Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton (born September 5, 1951, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, U.S.) is an American actor who began his career in mostly comedic roles but later found success in dramas. Keaton’s notable films included Mr. Mom (1983), Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), and Spotlight (2015).

Comedy hits: Night Shift, Mr. Mom, and Beetlejuice

Keaton studied speech for two years at Kent State University before moving to Pittsburgh, where he struggled as a stand-up comic. After a stint as a TV cameraman in a cable station, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He scored a few TV appearances on such shows as Maude (1972) and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979) before getting his big break opposite James Belushi in the short-lived TV comedy Working Stiffs (1979). That role catapulted him to the big screen as a costar with Henry Winkler in the comedy Night Shift (1982), in which Keaton portrayed a fast-talking dreamer who fashioned a variety of get-rich-quick schemes while working in a morgue.

Other comedy hits followed, notably Mr. Mom (1983), Johnny Dangerously (1984), Gung Ho (1986), and the Tim Burton horror-comedy Beetlejuice (1988), in which Keaton costarred with Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Winona Ryder and appeared in the title role as an obnoxious mischievous ghost.

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

Batman movies

Moving away from comedy, Keaton was the surprise pick by Burton to appear as the Caped Crusader in his darkly atmospheric film Batman (1989). The choice of Keaton drew criticism from moviegoers who questioned the choice of a comic actor for that role. Nevertheless, Keaton surprised audiences with his superb portrayal of the superhero crime fighter opposite Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

In an attempt to broaden his movie credits, Keaton took on the role of a psychopathic tenant in Pacific Heights (1990) before donning his black cape again in Batman Returns (1992). A host of other films followed, including the Shakespearean Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Multiplicity (1996), Jackie Brown (1997), and Desperate Measures (1998). In the early 2000s his films, such as Live from Baghdad (2002), First Daughter (2004), and Herbie Fully Loaded (2005), met with mixed success. He provided character voices in the animated films Cars (2006), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Minions (2015).

Birdman and Spotlight

1 of 2

2 of 2

In 2014 Keaton returned to the spotlight in such movies as RoboCop, Need for Speed, and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). He earned particular acclaim for the latter film, in which he starred as an actor who had achieved iconic status as the titular superhero and was desperately trying to regain his glory days by staging a serious Broadway play. For his portrayal, Keaton received his first Academy Award nomination, and he won a Golden Globe Award. In addition, the film garnered the Oscar for best picture.

His success continued in 2015 with the drama Spotlight, in which he gave a riveting performance as a Boston Globe reporter investigating the cover-up of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests. The film won the Oscar for best picture. Keaton also starred in The Founder (2016), which was based on the true story of Ray Kroc, the salesman who grew McDonald’s from a small hamburger restaurant in California to a worldwide enterprise.

Are you a student?

Get a special academic rate on Britannica Premium.

Subscribe

Later work: Dopesick and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

In 2017 Keaton returned to comic book characters, playing the villainous Adrian Toomes (Vulture) in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and to action thrillers, portraying a Persian Gulf War veteran who trains a young CIA recruit in American Assassin (2017), which was based on the best-selling novel of the same name. He later was cast as the owner of an amusement park in Dumbo (2019), Tim Burton’s live-action remake of the 1941 Disney classic. Keaton’s credits from 2020 included The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin’s drama about a group of political activists who were tried for their antiwar activities during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Keaton later appeared as an Appalachian doctor dealing with the opioid crisis in the miniseries Dopesick (2021), which was based on a book by Beth Macy. For his performance, Keaton won an Emmy Award. In the horror film Morbius (2022), he reprised the role of Adrian Toomes (Vulture). Keaton then returned to the character of Batman for the superhero film The Flash (2023). In 2024 he reunited with Tim Burton for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to the 1988 film. Other returning cast mates included Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara.

In 2016 Keaton was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.