Well-known actor Michael Keaton has appeared in several movies and TV shows throughout his career. Interestingly, his real name differs from his stage name, and he recently announced his decision to combine the two.
Michael Keaton’s Real Name
Michael Keaton’s real name differs from his stage name because of the Screen Actors Guild’s guidelines. The rules prohibit members from using the names of other members. Mike Douglas, the Academy Award-winning “Wall Street” actor, already claimed the name. So, despite Michael Keaton’s real name being Michael John Douglas, he changed it to Michael Keaton in the 1970s and the beginning of his career.
Determining a Stage Name
While rumors spread that he chose the last name Keaton, because of Diane Keaton, according to the 72-year-old actor, it was merely a coincidence. “I was looking through — I can’t remember if it was a phone book,” he said. “I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.’”
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While his stage name has become iconic, Michael Keaton’s real name will be incorporated so that his name will read Michael Keaton Douglas when he’s credited on-camera. “I said, ‘Hey, just as a warning, my credit is going to be Michael Keaton Douglas.’ And it totally got away from me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create that. But that will happen,” the actor explained, “determined” to make the name change a reality.
A Brief Recap
Michael Keaton’s real name is Michael John Douglas. He was born on September 5, 1951, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, the youngest of seven children. His mom stayed home to care for the family while his father was a civil engineer. He discovered his love for performing early on and dropped out of University to pursue acting. In 1975, he made his television debut on Mister Rodger’s Neighborhood, filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Michael Keaton’s Career
Michael Keaton, whose real name is Michael Douglas, landed a recurring role in 1977 on the sitcom All’s Fair. Unfortunately, his television career didn’t take, and he temporarily appeared in other sitcoms. However, he would land a life-changing opportunity in 1983. He starred in a film about a father who loses his job and stays home to care for the kids, Mr. Mom. The film grossed over $64 million, and Michael Keaton has landed several iconic roles since then, including his well-known performances in Beetlejuice and Batman. The actor has been nominated for and won several awards, including multiple “Critic’s Choice Awards” and has recently made the announcement. Michael Keaton’s real name will be incorporated into his stage name in the future.
Michael Keaton’s Relationship History
The actor has one son with his first wife, Caroline McWilliams. The pair were married in 1982, separating in 1990. However, they remained on good terms for their son, Sean Douglas, a country songwriter and producer. Since then, he has remained private about his love life, but he has been with his long-time girlfriend, Marni Turner, since 2016. The pair made a rare appearance together earlier this year at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party but generally preferred to keep their relationship private. Purportedly, the couple made the exception because they “had a date night after.”
Other Celebrity Name Changes
Interestingly, Michael Keaton’s real name isn’t the only one to have been changed to fit Hollywood expectations. Over a dozen celebrities have done so. For instance, while it’s unsurprising, Vin Diesel is a stage name. Vin Diesel was born in 1967 as Mark Sinclair but changed his name because it better fit the roles he wanted to play. Vin comes from Vincent, his mother’s maiden name, while Diesel was inspired by his friends, who always said he was full of energy.
Jamie Foxx
Another example is Jamie Foxx, born Eric Marlon Bishop. The star was doing standup in his early days and discovered it was easier to book gigs with a gender-neutral name because there were far more male comics than female. Interestingly, the name change worked and he was able to book more gigs.
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars is another interesting example. He was born Peter Gene Hernandez, but his father always called him Bruno, so he used that as his stage name, adding Mars because ” it gave his name a larger-than-life feeling.”
Emma Stone
Meanwhile, Emma Stone is the stage name for Emily Jean Stone. “(Emily Stone) was taken at Screen Actors Guild,” she said. “It’s sort of like when you register a business, and you can’t have the same name as someone else.”
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is a stage name, which is an interesting detail considering the rumors about Michael Keaton’s name choice. However, Diane has a more sentimental reason for her stage name. Her real name is Diane Hall, but that name was already taken, so she adopted her mother’s maiden name. Michael Keaton’s real name will likely take fans some getting used to, as many have come to know and love the actor and are aware of his stage name. Meanwhile, the actor, who’s chosen to remain out of the public eye when possible, has made it his mission to ensure his real name is known alongside his stage name.