Michael Keaton is once again the “ghost with the most” but one thing he isn’t is Michael Keaton.
The “Beetlejuice” actor wants to return to his original name, which happens to be shared with another A-lister, Michael Douglas.
But to clear up the confusion between the two, he wants to instead go by Michael Keaton Douglas, combining his real name with his stage moniker, he told People magazine.
He said he wanted to make the change for “Knox Goes Away,” which he directed, but he said he “forgot.”
“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,” Keaton said.
“Knox Goes Away” is streaming on Max. He also stars in the film about a hit man with dementia.
So how did he decide to swap Douglas with Keaton originally?
He actually had to change his name because the Screen Actors Guild allows only one member to use a professional name. There were already two - Michael Douglas and Mike Douglas, a talk show host.
Hollywood legend said he picked it out of a phone book in the 1970s, but now nearly 50 years later, he said he isn’t so sure that’s exactly how it happened.
“I was looking through — I can’t remember if it was a phone book,” the 72-year-old actor told People . “I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.’”
The sequel to “Beetlejuice” comes out about 35 years after the original, premiered Friday. “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice ” stars original castmembers Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, along with Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe who are new to the “Beetlejuice” family and is once again directed and produced by Tim Burton.
Photos: Michael Keaton through the years Here are some memorable photos of actor Michael Keaton through the years. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 1983: Billy Williams (left), winner of best cinematography for "Gandhi," holds the Oscar statuette of co-winner Ronnie Taylor with presenter Michael Keaton on April 11, 1983, at the 55th annual Academy Awards. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 1989: Michael Keaton on the set of the 1989 film "Batman." (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 1996: Rene Russo, right, one of the stars of the film "Ransom," is greeted by actor Michael Keaton at the world premiere of the film in the Westwood section of Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 1, 1996. The two actors worked together on the 1991 movie, "One Good Cop." (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 1997: Actor Michael Keaton at the APLA Benefit Gala on June 5, 1997, in Santa Monica, California. (Stewart Cook/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 1998: In this Jan. 29, 1998, file photo, Michael Keaton stars in "Desperate Measures," a Mandalay Entertainment Film. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2001: Actor Michael Keaton arrives at the Los Angeles Press Clubs' 43rd annual Southern California Journalism Awards on June 9, 2001, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California. (Chris Weeks/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2002: Actor Michael Keaton (left) and actress Helena Bonham Carter attend the screening of the HBO film "Live From Baghdad" at the City Cinema 1 on November 18, 2002, in New York City. (Adam Rountree/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2003: Actor Michael Keaton attends the 2003 Presentation of the 18th annual American Cinematheque Award at the Beverly Hilton on November 14, 2003, in Beverly Hills, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2004: Actors Jeff Bridges (left) and Michael Keaton attend the Santa Barbara Internatioal Film Festival Summer Gala Benefit and World Premiere reception of "The Door in the Floor" on June 13, 2004, at Restaurant NU in Santa Barbara, California. (Ana Elisa Fuentes/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2005: Actors Michael Keaton, Lindsay Lohan, Matt Dillon and Justin Long pose as they arrive at the premiere of "Herbie: Fully Loaded" at the El Capitan Theatre on June 19, 2005, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2006: Actor Michael Keaton throws the ceremonial first pitch during opening day between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 10, 2006, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2007: Actors Michael Keaton (left) and Chris O'Donnell pose at the premiere screening of TNT's "The Company" at the Majestic Crest Theater on July 16, 2007, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2008: Actor Michael Keaton attends the launch party for BritWeek held at the British Consul General's Official Residence on April 24, 2008, in Los Angeles. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2009: Actor Michael Keaton attends a press conference for "The Merry Gentleman" at the Regency Hotel on April 20, 2009, in New York City. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2010: Actor Michael Keaton arrives at premiere of Walt Disney Pictures' "Toy Story 3" held at El Capitan Theatre on June 13, 2010, in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2011: Actors Michael Keaton and Patricia Heaton arrives at BritWeek's fundraising gala, at LA Live Downtown Los Angeles on April 28, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2013: Actors Amy Ryan and Michael Keaton attend the after party for HBO Films' "Clear History" on July 31, 2013, in Hollywood, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2014: Actors Michael Keaton (left), winner of the Career Achievement award, and Geena Davis pose in the press room during the 18th annual Hollywood Film Awards at the Palladium on November 14, 2014, in Hollywood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2015: Actor Michael Keaton attends the 87th annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015, in Hollywood, California. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2016: Actor Michael Keaton attends his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony hosted by the Weinstein Co. on July 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for the Weinstein Co.) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2017: Actor Michael Keaton attends the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 26, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2018: Michael Keaton attends the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2019: Michael Keaton attends the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 24, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2020: Michael Keaton (left) attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2021: John Hoogenakker, Will Poulter, Michael Keaton and Peter Sarsgaard attend the Premiere of Hulu's and 20th Television's "Dopesick" at NeueHouse Los Angeles on November 15, 2021, in Hollywood, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images) Photos: Michael Keaton through the years 2024: Michael Keaton attends the photocall for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" at One Marylebone on August 30, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) (Gareth Cattermole/Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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