Michael Keaton certainly not obsessed with Oscar nomination.
The actor’s performance in his latest movie Birdman has been praised by critics. He portrays Riggan, a man who became famous by playing a superhero on screen but now wants to reinvent himself. It’s thought he will get a best actor Academy Award nod for the role, although Michael isn’t concentrating on the speculation.
“A lot of people are asking, ‘How does it feel? How does it feel to have people saying all of these nice things?’” he told Chicago Sun-Times. “It sounds simple, but my answer remains the same: it feels really good.”
The film is a case of life imitating art, as Michael made his name playing the caped crusader in Batman and Batman Returns. In Birdman, Riggan is slammed by a critic who insists she will never give him a good review as he stands for everything she hates in the industry. It’s something Michael can relate to a little.
“Originally in my career, I did believe you should be courageous and read everything written about you,” he explained. “Then I read a few and thought, ‘I’ll never do that again.’”
Batman remains one of the star’s best-known role, although it wasn’t without its problems. Even the costume was difficult for the actor to get used to as it was so restrictive. Eventually Michael realised he could use that discomfort to help his performance.
“I like to drink coffee and water and take vitamins, and I couldn’t do any of those things as Batman, as that would lead to unwanted bathroom trips,” he recalled. “So, all in all, I started to have a few panic attacks over the whole thing and not knowing how to do it.
“I was really scared until the day it dawned on me, ‘This is perfect! This real-life situation is designed to play an unusual dude with odd things going on. What could be stranger than this situation? Use it.’ It was a great acting lesson that I carry with me.”
