Michael Keaton Net Worth

Michael Keaton is an American actor best known for his roles in Batman, The Founder, and Spotlight. Since starting his career in Hollywood in the mid-1970s, Keaton has appeared in more than 85 movies and television series.

However, it’s not just his work on the big screen that has contributed to his massive success. Michael Keaton’s net worth has also been impacted by his work as a voice actor, a producer, and his real estate investments. Continue on to discover Keaton’s most successful projects and follow his career from its start until now.

Early Life

Michael Keaton was born on September 5, 1951, in Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania. His full name is Michael John Douglas, and he is the youngest of seven siblings. His mother, Leona Elizabeth Loftus, was a housewife. His father, George A. Douglas, was a surveyor and civil engineer.

Keaton graduated from Montour High School in 1969. Next, he moved to Ohio to study Speech at Kent State University. And after two years, he went back to Pennsylvania to try his hand at an acting career.

Acting Career

While at university, Keaton had quite a bit of experience performing in plays. He had his first TV appearance in 1975 in the children’s TV program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He also worked as a production assistant for the show. During these early days of his career, Keaton did stand-up comedy to make a living.

With a lot of perseverance, Keaton was able to frequently get small parts in TV shows like the sitcom All’s Fair where he appeared in five episodes in 1976. He also played characters in Maude, The Tony Randall Show, and Working Stiffs. 

In 1978 Keaton had his film debut with a small non-speaking role in Rabbit Test, which was actor Billy Crystal’s first film as well.

The Mary Tyler Moore Hour

In 1979, Keaton landed the role of Kenneth Christy, who was a main character in The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. The show lasted for just one season, and Keaton was in every single one of the eleven episodes.

His work on television soon paved the way for a co-starring role in Night Shift, a 1982 comedy directed by Ron Howard. Michael Keaton’s net worth would take a few years to rise into the millions. But his performance in this role started grabbing the growing attention of film critics and movie-goers.

A string of commercially successful films then followed this. His long list of acting credits in the 1980s includes Johnny Dangerously, Gung Ho, The Squeeze, and The Dream Team.

Beetlejuice

In 1988, Keaton would star in his first film collaboration with director Tim Burton. This would be the first of six movies the pair would work on together. With Keaton in the title role, the film went on to become a huge hit. It opened strong with gross earnings of $8 million over the first weekend, eventually finishing with $74.7 million of total revenues.

Still, in 1988, Keaton would star in the drama Clean and Sober, which touches on substance abuse. It was the first time that the American actor would venture into dramatic roles. It paid off big for Keaton, as he went on to win the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor. He also won the same award for his earlier film, Beetlejuice.

Batman

The following year would find Keaton working with Burton again, this time in the superhero film Batman. Burton specifically picked him, although it was not a very popular choice then. However, Keaton quickly quelled doubts as he delivered a superb performance as the Caped Crusader.

This film franchise would have a large impact on Michael Keaton’s net worth. For starters, he received a salary of $5 million for his work. Adjusting for inflation, this amount would be equivalent to about $12 million in 2022.

The box office reception was also overwhelmingly positive. On opening weekend, the film drew in $40.5 million, which was already more than the budget of $35 million. It went on to make $411.6 million from theaters worldwide.

While still relishing the massive success of the film, Keaton continued working on other projects. He would next appear in the films Pacific Heights, One Good Cop, and My Life.

Batman Returns

In 1992, the much-awaited Batman sequel was released. Keaton reunited with Burton and reprised his role as Bruce Wayne in Batman Returns. Although it did not match the box office numbers of the original movie, this sequel was also a blockbuster. It raked in $266.9 million against a budget of $80 million.

This time, Keaton received $11 million, more than twice his paycheck for the first film. Word has it that he had also been offered a salary of $15 million to star in Batman Forever, but he declined. The part eventually went to Val Kilmer.

Multiplicity

In 1996, Keaton would experience a box office failure with the comedy Multiplicity. The film made only $21.1 million in theaters, which was not even half of its production budget. Film analysts attributed the poor performance to stiff competition. It lost out to The Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy and Independence Day with Will Smith.

Jackie Brown

Keaton would have somewhat of a redemption the following year as he joined the powerhouse cast of Jackie Brown. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the film starred Samuel L. Jackson, Pam Grier, and Robert De Niro. It generated $39.7 million in ticket sales over a budget of $12 million.

