Why Michael Keaton Said “No” To Hollywood To Say “Yes” To Family
At 73, Michael Keaton has seen the highs of Hollywood, from starring in blockbusters like Beetlejuice and Batman to earning critical acclaim for Birdman. But his greatest success isn’t just on the big screen — it’s the family he built along the way.
Michael, who jokes about earning the nickname “Dr. No” for turning down lucrative roles, says he made those choices for one reason: to be a dad.
“I could have made a lot more money,” he says, reflecting on his career, according to PEOPLE. He won’t say exactly which movies he passed on, but the reason was always clear.
“That’s only going to happen one time — he’s only going to be a kid for a bit,” he says, referring to his son Sean Douglas, now 41.
Michael and his late ex-wife, actress Caroline McWilliams, welcomed Sean into the world in 1983. From the start, he knew that being present in his son’s life was more important than any role Hollywood had to offer. “You look back, and you go, ‘Zero regret. Zero, zero,’” the actor says about choosing family over fame.
“That’s not to say if I’ll see a movie that I didn’t do, and I go, ‘Oh, boy. That turned out to be a good movie.’ But the choice was always the correct choice. I always wanted to be a dad,” he added.
The actor’s commitment to fatherhood shaped Sean into the man he is today — a Grammy-winning songwriter who has worked with artists like Madonna and Meghan Trainor. But Michael, ever the humble parent, gives much of the credit to his son’s character.
He stated, “I will take credit for being a good father. I will give his mom enormous credit for being a tremendous mom. Great, great, great mom. And that’s why he’s a good kid.”
“But also, you know what it is? It’s him. I think there’s something in some people that’s just in them. I mean, there’s no question, parenting is not just important, it’s key, right? But sometimes there’s just something in certain people. So, the rest of the credit I give to him. He just is built a certain way, always was. Sweet guy, thoughtful,” he added.
These days, Michael is relishing his role as a grandfather to Sean’s kids, River, 7, and Maggie, 5. He frequently spends time with them and his daughter-in-law, Rachel Bartov, feeling blessed to witness the next generation of his family growing up.
“I started going, ‘I’m not hanging out with him, and his kids, and Rachel quite enough. And we see each other a lot,” he stated.
Michael’s pride in Sean goes beyond his son’s personal life. Sean’s success as a songwriter is something that amazes the actor. “He’s all over, man. He writes hip-hop. He writes country. He writes everything,” Keaton says.
“But if you really listen lyrically, like the old classic guys from the ’30s and ’40s, those classic songwriters, there was always an element of irony, or cleverness. And he’s very, very good at that. I think there’s something in some people that’s just in them. I mean, there’s no question, parenting is not just important, it’s key, right? But sometimes there’s just something in certain people. So, the rest of the credit I give to him. He just is built a certain way, always was. Sweet guy, thoughtful,” he said further.
