portrayed many memorable characters. However, fans may now know the star by a new name. Keaton, whose birth name is Michael John Douglas, plans to incorporate his full name into his professional credits moving forward.
The actor first adopted his stage name of “Michael Keaton” early in his career in 1975 due to naming conflicts within the Screen Actors Guild. Both well-known actor Michael Douglas and talk show host Mike Douglas were already working in Hollywood at the time. In a recent interview, Keaton recalled choosing his stage name from a phone book almost randomly to comply with SAG rules.
Since then, Keaton has established himself with standout roles in hit films like “Batman,” “Beetlejuice,” and “Mr. Mom.” He has appeared in over 90 movies and television shows. His breakout performance in 1982’s “Night Shift” earned him critical acclaim. Keaton received an Academy Award nomination for his role in 2014’s “Birdman.”
Now at age 70 with nearly five decades in the entertainment industry, Keaton is ready for a new chapter. In future projects, he will use the hyphenated credit “Michael Keaton Douglas” to blend his stage name with his birth name. Keaton had intended to debut this new name in the 2023 crime drama “Knox Goes Away,” which he directed and starred in. However, paperwork delays prevented it.
Looking ahead, fans can see Keaton reprise his iconic role as Beetlejuice in the upcoming sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” In a perfect example of his enduring name recognition, that film will still bill the veteran actor as simply “Michael Keaton.” Off screen, Keaton feels gratitude for his long career and sees humor in his original name selection process decades ago. His story shows how identities evolve personally and professionally over time in the entertainment world.
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