Why Michael Keaton Gave Up on Standup Comedy

With Tim Burton Beetlejuice Beetlejuice On the horizon, many fans are excited to see Michael Keaton Returning to the role. While the creepy, charismatic Beetlejuice is one of Keaton’s most famous and universally acclaimed comedic roles, the actor has a long history as a comedian. However, Keaton’s transition to the screen is based on a lesser-known aspect of the actor’s career: Michael Keaton started out as a comedian.

Michael Keaton's stand-up comedy career may have been short, but it has been an integral part of his career as an actor, with many of his early roles relying heavily on his natural comedic charm. We'll take a look at what we know about stand-up comedy from the few videos that exist, as well as why Keaton decided to put down the microphone and head to the screen despite his love for the craft.

Michael Keaton's Short Career in Stand-Up Comedy

Michael Keaton's career in comedy was relatively short-lived. The actor primarily tried to gain experience in the field in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this period, Keaton was also trying to establish himself as an actor. His earliest work dates back to 1974, when he played his first role as a panda in three episodes of the TV series Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

Keaton had appeared on the popular children's television show in Pittsburgh, but he also began his career in comedy before moving to Los Angeles years later. Footage of him performing stand-up comedy in New York suggests that Keaton was drawn to what was a Mecca of the craft that launched some of the most notable comedians of all time, including George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Rodney Dangerfield.

While there isn't a lot of footage of Michael Keaton's stand-up comedy, there's a four-minute video on YouTube (here) that gives some insight into his style and approach. The show takes place at Gotham's Comedy Club (named after the future caped crusader). Keaton's performances were typical of the New York comedy scene of the era. Which was crowded and attracted talent from all over the United States. With his immense confidence, quick style, and use of impressions and physical comedy (he even got a slapstick shot), one can see from the video that his style was sharp but somewhat safe and generic..

This is not to say that Keaton could not have succeeded as a comedian, and over time he could have become one of the greats as he honed his skills on stage. However, from what little we can see, we think he could have been better than Keaton. He eventually made the right decision to give up stand-up comedy and focus solely on his acting career..

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And while making a new Beetlejuice movie after 35 years may have been a challenge, Keaton says the results were worth it: “I absolutely love this thing.”

Why and When Did Michael Keaton Stop Doing Stand-Up Comedy?

Michael Keaton talked about his short-lived comedy career with Ellen DeGeneres in 2015, saying he still misses him sometimesHowever, I eventually realized He wasn't up to par with others and wanted to stick to something he knew he could master.Keaton still expresses his love for the craft, and has named Steve Martin, Bob Saget, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, and Denis Leary as some of his favorite comedians. His decision to quit stand-up comedy and take up acting wasn't out of a lack of interest.

Michael Keaton began his comedy career in Pittsburgh, where he was a member of the Flying Zucchini Brothers comedy troupe. He then joined the Second City improv troupe in Chicago as well as stand-up comedy; Second City is known for its hilarious alumni. While there is no definitive date for his last appearance on stage as a comedian, it appears to have been in 1992. He committed himself fully to acting sometime around his first comedy role. Night shift He chose to stop performing comedy.

Keaton's love of stand-up comedy is evident in many of his performances.

Michael Keaton's time in stand-up comedy carried over into his screen career. His first role, playing Bill Blazewski, was in 1982. Night shift, It was a black comedy about two workers who start a prostitution ring in their home morgue. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Henry Winkler, It's clear, even in his first appearance, that Keaton brought his comedic wit to the acting..

Many other comedies, including: Mr. Mom, Johnny is dangerousAnd the pressureThis was followed by his first appearance in the film Night shiftIn 1988, Keaton landed one of his most famous roles, other than his fan-favorite Batman, when he played Beetlejuice in the Tim Burton-directed comedy. Beetle juice. In many ways, Beetlejuice feels like an exaggerated form of Keaton's generic comedic persona, relying on quick laughs, impressions, and sharp delivery.Keaton's early career was largely characterized as a comedic actor, and even his casting as Batman in 1989 was a point of contention for some fans, who felt he lacked the physicality and charisma needed for the role.

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However, Michael Keaton has proven himself as both a comedic and dramatic actor, and at times he happily combines the two, as in his Oscar-winning performance as Reagan in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). It's hard to pick a favorite comedy show, but here are some of the best comedy shows and how to watch them.

You can also see Michael Keaton in theaters on September 6, 2024, when he reprises one of his most beloved roles in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.