see his transformation through the years from ’80s hunk to now

Michael started on the stand-up and theater circuit in Pittsburgh before transitioning to minor TV roles like in Where the Heart Is and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, before nabbing a part on The Mary Tyler Moore Hour in 1979. 

This move prompted him to change his name from Michael Douglas to Michael Keaton to avoid being mixed up with the famous actor of the same name.

Michael was a certified hunk in the ’80s as his star power began to rise, particularly after his breakthrough role in 1982’s Night Shift. 

His luscious brunette hair, undeniable good looks and incredible talent made him a Hollywood staple, and he acted in projects like Mr Mom, Johnny Dangerously and Gung Ho.

Michael didn’t want to be typecast for his looks, though, and even turned down the lead in Splash to star in Mr Mom.

“I just remember at the time thinking I wanted to get away from what I’d just done on Night Shift. I thought if I do it again, I might get myself stuck,” he told Grantland. 

“So then Mr Mom came along. So I said no [to Splash] so I could set up this framework right away where I could do different things.”

During this time, Michael was married to Caroline McWilliams, and the pair welcomed their son Sean in 1983.

The star’s biggest transformation by far was for his role in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, a 1988 film that has since become a cult classic. 

The actor transformed from a Hollywood hunk to a rotting, green-haired ghost with disheveled clothes and white face paint for the project. 

“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,'” Michael told Charlie Rose of creating the look. 

“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 [Tim is] going to – I don’t know what he’s going to do. He got it immediately.”

Michael’s look shifted again in 1989 when he starred as the mysterious and brooding Batman, a role which earned him widespread acclaim and more than a few admirers.

The ’90s saw Michael’s star power rise even more, particularly thanks to his high-profile romance with Friends actress Courteney Cox. 

Michael split from Caroline in 1990, and he started dating Courteney in the same year. Courteney later shared after their 1995 split that he was still “the most wonderful person I’ve ever met”.

“It’s the most important relationship I’ve ever had,” she told People at the time. “We still love each other.” During this time, Michael had transformed into a character actor, starring in Much Ado About Nothing, Jackie Brown and Jack Frost.

Michael took a slight step back from the public eye in the ’00s, and explained that he needed some time away from Hollywood. “There’s me taking a pause: I really like life, doing things, having a normal life,” he told The Guardian. 

“So there was that. And there was me getting bored, hearing the sound of my voice, seeing the same old tricks. So I may have lost interest, combined with a whole lot of people not knocking on my door. It wasn’t just me. But I also consciously started to slowly change things internally, and it worked.”

It wasn’t until 2014 that he made a stunning resurgence with Birdman, a role which earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination. 

His appearance had changed during the years that he stepped back from the spotlight, and in 2014 he rocked a head of gray hair.

Later in the 2010s, Michael continued his comeback with roles in Spotlight, Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Founder and American Assassin. He started dating Marni Turner in 2016, and the pair have kept their romance under wraps ever since.

Michael has cemented himself as a Hollywood legend over the years, going from a stand-up comedian and acting hopeful to a heartthrob, and later to a measured, respected master of his craft.