Michael Keaton is recognized as one of the finest actors in the industry. He is widely known for the portrayal of Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns. The actor’s career experienced a resurgence after he starred in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman. Keaton’s performance not only received praise but also earned him a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Actor.
The story follows the struggles of a Hollywood actor best known for playing a superhero, Birdman, and his attempts to make a comeback. Upon its release, the movie received critical and commercial success, especially for the screenplay, direction, cinematography, and performances of the actors in the movie. In an interview, Keaton talks about Birdman and reveals its connection to a Sam Mendes movie.
Michael Keaton talks about Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman
In his interview with GQ, Michael Keaton reflected on some of the iconic characters he has portrayed on screen over the years, and Birdman was one of those. The actor said that people might be surprised to know that the only connection he had with his character in Birdman was the fact that he’s in the industry and he’s playing a guy on-screen.
Keaton played Riggan Thomson in the movie; a faded actor famous for portraying a superhero named Birdman in a film trilogy from 1989 to 1992. The actor then began trying to regain recognition by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway adaptation of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver. However, he is drawn to blockbuster cinema, and the Birdman persona insists to Thomson that he is an essential part of his identity. Keaton explained in his interview,
“That guy is about as far away from me. I mean, like, a lot of us are a little nuts. I am not that nuts. I’m like, I’m a human being, so I know what it’s like to get worried and sweat things and feel, you know, a little insecure from time to time. But I never give into desperation.”
The actor said that portraying the character was a pleasant experience because of how difficult it was, noting that most of the time, hard is exhilarating or fun, especially if one manages to pull it off. Talking about filming the movie, Keaton said,
“It had to be meticulous in its execution, down to the choreography. Every day was one shot. Every day was one shot the entire day.”
Keaton’s mention of one-shot filming reminds the audience of Sam Mendes’ 1917 war movie, which followed a similar one-shot gambit. However, according to the LA Times, neither of the movies was shot in a single continuous take, but both directors carefully staged long sequences with their cast and crew anywhere from a few minutes up to one 15-minute shot and then stitched it together.
Alejandro González Iñárritu says Birdman could not have been made without Michael Keaton
Ahead of the press tour for Birdman at the time, the director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, shared with THR that he had thought that Michael Keaton’s knowledge and experience would add something very powerful to the movie. He shared,
“I knew that the tone of the film would be extraordinarily difficult to get. I needed an actor who had the very rare ability to navigate between drama and comedy. Without him [Keaton], I don’t think this film could have been made. It’s not a choice. There was no option. He was the one I needed, and I was very lucky to have his trust.”
The actor who portrayed the character of Batman on-screen chimed in to share that playing a superhero on-screen gave him the strength to drive the role and create an accurate character in Birdman. He complimented Tim Burton for changing things in the world, noting that he loves that Birdman is so bold and courageous and everyone gets it.
“My character is wonderfully pathetic, and, at the same time, noble. Every one of these actors and their characters are exposed. Everybody here is exposed.”
Keaton, in his interview with The Guardian, noted that he is shocked and thankful that he has managed to get away with everything—experimenting, trying something new and failing at it, being good at some things and not good at others. He mentioned that it feels amazing that people have stuck by his side.
Birdman is available to stream on Hulu.
