Michael Keaton heads into the awards season home stretch with an NPR Fresh Air interview. I perhaps loved Birdman too much. All of the principal actors (Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone) gave Oscar-worthy performances. No joke, and no snark. All three of them delivered. Naomi Watts (who is usually bland) was surprisingly good too. There’s one scene in particular — where Keaton dashes through Times Square in his tighty whities — that resonates about the celebrity experience. It’s not a flattering scene at all, but he works it, and I’ve got a screencap as my current Twitter background image. In this interview, Keaton talks about that scene.
He talks about how he randomly swapped out his real name (Michael Douglas) for this well-known stage name: “I sort of resent it.” The whole interview is full of good stuff. He’s one of nine children, grew up in a tiny Western Pennsylvania farmhouse, and so on. It’s NPR, so the interview is humongous. Here are a few excerpts:
His underwear scene in Times Square was with real spectators: “Real people because you couldn’t …. not just this scene, the entire movie – it was, for Riggan Thomson, one indignity after another. Yes, just horrible, just getting worse and worse and worse. Just so sad and pathetic, and him trying to hold his dignity up somehow. There are certain things you just can’t know definitively how to shoot, so that always happened and you had to rewrite or refigure, sit down, or have a meeting. And one of them was, OK, we’ll get extras for a while, and then they’re probably going to disappear and get bored.”
He almost “swam” through the crowd in his undies: “I’m a runner, you know, so and a jogger and a hiker and a walker, etc., so I still – my wind’s pretty good, my legs are pretty strong, and I can move. I can still go, you know, for a guy, you know, my age, I can – but you can’t really because camera can only go so fast. So you start to invent things, and one of the things I thought was just hold yourself upright kind of and do a – just a strut that’ll work for camera but also look like kind of stupid – not stupid, but kind of, you know, kind of like – not silly, because you can’t go silly, but in a way, like, kind of hold up his dignity.”
Wearing the Batman suit: “Simultaneously ridiculous to the point where you had overcome it and risky. And I guess kind of cool. I’m claustrophobic so I had to work through that. It ended up working really perfectly for the character. It made me feel real isolated inside there – couldn’t really hear and – but – so that really was a – ended up being a bonus – plus for me. But once again, you think, oh, boy. This is one of those things – this could really go down. This could just be a huge mistake. So you commit to it, and you say OK, you know, I’m in. Let’s make this thing work. And plus I had the advantage also – the imagery was so strong and powerful. And once I saw that, I went, oh, I’m going to work this thing, man. I’m going to work the angles of the suit, the shadows of the suit, the frighten-ness of it, the sexiness of it. I’m going to the work the [expletive] out of that.”
[From NPR – Fresh Air]
There are theories about the magical realism aspects of Birdman that I’d love to discuss but don’t want to spoil the film. A lot of people didn’t like the ending, but (with my whacked out theory) it made sense to me. There was an alternate script that included a Johnny Depp ending, which would have been cool five years ago. Nowadays, Depp’s presence turns everything into a joke, so it’s a good thing Johnny turned down the appearance.
Keaton says he’s still the “same dimensions” as when he wore the Batman suit in the late 1980s. Do you believe him? I do. I also want to ascribe more shade to his remarks. Can I do that? Why not. “Michael Keaton to DC & Marvel superheroes of today: I don’t need your stinkin’ diet and workout plan.” There, done.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
he’s still got it.
Yes…yes he does 😉
Oh yeah. 💕💕
+1000000000000 yep he does and those suits jeez he looks great.
Yes he does. I love him and always have.
always ewww
Yep. He can still get it!
He’s a sexy old man I’ll give him that.
He moves well, is really fit, and he’s a former comedian with a really quick wit and nimble mind. That quicksilver energy is just as strong as ever. So sexy.
I swear by walking. It’s the best and it isn’t as harmful as other stuff to your body.
Me too. Walk every day if you can manage it. I’d like to be more active during the week but most of my walking is shelved until the weekend when I do at least five miles.
Forever dong.
He is very attractive. It’s that Irish look. Those bright blue eyes. And he’s smart. Sigh. Yeah, he’s still got it.
