As 71-year-old Michael Keaton returns as Batman in The Flash, he tells Sally James about his old days as the DC superhero, playing both villains and heroes, and a possible sequel to his iconic Beetlejuice
What was it like to put on the Batman costume again after all these years?
Crazy, a little emotional and weirdly familiar. It brought back a lot of memories.
Did you have to get in shape for the role?
No. I have to say that I’m still the same measurements I was back in the day. I’m pretty happy about that (laughs). I slipped right into the suit, although this one was a little better than the first. But I’m claustrophobic, so it’s still tough to wear. I actually use that feeling of being restricted as part of the character. It’s something Tim Burton (who directed Batman and Batman Returns) and I had worked on––powerful movements, and using the stiffness for good.
Is it true that you were initially apprehensive about playing Batman, when the role first came your way?
Yeah, because I wasn’t really familiar with superhero books. I didn’t know much about Batman. I remember reading Tim’s script and thinking how I couldn’t imagine anyone making it into a movie the way I saw the character. I told him and he just nodded. That’s when things got exciting. He had asked me to read the Frank Miller’s Batman comics, which I knew nothing about at the time. But it was Tim who turned the whole movie around and made it what it is. Comic book movies are huge now. They are a cultural phenomenon, but it was Tim Burton’s Batman that kicked it all off.
You’re back as Batman, you’ve done Birdman and you’re in the MCU as the Vulture. Do you have plans to star in any more superhero movies in the future?
I don’t think about it like that. It’s not about the genre. For me, the question has always been about who’s directing, what the cast is, if the script is good and what the story is.
Any chances of seeing you back in another standalone Batman movie?
I doubt it. Tim is my pal, my co-conspirator and a true artiste. We are doing stuff together, but it’s not that.
Is that Beetlejuice 2?
Yeah, it’s something Tim and I have been talking about for years. I’m excited that it’s happening. It’s going to be very much in the spirit of the first one.
You have played both heroes and villains. Do you prefer one over the other?
I like both. They are all just jobs to me. I deliver the role, give it everything I’ve got and then move onto the next thing.
How have you avoided typecasting in your career?
That is something I was always worried about.
I thought it would catch up with me eventually, which is why I always tried to do as many different things as I could in my career.
You are as much loved for being one of Hollywood’s more down-to-earth stars as you are for some of the characters you have played. How have you managed to stay that way for so long?
I don’t know. I just try to keep myself to myself and not share too much with people. I have no interest in people knowing much about me. I’m consistent. If I want to say something about somebody, it’s almost always a good thing. I do it as much out of respect for other people as for myself.
You are a director, producer and an actor. Which role do you enjoy the most?
I still love acting. I enjoy the process and the people. Directing is fun too. As an actor, there’s a lot of time waiting for that sweet spot that might pop up every now and then in a scene. There’s no sitting around as a director. You are working all the time, thinking and problem solving.
What keeps you working so much, given everything you have already achieved?
What can I say? I’m a workaholic. I’ve been working since I was 14 years old. I used to cut lawns for
a dollar and a quarter.
I shovelled asphalt, have worked behind bars. I did everything I could to pay my way through acting school.
I’ve always had a strong work ethic. I don’t want to ever stop working.
Finally, you are many people’s favourite Batman, but who is your favourite?
Favourite Batman?
That’s easy... me. I’m Batman! Just kidding, I think they’re all great.
––Asia Features