Jack Frost

Another box office flop would soon follow in the form of Jack Frost. He co-starred with Kelly Preston in this Christmas movie that made only $34.6 million against a budget of $85 million. But then, Keaton would begin the new millennium by appearing in a string of commercial hits. The list includes the thriller White Noise, the anime Porco Rosso, and Herbie: Fully Loaded with Lindsay Lohan in the starring role.

Game 6

In 2005, Keaton starred in the film Game 6, where he portrays a playwright whose play opens on Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Keaton’s acting was praised by critics, but the film itself received mixed reviews. IMDB reports that Keaton received a salary of $100 per day for his work.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

In the comedy-drama film Birdman in 2014, Keaton reaffirms his brilliant talent as an actor. He garnered multiple accolades for his performance, including an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win. He also went home with a $5 million paycheck for his work. The film did also very well at the box office, making $103.2 million on a budget of only $18 million.

Spotlight

A year later, Michael Keaton’s net worth got another bump when he reportedly earned $6 million for his role in Spotlight. It was another hit for Keaton, with theater revenues of $98.7 million against a budget of $20 million.

The same year, Keaton would lend his voice to the character of Walter Nelson in Minions, which, as of 2022, is his highest-grossing film.

The Founder

In 2016, Keaton added another acting award to his collection as he won Best Actor at the Capri Awards. This was for portraying the businessman Ray Kroc in the biographical drama The Founder. The work also earned him a reported $8 million. Unfortunately, the film’s box office performance wasn’t great, as it only $24.1 million.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

After his success with the DCEU, Keaton next tries his luck in the MCU as he joins the cast of Spider-Man: Homecoming as Adrian Toomes A. K. A. Vulture. He reportedly received a salary of $12 million, which was part of the film’s huge $175 million budget. The film would be one of Keaton’s highest-grossing films to date, with box office gross earnings of $880.2 million.

The Trial of Chicago 7

In 2020, Keaton played a key role in the historical legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. It was not released in theaters as planned because of COVID-19 restrictions and was instead made available through Netflix. The film won multiple times for Best Ensemble, which was led by Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Dope Sick

Keaton returns to the small screen in 2021 as he stars in the Hulu miniseries Dopesick. He gave such a brilliant performance that he achieved the trifecta in TV acting awards, winning Best Actor Awards from the Primetime Emmys, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild.

The series also brought a sizable boost to Michael Keaton’s net worth, as he was reportedly paid $1 million per episode for a total of $8 million for the entire miniseries.

Recent Work

Among Michael Keaton’s recent work was the film Batgirl, which was unfortunately canceled in early 2022. It was only a cameo role. But according to reports, he had been paid $2 million for his brief appearance. Fans can expect to see Keaton in his Batman costume again in The Flash, set for release in 2023.

Other Ventures

Aside from his diverse acting roles, Michael Keaton had also done a bit of voice work for animated projects. He had been the voice for Chick Hicks in Cars, Captain Gene Mauch in The Other Guys, and Ken in Toy Story 3.

Real Estate

A considerable portion of Michael Keaton’s net worth comes from his real estate investments. His primary residence is an 8,200 sq. ft. abode in Pennsylvania, which he had bought for $9 million some time ago.

In 1989, Keaton purchased a house near Santa Barbara, California, for $1.5 million. A little over two decades later, he sold this home for $3.1 million. Then in 2016, Keaton then bought a larger estate in the same neighborhood for $5 million. This 20-acre property sold for $8.72 million when he put it back on the market in 2018.

Today, Keaton owns a Pacific Palisades home that he acquired in 1987 for $1.3 million. He also has a number of other properties in California. In addition, Keaton owns a ranch in Montana that covers an area of more than 1,000 acres. He spends a lot of time on this ranch, where some of his neighbors are Huey Lewis, Tom Brokaw, and David Letterman.

Personal Life

For the better part of the 1980s, Michael Keaton had been married to actress Caroline McWilliams, with whom he has one son. When they separated, Keaton then dated actress Courtney Cox from 1990 to 1995.

For the last six years, it’s reported that Keaton has been dating Marni Turner.

Michael Keaton’s Net Worth Today

As of 2023, Michael Keaton’s net worth is estimated at $40 million. While his acting career is responsible for a sizable portion of that number, Keaton’s work as a producer and his real estate investments also impact his net worth.

Fans of Keaton can look forward to seeing him next in 2023’s The Flash, where he’ll star as Batman opposite Ezra Miller. IMDB also lists Ben Affleck as appearing in the film as Batman as well. 

Currently, he’s filming Knox Goes Away, in which he not only stars but he’s also directing. Aside from those projects, he’s also got another five projects in various stages of development.