I’ve loved him since Mr. Mom! I have always found him incredibly sexy and he’s just one that is getting better with age.
He is still fit and very handsome, just give him an Oscar already. Eddie R, please step out on this last award of the season for Birdman!
I would quite possibly swoon if he were to walk into the room….
I loved this interview Terry Gross is so awesome.
Micheal Douglas I mean Keaton was so sexy as Batman.
I remember seeing the first Batman movie and thinking “WOW, I never thought Michael Keaton was sexy until now.” He’s right!
Keaton never did anything for me sexiness wise but I think he’s one heck of an actor! I hope he wins the Oscar. And I hope we see him in more films in the near future.
This will be an interesting Oscars to watch. I just finished watching The Theory of Everything and Redmayne was spectacular. That said, I have yet to watch Birdman but would love for Keaton to win.
Not my cup of dong, but I can see why women are attracted to him. He has confidence.
Isn’t that the truth! Genuine self confidence is so appealing.
geez, he’s still so gorgeous! the eyes, the dimples, the jaw… forever
I dunno … I think the Depp alternate ending might have revived my respect for Johnny a little bit. Not that I had a problem with the actual ending.
He sure as hell did. Just watched Batman Returns again. They messed with his hair and his wardrobe, but as long as he was in the batsuit… oy.
Also, Michelle Pffifer is so gorgeous and amazing as to make me never get out of yoga pants again. it’s like, why bother.
He seems like a very honest, funny man and obviously is an iconic actor, but I’m not so sure if he’s really gonna win. I’m one of those people who didn’t like the ending, and I had the very same problem with Inarritu-directed films since 21 grams so It makes me feel a little skeptical. But who am I kidding, if he wins an oscar it’s gonna be victorious.
I’d f*ck.
Meh. The only Batman I ever had any use for was Adam West, and that’s because the show didn’t take itself seriously. It was just plain fun to watch. The whole “serious” comic book conversion thing just can’t end too quickly for me — borrrrring.
I too LOVED this movie. I came away thinking it was incredibly creative, yet so watchable, often funny, and inspired. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t really seen any other Michael Keaton movies but now I have to check out what’s available on Netflix w/ him in it.
Check out “Night Shift”… I LOVED that movie! And also “Multiplicity”, where he clones himself and each new clone is…um…different. Lol!
I adore me some Michael Keaton!
I’ll check those out! Thanks for the recommendation 🙂
Oh man, Multiplicity is hysterical! It’s a must-watch.
“Johnny Dangerously” very funny.
Can’t wait to see him cast with Tom Hiddleston in Skull Island, I wonder if they will be on the same side or play Father and son. mmmm. I’ve recently heard about Tom, he’s a bit of a good actor, not bad looking either. lallaladddaaala
#shameless Hiddle-bomb
crimson peak trailer -rumoured.
I see what you did there, P’enny.
I approve.
Keaton’s still got it after all these years. Him, Hiddles and Simmons will be so much awesome in one film.
He is just fantastic. I recently started re-watching Frasier, and Michael is a guest in season 9 playing a con artist – man, even in that short time he blows you away. his sheer zest for what he does is palpable, and he truly IS the character when he plays it. Haven’t seen Birdman, not my kind of movie, but I am sure he did an excellent job as he always does.
Love Christian Bale and the Dark Knight movies but he’s still the ultimate Batman imo. Like someone upthread said I don’t want to bone him but I dig his vibe, his self-confidence and I’d love to hang out with him sometime.
He looks great. He’s fit, and he’s aged well (and naturally, by all accounts).
Man, this guy is such an egotist…
Actually, Depp’s small bits in recent movies were highlights so I’m sure that an ending with him would’ve been great. And he did not turn it down, it was just an idea that they couldn’t go ahead with.
Love, love, love him and I’d love to see him get an award… but I hated Birdman. Sorry, but it was SO. BORING. And the guy sitting next to me in the theater was literally asleep. Just sayin.
I think he’s usually the best thing in anything he’s in- should get an Oscar this year for not getting one for Clean and Sober- what a heartbreaking performance. Still can’t believe he and Courtney Cox were ever a couple.