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With Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceon the horizon, many fans are thrilled to seeMicheal Keatonreturn to the role. While the creepy, charismatic Betelgeuse exists as one of Keaton’s most well-known and universally appreciated comedic roles, the actor has had a long history as a comedic actor. Yet, Keaton’s transition onto the screen is grounded in a little-known aspect of the actor’s career: Micheal Keaton started as a stand-up comedian.
While short-lived, Micheal Keaton’s stand-up career is integral to his trajectory as an actor, with many of his early roles leaning heavily into his natural comedic charm. We will look at what we know about his stand-up through the few videos that exist, as well as why Keatondecided to drop the micand head to the screen despite his love of the craft.
Micheal Keaton’s Short-Lived Career in Stand-Up Comedy
Michael Keaton’s stand-up career was relatively short-lived. The actor primarily tried to cut his teeth in the craft from the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this period, Keaton was simultaneously trying to establish himself as an actor. His earliest credits date back to 1974, with his first role as a panda in three episodes ofMr Rogers' Neighborhood.
It is in Pittsburgh where Keaton appeared on the famous children’s television show, but it is also where he began his hand at comedy before moving to LA years later. The footage of him doing stand-up in New York implies Keaton was drawn to what was the mecca of the craft that would launch some of themost outstanding stand-up performers of all timelike George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Rodney Dangerfield.
While not much footage of Micheal Keaton’s stand-up exists, there is one four-minute YouTube clip (here) that gives some insight into his style and approach. Taking place at the Gotham Comedy Club (which is aptly named for the future caped crusader),Keaton’s performances were typical of the New York comedy scene of the erathat was bustling and attracting talent from around the USA.Bursting with confidence, quickfire delivery, using impressions and physical comedy (even getting a spit take), one can see from the video that his style was sharp yet safe and somewhat generic.
That is not to say that Keaton could not have thrived as a stand-up comic, and with time he could have been one of the greats as he honed his skills further on the stage. However, from what little there is to see, we thinkhe ultimately made the right move to give up on stand-up to focus solely on his acting career.
Michael Keaton Says Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ‘Wasn’t Easy to Pull Off;’ Co-Stars Comment on ‘Insane’ Transformation
While it may have been tough to pull off a new Beetlejuice film after 35 years, Keaton says the results were worth it: “I absolutely love this thing.”
Why and When did Micheal Keaton Stop doing Stand-Up Comedy
Michael Keaton talked about his short-lived stand-up careerwith Ellen DeGeneres back in 2015,saying he still sometimes missed it. However, he ultimately realizedhe was not on the level of others and wanted to commit himself to something he knew he could perfect. Keaton has still expressed a love of the craft and has mentioned names like Steve Martin, Bob Saget, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, and Denis Leary as some of his favorite comedians. His decision to stop stand-up and embrace acting was not out of a lack of interest.
Micheal Keaton started in comedy in Pittsburgh, where he was a Flying Zucchini Brothers comedy troupe member. He then joined Chicago’s Second City improvisational group on top of stand-up;Second City is infamous for its funny alumni. While there is no exact date of his last time on stage as a stand-up, it seemshe fully committed to acting sometime around his first feature role in the comedyNight Shiftand he chose to stop performing stand-up.
Keaton’s Love of Stand-Up Shines in Many of His Performances
Micheal Keaton’s time in stand-up carried over to his career on the screen. His first role, playing Bill Blazejowski in 1982’sNight Shift,was a dark comedy about two attendants starting a prostitution ring inside their morgue. Directed by Ron Howard and starring alongside Henry Winkler,it is obvious, even in his debut, that Keaton carried his comedic wit with him into acting.
Several other comedies, includingMr. Mom,Johnny Dangerously, andThe Squeeze, followed his feature debut inNight Shift. In 1988, Keaton would land what is one of his most iconic roles,other than his fan-favorite Batman, when he played Betelgeuse in Tim Burton’s comedyBeetlejuice.In many ways,Beetlejuice feels like an exaggerated form of Keaton’s stand-up and general persona, relying on gags, quick impressions, and sharp delivery. Much of Keaton’s early career was defined as a comedic actor, and even his casting as Batman in 1989 was a point of contention for some fans, who felt that he lacked the physicality and gravitas to pull off the role.
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Still, Micheal Keaton would establish himself as both a comedic and dramatic actor, sometimes gleefully merging the two, like in his Oscar-winning performance as Riggan inBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).It is difficult to pick a favorite comedic performance, but here are some of the best and how you’re able to watch them.
Where To Steam/Rent
Night Shift
Rent: Apple TV, Amazon
Stream: MGM+, Fubo Rent: Apple TV, Amazon
Stream: Hoopla, Kanopy Rent: Apple TV, Amazon
Beetlejuice
Stream: Max Rent: Apple TV, Amazon
Multiplicity
The Other Guys
Stream: Max, TNT, TruTV Rent: Apple TV, Amazon
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Founder
Stream: Tubi, Hoopla, FreeVee Rent: Apple TV, Amazon
you may also see Micheal Keaton in theaters on Jun 13, 2025, when he reprises one of his most beloved roles inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
