Michael Keaton, best known for his iconic roles in Beetlejuice and Batman, is preparing to return to his roots—specifically, his birth name. After five decades in Hollywood, the 72-year-old actor has announced plans to start using his original name, Michael Douglas.
However, due to Screen Actors Guild rules prohibiting duplicate names, Keaton had to adopt a new moniker early in his career, since Wall Street actor Michael Douglas and TV host Mike Douglas were already established. Reflecting on his decision, Keaton recently told People, “I think I was looking through a phone book, and I thought, ‘That sounds reasonable,’” when he picked the name Keaton.
Moving forward, Keaton plans to be credited as Michael Keaton Douglas, combining both his stage name and his birth name. He originally intended to use this credit in his 2023 film Knox Goes Away, which he directed and starred in, but forgot amidst the hectic process.
Keaton isn’t the first star to consider reverting to their real name. Emma Stone, his co-star in Birdman, once expressed a similar desire to go back to her birth name, Emily. “I would like to be Emily again,” Stone shared in a previous interview.
—
Photo Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com