Michael Keaton is a versatile actor known for starring in movies like Gung Ho, First Daughter, Pacific Heights, Dumbo, Worth, and many more. The star has also received several accolades, including Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his masterpieces.
Even though he’s known for his incredible screen presence and raw energy, he doubted himself while playing Dogberry in the 1993 movie Much Ado About Nothing.
Also read: The Flash Scrapped Michael Keaton’s Batman Dream Team Reunion With Original Wonder Woman Star
The Time When Michael Keaton Self-Sabotaged Himself
After the success of Batman Returns, Michael Keaton joined a film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing which is directed by Kenneth Branagh.
In the 1993 movie, Keaton co-starred as Dogberry, the constable, alongside stars like Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, and Keanu Reeves.
But when Keaton joined the movie, he started doubting himself because his co-workers were trained Shakespearean actors, while he had no experience and knowledge about the playwright’s work. According to Contact Music, Keaton once said:
“I didn’t think I could do it. I essentially had no knowledge of Shakespeare, hardly at all.”
He continued:
“The first day I showed up I was really intimidated because I thought all these Shakespearean actors were gonna laugh at me and they were gonna have to say we made a horrible mistake, and they were so ridiculously cool about it.”
But Keaton got lucky because soon he realized that his fellow co-stars were also in the same boat as him.
Michael Keaton’s Much Ado About Nothing Performance Disappointed Shakespearean Expert
In the beginning, Keaton’s lack of experience with Shakespeare didn’t concern director Kenneth Branagh. In fact, Branagh encouraged the Dumbo star to create his own unique interpretation of the character.
There was also a Shakespearean expert present in Branagh’s film who saw what Keaton had done to a beloved Shakespeare character – which totally unsettled him. Keaton even joked to Entertainment Weekly that the accent he used in the film nearly “killed” the scholar:
“This poor man in his 80s with a straw hat on, God, he was so nice. He was watching me, going, ‘He can’t do this. Please don’t let him do this.’ But Kenneth went, ‘No, no, no, no. Trust me, this is good. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Viewers can watch Much Ado About Nothing streaming on Hoopla or for free with ads on Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Freevee.
Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
