Michael Keaton Douglas: Hollywood legend returns to his real name
6 september 2024 в 05:37
Michael Keaton, or more accurately Michael Douglas, is ready to use his own name after more than 50 years in the entertainment industry.
When he started, there were already Michael Douglas, son of three-time Oscar nominee Kirk Douglas, and talk show host Mike Douglas, who eventually became known as Mike and hosted the daytime program «The Mike Douglas Show» from 1961 to 1981. Since the Screen Actors Guild prohibits members from using another member’s professional name, the star of «The Founder» became Michael Keaton.
«I was looking through — I can’t remember if it was a phone book», - recalled the 73-year-old actor, whose birthday is celebrated on September 5, in an interview published in PEOPLE on September 4. «I had to think, 'I don’t know, let’s think of something here.' And I thought, 'Oh, that sounds reasonable'».
But now, as a Hollywood legend, Keaton — whose name appears as Michael Keaton in his latest film «Beetlejuice Beetlejuice» — wants to return to his roots, or at least incorporate them, as he plans to be professionally credited as Michael Keaton Douglas, a combination of his stage name and his real name.
«I said, 'Hey, just as a heads up, my credit will be Michael Keaton Douglas'», - Keaton shared about his new film «Knox Leaves», - which he directed. He added, «It completely escaped me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create it».
But he promised that the changed name will eventually debut in the credits: «It will happen».
In the early 90s, Keaton discussed this topic during a press tour for the film «Batman Returns» in 1992.
After Terry Wogan admitted that he does not use his real name, the star of «Batman» told the interviewer, «Because there were already two people named Michael Douglas in the union, I got the job, and by contract you couldn’t have people with the same name».
Keaton then said of the star of «Basic Instinct» and «Wall Street» that when he finally met the Oscar winner, «he's actually a nice guy».
But, he added, «That's not even his real name! I’m the only one who had that name. That’s the irony».
Douglas' father, born Issur Danielovitch, was forced to Americanize his surname in an attempt to assimilate, but the actor of «Fatal Attraction» was actually born Michael Douglas
When he started, there were already Michael Douglas, son of three-time Oscar nominee Kirk Douglas, and talk show host Mike Douglas, who eventually became known as Mike and hosted the daytime program «The Mike Douglas Show» from 1961 to 1981. Since the Screen Actors Guild prohibits members from using another member’s professional name, the star of «The Founder» became Michael Keaton.
«I was looking through — I can’t remember if it was a phone book», - recalled the 73-year-old actor, whose birthday is celebrated on September 5, in an interview published in PEOPLE on September 4. «I had to think, 'I don’t know, let’s think of something here.' And I thought, 'Oh, that sounds reasonable'».
But now, as a Hollywood legend, Keaton — whose name appears as Michael Keaton in his latest film «Beetlejuice Beetlejuice» — wants to return to his roots, or at least incorporate them, as he plans to be professionally credited as Michael Keaton Douglas, a combination of his stage name and his real name.
«I said, 'Hey, just as a heads up, my credit will be Michael Keaton Douglas'», - Keaton shared about his new film «Knox Leaves», - which he directed. He added, «It completely escaped me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create it».
But he promised that the changed name will eventually debut in the credits: «It will happen».
In the early 90s, Keaton discussed this topic during a press tour for the film «Batman Returns» in 1992.
After Terry Wogan admitted that he does not use his real name, the star of «Batman» told the interviewer, «Because there were already two people named Michael Douglas in the union, I got the job, and by contract you couldn’t have people with the same name».
Keaton then said of the star of «Basic Instinct» and «Wall Street» that when he finally met the Oscar winner, «he's actually a nice guy».
But, he added, «That's not even his real name! I’m the only one who had that name. That’s the irony».
Douglas' father, born Issur Danielovitch, was forced to Americanize his surname in an attempt to assimilate, but the actor of «Fatal Attraction» was actually born Michael Douglas
© Smirnova Olga
