Michael Keaton, the celebrated actor known for his roles in iconic films, is contemplating a change to his professional name after over 30 years in the industry. As per reports, Keaton shared insights into his decision to adopt and potentially alter his stage name.
The Origin of ‘Michael Keaton’
When Michael Keaton began his career, he needed a stage name due to Screen Actors Guild rules prohibiting members from using the same name as existing actors. With both “Michael Douglas” and “Mike Douglas” already taken, Keaton chose “Keaton” on a whim. Reflecting on this choice, Keaton mentioned, “I was looking through I can’t remember if it was a phone book. I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.'”
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Plans for ‘Michael Keaton Douglas’
Keaton revealed his intention to update his professional name to “Michael Keaton Douglas.” He initially planned to debut this new name in his recent film Knox Goes Away. However, due to timing issues, the new credit did not make it into the film. Keaton acknowledged, “I said, ‘Hey, just as a warning, my credit is going to be Michael Keaton Douglas.’ And it totally got away from me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create that. But that will happen.” For now, his upcoming role in the Beetlejuice sequel will continue to use the name “Michael Keaton.”
Returning to Beetlejuice
During a press conference at the Venice Film Festival, Keaton discussed his return to the beloved character Beetlejuice. He humorously noted that the character has “matured” in the new film, highlighting his evolution: “As suave and sensitive as he was in the first, I think he’s even more so in this one. Just his general caring nature and his sense of social mores and his political correctness.”
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