Keaton Quotes

I`m not bitter about Hollywood`s treatment of me, but over its treatment of Griffith, Von Sternberg, Von Stroheim, Buster Keaton and a hundred others.

The only person who has the right attitude about boxing in the movies for me was Buster Keaton.

"Chevy Chase was the first to make it huge - people would recognize him in the street: `Hey Chubby Chase, look at Chubby Chase`. Everybody knew who he was. He was the first to start on a movie career and maybe (John Belushi) was a little jealous. But I liked Chevy and was sorry to see him leave "Saturday Night Live" (1975)]. He`s one of the master physical comedians. I think you can place Buster Keaton and Chevy in the same sentence and be pretty safe there."

It looked like it might not work out with Michael Keaton, so they asked Joel Schumacher, `Who do you want for Batman?` When he said me, I asked my agent, `Why? Who did they not get?` I`d met with Joel a couple of times before about other (movies). I didn`t know anything in terms of the cast, story or anything, but I said, `Sure, sounds like fun.` - On accepting his role as Batman.

I`m into the whole thing, not just performing. I love watching what goes on behind the camera. My heroes are Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd -- complete filmmakers.

... but it was movies I had always wanted to be in. I`m into the whole thing, not just performing. I love watching what goes on behind the camera. My heroes are Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd -- complete filmmakers.

The First Wives Club (1996) gave me a certain level of confidence. Because I was working with these three women - Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton - who as women have been through every high and low. Goldie especially took me under her wing and was really supportive. She told me, "I don`t like the way you were directed in that movie (Showgirls (1995)), but there`s something there that you can`t deny. So you just keep doing what you`re doing and someone will get it, and someone will show the real you, and not just some idea of you".

And of course to work with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, and work with a wonderful, beautiful script directed by Nancy Meyers, it was really for me a dream come true.

He`s (T-1000) one of the ones that I`m the most proud of, but I can`t say that he`s my favorite. But he`s one of my close top favorites. I`ve done some roles since that I`m really proud of. I was proud of what I did in CopLand. I really liked what I did in Terminator 2; there have just been a lot of characters since that I`ve done that I`ve really enjoyed. I REALLY enjoyed John Doggett. He was definitely a role that I very much enjoyed. He might be my favorite. Yeah, Doggett might be my favorite actually. But I really liked the character I played in CopLand, a little movie I did called The Only Thrill" with Sam Shepherd, Diane Keaton and Diane Lane, and another movie, a very obscure little independent movie called "Texas Funeral" with Martin Sheen." - (on his favorite character)

The sensibility of the film-maker infuses the project so people see a picture like Annie Hall (1977) and everyone thinks it`s so autobiographical. But I was not from Coney Island, I was not born under a Ferris wheel, my father never worked at a place that had bumper cars, that`s not how I met Diane Keaton, and that`s not how we broke up. Of course, there`s that character who`s always beleaguered and harassed. Certain things are autobiographical, certain feelings, even occasionally an incident, but overwhelmingly they`re totally made up, completely fabricated.

I think of Mike Myers as the Buster Keaton of today. I think he`s brought us something so special.

(On his role in Galaxy Quest (1999)):That part is kind of an homage to Bill Paxton in Aliens (1986). I definitely stole some moves from my buddy (actor) Steve Zahn and Bill Murray`s lounge singer character from "Saturday Night Live" (1975) is in there somewhere. Plus a little Michael Keaton in Night Shift (1982) and definitely some Richard Pryor. I get a lot from Richard Pryor actually. How agile he is, vulnerable.

(on Buster Keaton) He taught me most of what I know about timing, how to fall and how to handle pros and animals.

He (Bruce Wayne) is Batman. He became Batman the instant his parents were murdered. Batman needs Bruce, however hollow that identity feels to him from time to time. Bruce keeps Batman human. On Michael Keaton -

To be fair, I must give credit where credit is due. Although Kilmer is clearly no Michael Keaton - except for a few corny lines, which are mainly the writers` fault, and a slight lacking when it comes to the portrayal of a dark side - he did a much better job than I expected.