Michael Keaton Reveals Plans to Go By His Real Name (& It's the Same as Another Big Star)

Michael Keaton announced plans to start going by his birth name professionally.

If you were unaware, the 72-year-old Beetlejuice actor uses a stage name, which he is rumored to have selected from a phone book.

In a new interview, Michael addressed those rumors about how he landed on his name. He also revealed how he’d be getting credited on future projects.

Keep reading to find out more…

Michael‘s birth name is Michael Douglas, and he announced plans to change his professional name to Michael Keaton Douglas.

Why did he enter Hollywood using a stage name? The Screen Actors Guild doesn’t allow two people with the same name to be members, and Michael Douglas was already a member.

Speaking to People, the actor reflected on choosing Keaton as his last name.

“I was looking through — I can’t remember if it was a phone book,” he said. “I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.’”

The star wanted to change his name for his 2023 movie Knox Goes Away, which he directed and starred in.

“I said, ‘Hey, just as a warning, my credit is going to be Michael Keaton Douglas.’ And it totally got away from me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create that. But that will happen,” he promised.

If you missed it, Michael recently revealed a movie that he “sucked” in.