Emmy winning actor Michael Keaton has pretty much done it all: He’s starred in comedies, Oscar winning dramas, critically acclaimed superhero films, and at least one ultra-meta film about an actor who has played a superhero. That last film, Birdman, earned him a Golden Globe in 2014. He also picked up an Emmy in 2021 for his portrayal of an opioid addicted doctor in the miniseries Dopesick.
One of Keaton’s most fruitful creative partnerships is the one he’s maintained with filmmaker Tim Burton. The pair have collaborated on two Batman films, 1988’s dark comedy Beetlejuice, and now, the latter film’s long awaited sequel — Beetlejuice Beetlejuice where Keaton stars in the titular role as a profane demon who wreaks havoc on both the living and the dead. Keaton tells The Treatment why it took so long to make the sequel, why he and Burton work so well together, and why thinking about his character’s backstory makes him laugh.
More: Michael Keaton: Birdman (‘The Treatment,’ 2015)
More: Should Tim Burton’s ‘Batman Returns’ be considered a Christmas classic? (‘Press Play,’ 2023)