Actor Michael Keaton, originally born Michael Douglas, has revealed plans to modify his name in show business. In a recent interview, Keaton explained that he adopted his stage name in the 1970s to comply with a Screen Actors Guild rule that prevents members from sharing names.
Keaton shared with People that while he doesn’t remember the exact circumstances of choosing “Keaton,” he speculated, “I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here,’ and I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.’”
Throughout his extensive career, which includes notable films like Birdman and Batman, Keaton has established a strong identity in Hollywood. Now, he wishes to be recognized as Michael Keaton Douglas, combining his birth name and stage name. He mentioned that he aimed to use this hybrid name for his recent film, Knox Goes Away, which he directed and starred in, but admitted that he “forgot” to arrange for the change in time.
“It totally got away from me,” Keaton said, noting that he neglected to inform the production in advance. “But it will happen.”
Fans can catch Michael Keaton in the upcoming sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, set to premiere on Friday, more than 35 years after the original film.