Michael Keaton scored one of the “Rule Breakers” covers for Hollywood Reporter. The cover isn’t very flattering, and the interview (so far) is rather course and abrupt. He talks about taking time away from Hollywood, but he bristles at the idea of a “comeback.” Because (like LL Cool J) he’s been here for years. Keaton reportedly “snaps” at the reporter, “That’s lazy and a cliche. It’s not me at all.” That’s what Hollywood Reporter said in its headline — Keaton “snaps.” And that’s an interesting tactic from an industry mag.

Last time we talked about Keaton, he was acting hilariously bitchy about his lack of jealousy for the Batfleck. The consensus was that Keaton was shading other Batdudes, but he has room to act that way, so why not? Keaton has a new interview with the Guardian, which covers many topics:

He wrestles with his inner snark: “Just in from New York. The press, the awards. All really fun. Really fun. Me being grateful, saying: ‘Isn’t this fun?’ Got on the plane, couldn’t sleep. Oh, man. I’m wondering how I’m going to get through today. I’ve just finished another movie, you see? And the voice back here in my head is going a little crazy. It’s saying: ‘If you’d said no to Spotlight, you could’ve taken a little break. All you had to do was say no and you could be resting right now …’ You recognise you’re getting into that downward spiral. You have to laugh it off or … “I dunno. You gotta try to turn the voice into your pal. You have to recognise what’s happening: ‘Oh yeah, I’m doing that crazy sh*t again.'”

His admitted temper: “I’m a good thrower. And a kicker.”

On “standing in the desert & waiting for a meteorite”: “That’s what I’ve been doing for the last couple of years. Looking. Making a few manoeuvres. Some adjustments. Just trying to get in the way of something.”

Isn’t that a deadly & destructive metaphor? “That’s very true. I guess I just saw it as this kinda ‘Boom!’ and lights going off and me standing there glowing. But you’re right. I could have been shattered to f***ing dust. Well, Birdman is a very risky movie. I knew I wanted to do it just from watching Alejandro’s other work. I told a friend: ‘I would have done it based on Amores Perros alone.’ And he said, ‘I would have done it based on the car crash in Amores Perros alone.’ But as an actor, you’d be a lot safer in his other movies with all their different stories. In this one, there’s nowhere to hide.”

On working with Tim Burton & a Beetlejuice sequel: “I’ve been talking about wanting to do it for years but no one ever did anything about it. The first Batman was a risk for everybody. Tim didn’t just change that whole genre – he made it. That could really have gone south. And I happened to be his guy.”

On quitting after Batman movies: “I suppose I’m patting myself on the back here. But you’ve got to have a sizable pair of balls to be that way. Financially I could’ve done a whole lot better — and, by the way, I’m doing just fine. But that’s the short game. Maybe I could’ve gone on doing the same stuff and people wouldn’t have got bored but you know what? I would have got bored.”

His career as a whole: “I’m just shocked and thankful that I’ve gotten away with everything — experimenting here, trying at this, failing at that, being good in some things, not so good in others. It’s kind of amazing that people are still sticking by me. When they come up to me in the street, I just want to write them all cheques.”

[From Guardian]

Keaton sounds a little punchy, right? He comes by it honestly, personality-wise. The guy has never been the subject of awards scrutiny, and it must be weird to receive so many nominations after decades of being ignored by the press. Audiences have always loved him, but Keaton doesn’t court attention. I still want him to win the Oscar because he’ll give an amazing speech.

FYI: Tim Burton stopped shading Marvel for a moment to strongly hint at a Beetlejuice 2 film. He’d like Keaton to star again, and Winona Ryder wants to return.

Photos courtesy of Hollywood Reporter, Fame/Flynet & WENN