Michael Keaton
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Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor, known for his early comedic roles in films such as Night Shift, Beetlejuice, and his portrayal of Batman in the two Tim Burton-directed films of the series.
Batman
see also Batman (1989 film), Batman Returns and Michael Keaton posters
Michael Keaton's career was given a major boost when he was cast by Tim Burton for the second time, this time as the superhero Batman in the 1989 film Batman. Burton cast him because he thought that Keaton was the only actor who could believably portray someone who has the kind of darkly obsessive personality that the character demands. After the Keaton casting, Warner Bros. received thousands of letters of complaint by fans commenting that the comedic Keaton was the wrong choice for Gotham City's creature of the night, given his prior work in comedies and the fact that he lacked the suave, handsome features and tall, muscular physicality often attributed to the character in the comic books. However, Keaton earned critical acclaim for his sophisticated and landmark performance, making Batman the highest-grossing film of the year.
According to Keaton, he was surprised when he was first considered as Batman since he was only familiar with the 1960s Batman television series starring Adam West, but it wasn't until Burton introduced Keaton to Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns that Keaton really understood the dark and brooding side of Batman that he portrayed to much fan approval. Keaton returned to wear the black cape and cowl again in 1992's Batman Returns which was another critical and financial success, though also received a great deal of controversy for being darker than the original.
He was prepared to return for 1995's Batman Forever, even going so far as to show up for costume fitting. However, when Burton was dropped by Warner Bros. (slated to co-producer), Keaton left the series after being dissatisfied with the screenplay the new director, Joel Schumacher, approved, which Keaton considered to be lighter in tone in comparison to the past two Batman movies. According to the A&E Biography episode on Michael Keaton, after he had refused the first time (due to analysis of the script and meetings with Schumacher), Warner Brothers then offered him $35,000,000 (one of the highest salaries offered to an actor at the time), but Keaton steadfastly refused. Keaton was subsequently succeeded by Val Kilmer. In marked contrast to their initial reaction, many fans complaining about the following two Batman films (including 1997's Batman & Robin, starring George Clooney as Batman) often demanded not only that Tim Burton be rehired as director but that Keaton be hired as well.