Michael Keaton Has ‘Zero Regret’ After Turning Down Big Movies to Raise Son: ‘I Always Wanted to Be a Dad’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Michael Keaton’s career is filled with blockbusters and award-winning movies — and if he hadn’t slowed down to be a family man, it may have included some other lucrative hits, too.“I could have made a lot more money,” jokes the 73-year-oldBeetlejuice Beetlejuicestar, who says he earned the nickname “Dr. No” for turning down parts.TheBatmanactor declines to name the exact titles he passed up in order to spend time withhis son, Sean Douglas, now 41, and more recently, his grandkids, River, 7, and Maggie, 5. (Keaton was born Michael Douglas; Keaton is his professional name.)But choosing family over work has always been a “no-brainer” for the Oscar-nominatedBirdmanactor. “That’s only going to happen one time — he’s only going to be a kid [for a bit],” he says.“You look back, and you go, ‘Zero regret. Zero, zero,’ ” continues Keaton. “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.”Sean Douglas and Michael Keaton in 2016.Brian Rasic/WireImageKeaton and his then-wife, actress Caroline McWilliams (who died from cancer in 2010, decades after she and Keaton split) welcomed Sean in 1983. He says both he and McWilliams worked to keep Sean grounded, but their son didn’t need much help.“I will take credit for being a good father. I will give his mom enormous credit for being a tremendous mom. Great, great, great mom,” he says. “And that’s why he’s a good kid.”“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.”Michael Keaton on the cover of PEOPLE Magazine.These days, Keaton still slows down to spend time with Douglas, a Grammy-winning songwriter, his son’s wife Rachel Bartov, and their two kids.“I started going, ‘I’m not hanging out with him, and his kids, and Rachel quite enough,’” says Keaton. “And we see each other a lot.”Keaton is extremely proud of his son, who has worked with everyone fromMadonnatoMeghan Trainor.“He’s all over, man. He writes hip-hop. He writes country. He writes everything. And the thing that’s best about him in terms of his talent is, yes, it’s musical, and it’s fun, and he’s got a tremendous ear,” says Keaton.“But if you really listen lyrically, like if you go back to the old classic guys from the ’30s and ’40s, those classic songwriters, there was always an element of irony, or funny, or clever. And he’s very, very — that’s the thing I like most about it. If you really listen lyrically," he continues.“The first time I heard one of his songs, he was always already a grown kid,” remembers Keaton. “I go, ‘You can’t say those things. Sean, what’s the matter with you? Where do you learn this language?’ But when I heard it, I went, ‘But it’s so frigging hip.’”Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis in theaters Friday, Sept. 6.For more about Michael Keaton pick up the new issue of PEOPLE.

Michael Keaton’s career is filled with blockbusters and award-winning movies — and if he hadn’t slowed down to be a family man, it may have included some other lucrative hits, too.

“I could have made a lot more money,” jokes the 73-year-oldBeetlejuice Beetlejuicestar, who says he earned the nickname “Dr. No” for turning down parts.

TheBatmanactor declines to name the exact titles he passed up in order to spend time withhis son, Sean Douglas, now 41, and more recently, his grandkids, River, 7, and Maggie, 5. (Keaton was born Michael Douglas; Keaton is his professional name.)

But choosing family over work has always been a “no-brainer” for the Oscar-nominatedBirdmanactor. “That’s only going to happen one time — he’s only going to be a kid [for a bit],” he says.

“You look back, and you go, ‘Zero regret. Zero, zero,’ ” continues Keaton. “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.”

Sean Douglas and Michael Keaton in 2016.Brian Rasic/WireImage

Keaton and his then-wife, actress Caroline McWilliams (who died from cancer in 2010, decades after she and Keaton split) welcomed Sean in 1983. He says both he and McWilliams worked to keep Sean grounded, but their son didn’t need much help.

“I will take credit for being a good father. I will give his mom enormous credit for being a tremendous mom. Great, great, great mom,” he says. “And that’s why he’s a good kid.”

“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.”

Michael Keaton on the cover of PEOPLE Magazine.

These days, Keaton still slows down to spend time with Douglas, a Grammy-winning songwriter, his son’s wife Rachel Bartov, and their two kids.

“I started going, ‘I’m not hanging out with him, and his kids, and Rachel quite enough,’” says Keaton. “And we see each other a lot.”

Keaton is extremely proud of his son, who has worked with everyone fromMadonnatoMeghan Trainor.

“He’s all over, man. He writes hip-hop. He writes country. He writes everything. And the thing that’s best about him in terms of his talent is, yes, it’s musical, and it’s fun, and he’s got a tremendous ear,” says Keaton.

“But if you really listen lyrically, like if you go back to the old classic guys from the ’30s and ’40s, those classic songwriters, there was always an element of irony, or funny, or clever. And he’s very, very — that’s the thing I like most about it. If you really listen lyrically," he continues.

“The first time I heard one of his songs, he was always already a grown kid,” remembers Keaton. “I go, ‘You can’t say those things. Sean, what’s the matter with you? Where do you learn this language?’ But when I heard it, I went, ‘But it’s so frigging hip.’”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis in theaters Friday, Sept. 6.

For more about Michael Keaton pick up the new issue of PEOPLE.

source: people.com