Michael Keaton is known as a comic actor who can also go the serious route. His debut role in the manic morgue comedy Night Shift (1982, with Shelley Long) was typical of his offbeat style. He really became a star as the frenetic title ghoul in Tim Burton's dark comedy Beetlejuice (1988). The next year he played Batman in Burton's big-budget movie Batman; it was considered casting against type, but Keaton worked well enough to help the film become a lucrative Hollywood series.

He played the Caped Crusader in the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, before giving way to Val Kilmer (Batman Forever, 1995) and George Clooney (Batman and Robin, 1997). He had more serious roles in dramas like Clean and Sober (1988), Pacific Heights (1990, with Keaton as the nightmare tenant of homeowner Melanie Griffith), and the haunting horror flick White Noise (2005).

Keaton played the Elmore Leonard character Ray Nicolette in two different films: Jackie Brown (1997, with Pam Grier) and Out of Sight (1998, with Jennifer Lopez). Keaton dropped his last name to avoid confusion with established star Michael Douglas. Some sources list his birthday as 5 September, some as 9 September. Keaton attended Kent State University but left before graduating.

Filmography

• Reaper (2008)
• "The Company" (2007)
• The Last Time (2006)
• Cars (2006)
• Herbie Fully Loaded (2005)
• White Noise (2005)
• Game 6 (2005)
• First Daughter (2004)
• "Gary the Rat" (1 episode, 2003)
• "King of the Hill" (1 episode, 2003)
• Live from Baghdad (2002) (TV)
• "Frasier" (1 episode, 2002)
• "The Simpsons" (1 episode, 2001)
• Quicksand (2001)
• A Shot at Glory (2000)
• Jack Frost (1998)
• Out of Sight (1998)
• Desperate Measures (1998)
• Jackie Brown (1997)
• Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
• Multiplicity (1996)
• Speechless (1994)
• The Paper (1994)
• My Life (1993)
• Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
• "Saturday Night Live" (2 episodes, 1982-1992)
• Kurenai no buta (1992)
• Batman Returns (1992)
• One Good Cop (1991)
• Pacific Heights (1990)
• Batman (1989)
• The Dream Team (1989)
• Clean and Sober (1988)
• Beetle Juice (1988)
• The Squeeze (1987)
• Touch and Go (1986)
• Gung Ho (1986)
• David Letterman's Holiday Film Festival (1985) (TV)
• Johnny Dangerously (1984)
• Mr. Mom (1983)
• Night Shift (1982)
• "Report to Murphy" (1982) TV Series
• Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World's 10th Anniversary (1982) (TV)
• "Working Stiffs" (1979) TV Series
• "Studs Lonigan" (1979) (mini) TV Series
• "The Mary Tyler Moore Hour" (1979) TV Series
• "Family" (1 episode, 1978)
• "Mary" (1978) TV Series
• A Different Approach (1978)
• "All's Fair" (1976) TV Series
• "Maude" (1 episode, 1977)

Awards

• National Society of Film Critics Award Best Actor "Beetlejuice" and "Clean and Sober" 1988