Michael Keaton Turned Down Big Movies To Raise His Son: "I Always Wanted to Be A Dad"

Most people struggle with balancing parenthood and their careers, but Michael Keaton made a clear choice for the former.

The acclaimed actor, known best for his roles as Batman in the 1989 and 1992 films and as the Vulture and Spider-Man's mentor in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, recently opened up about his decision to prioritize fatherhood over acting in an exclusive interview with People.

“I could have made a lot more money,” joked the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star. He turned down so many roles that the 73-year-old hilariously earned the nickname “Dr. No.” Keaton doesn't specify which projects he turned down to raise son Sean Douglas, now 41. More recently, the actor has been focusing on his grandkids, River, 7, and Maggie, 5.

Why Michael Keaton Chose Fatherhood

We know that A-listers get paid millions for roles – but for Keaton, choosing his family over Hollywood was a “no-brainer.” Childhood is fleeting, a short and precious timeframe that goes by quickly. Keaton wanted to make the most of every moment with his young son. “That's only going to happen one time – he's only going to be a kid [for a bit]," he explained.

“You look back, and you go, ‘Zero regret. Zero, zero.’ That’s not to say if I’ll see a movie that I didn’t do, and I go, ‘Oh, boy. That turned out to be a good movie.’ But the choice was always the correct choice. I always wanted to be a dad,” he continued.

“I will take credit for being a good father. I will give his mom enormous credit for being a tremendous mom [Caroline McWilliams]. Great, great, great mom,” Keaton said. “And that's why he's a good kid.”

The proud dad acknowledges his son's character: “But also, you know what it is? It's him. I think there's something in some people that's just in them. I mean, there's no question, parenting is not just important, it's key, right? But sometimes there's just something in certain people. So, the rest of the credit I give to him. He just is built a certain way, always was. Sweet guy, thoughtful.”

Douglas is now an award-winning songwriter who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Madonna, Meghan Trainor, Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, and more. While both are much busier these days, nothing has changed in Keaton and his son's heartfelt dynamic. He now spends more time with his son and daughter-in-law, Rachel Bartov, and their two young kids. “I started going, ‘I'm not hanging out with him, and his kids, and Rachel quite enough,’” said Keaton. “And we see each other a lot.”

Keaton isn’t the only actor who has made the difficult choice of prioritizing family over career. Neal McDonough, known for playing a villain in films, faced a similar crossroads. In a 2019 interview, McDonough revealed that his refusal to film kissing or sex scenes with other actresses nearly cost him his career. His commitment to his wife, Ruvé, was non-negotiable, even when it meant losing work.

McDonough stuck to his principles despite being blackballed for two years and losing his home and car. Like Keaton, his dedication to his family came first, proving that, for many, no role is worth sacrificing what matters most.

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