Michael Keaton Confirms He Came Up With the Iconic Look of His Character BEETLEJUICE
Director Tim Burton has a clear style that is recognizable in all of his projects. The music and the dark themes, along with offbeat characters make for a great Burton film. But one beloved character with an iconic look was actually thought up by the actor who portrayed him.
The Hollywood Reporter recently uncovered a 2014 interview with Charlie Rose, in which Golden Globe winner Michael Keaton spoke about his role in the 1988 film Beetlejuice. He first talked about meeting Burton, and really liking him, but turning down the role twice after not grasping the concept for the film:
“I had no idea what he was talking about, but I liked him. I said, ‘I wish I could do it. You seem like a really nice guy and I know you’re creative, but I don’t get it…When you see [the movie], you understand probably why it was hard for him to explain.”
It would be difficult to get someone to understand the film just by description. But Keaton agreed to a third meeting, and it was there that he began to have a vision for the title character.
“I said, ‘Give me the night or two days’ and I called the wardrobe department at the studio and said, ‘Send me a bunch of wardrobes from different time periods, randomly. Just pick a rack. … And then I thought of an idea of teeth and an idea of a walk and I knew it had been there, and I called and said ‘I got an idea, and I don’t know if it’s going to work or not, so let’s just go do this thing.'”
Keaton went on to reveal that Burton wasn’t involved in any of the creative process in making Beetlejuice’s look, but loved what Keaton ended up with.
“Here’s the amazing part about it: He never saw any of it. We discussed it. I said ‘I want hair that looks like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket.’ And to the great Ve Neill in wardrobe, I said ‘I want mold because Tim said he lives under rocks.’ So I showed up for work and I walked on the stage and said, ‘This is either going to be way off the mark, or he’s going to — I don’t know what he’s going to do. He got it immediately.”
The movie was a huge success and has held up over the decades to continue as a fan favorite. I’m glad that Keaton stuck it out and was able to not only see Burton’s vision, but come up with a creation all his own that was perfect for the movie and character.