"There was a whole period of people not knocking on my door saying, 'Hey, we want you to be in a movie'. But I was lucky that I had done a bunch of things before Batman and so I wasn't haunted by the same things as Riggan."
Michael Keaton portrays Riggan in a scene from "Birdman."
Keaton's previous roles include Mr Mom in 1983 and Beetlejuice in 1988. More recently, he appeared in Need for Speed and Robocop.
He was cast in Birdman by Mexican-born director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful).
"As far as I'm concerned, I had the good fortune that this crazy Mexican came along and presented me with this big, beautiful plate of food to eat. I said, 'I'll eat it' because I was hungry enough at the time."
This black comedy was produced for a budget of US$18 million ($23 million), minuscule by Hollywood standards, and shot mainly at New York's historic St James Theatre.
Michael Keaton, left, and Edward Norton
The impressive supporting cast includes Edward Norton, who plays a popular but prickly Broadway actor, Naomi Watts as a quintessentially insecure actress, Emma Stone as Riggan Thomson's bratty daughter fresh out of rehab, and Zach Galifianakis who plays the producer, a straight man and the voice of reason.
Birdman has been criticised and lauded for the warts-and-all peek behind the theatrical curtain, literally and figuratively, revealing labyrinthine hallways as intricate as the actors' interwoven subplots. For the most part, this showbiz satire unveils unflattering behaviour on the part of these self-obsessed egomaniacal actors. It also speaks to the perils of celebrity.
"As far as being a celebrity, you should be grateful about what it brings. I'm not one of those people who rage about the burden. It's not a burden if you do it right. I live a very dull life so there's nothing much to get interested in when it comes to my personal life. And frankly, I do that purposely."
Keaton's lack of vanity in Birdman allows him to expose a balding head and sagging skin. One of the movie's acclaimed technical achievements, filmed as though it were one continuous shot was a scene in which Keaton jogs through Times Square in only his tighty-whiteys.
Says Inarritu of this pivotal scene: "Michael was very brave to do it. He is very self-assured and I have never seen that in an actor in my life. He never said, 'How do I look?' He doesn't give a f***ing damn about how he looks. But he was very courageous to do that scene knowing it will be on YouTube with him running around New York in his underpants - and at his age."
Laughs Keaton: "Well, it proves that I am really nuts. What's funny is that when you read the script, you know that there's a scene where I will take off my clothes and run through Times Square. But you never stop and think about it. Then you show up on the day on set and go, 'Wait a minute. Why didn't I stop and think about this?'"
Inarritu co-wrote the screenplay with Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris jnr and Armando Bo. (The full title is The Unexpected Virtue of Innocence.)
The director says, in his heavy accent, "The movie is like a stream of consciousness. It's without commas and periods and I personally recognise myself in Riggan Thomson because my creative process has been always very tortuous for me. I'm very much a perfectionist and when you demand that of yourself the cost is high. I have a voice inside me that is always telling me, how bad, how stupid, or how mediocre I am."
He shrugs his shoulders.
"I thought it would be an interesting theme to talk about in a film, about the ego and how that voice manipulates us or judges us. That kind of internal discussion is something every human being has." There's also a commentary about social media and celebrities' narcissistic use of its tools. Says Inarritu: "I don't recognise myself in that but we all see that around us, with actors and other people. It's extremely tragic, pathetic and very humorous too."
Keaton: "Ed Norton's theory is that all the actors are a version of Alejandro. He turned 50, a certain age where you question yourself and the voice in your head wants to criticise or praise or mislead you. And of course there's the social media aspect but mostly it's about human nature and ego."
It seems that the film doesn't merely blur with Keaton's on- and off-screen life, but there are undeniable shades of the real Ed Norton in his role also. Inarritu concedes this is true. He chuckles, "Well, I would never choose an actor because of his personal life or image but Ed Norton is famous for being a difficult actor who does theatre in New York."
Now with an expected Oscar nomination on January 15 and a possible Golden Globe award for Best Actor, Keaton can feel the palpable momentum that surrounds him. "Oh yeah. You'd have to not have a pulse not to feel it," he smiles. "It feels good. I'm in a new phase. I don't mean this in an arrogant way but I'm so confident at how good this film is that if everyone said it was the worst thing they'd ever seen, I'd be okay with it. I did a movie called Clean and Sober [1988] and people always bring that up and say, 'Why didn't you win something?' And that was flattering to hear. I don't know how to answer it because I hate the false humility thing. I hate it as much as the 'look how cool and groovy I am' thing. So I if was to sit here and go, 'Oh... I don't know'," he says, feigning bashfulness, "it would be bullshit. Of course, it's all pretty great but I have no idea what's going to happen."
Does Keaton listen to the voices in his head like Riggan Thomson?
"I do have a little voice in my head. It says, 'Will you shut up already about this movie!' He rises out of his chair, signalling the interview has come to an end. "One thing I can tell you is that I'm just glad to be in a good movie, frankly."
Lowdown
Who:
Michael Keaton
What:
Birdman directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
When:
Opens January 15
Also:
Michael Keaton is nominated as Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes, which are being held on Monday, New Zealand time
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