At 73, Michael Keaton is one of Hollywood’s most successful actors. He is the guy many people of a certain age think of when asked who the best Batman is, thanks to his performance as the Dark Knight in Tim Burton‘s Batman and Batman Returns. Before that, he starred in Burton’s Beetlejuice, and can now be seen in the long-awaited sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Prior to those days, however, Keaton got his start with another big name. In the mid-1970s, Keaton worked for Fred Rogers on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood for several years. He was even responsible for a part of the show that fans know well. But what did Rogers think about Keaton’s chances at Hollywood stardom?
Michael Keaton Got His Start Working on ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’
If you know where Michael Keaton and Fred Rogers are from, then the shock of them working together begins to make sense. Keaton was born in Pennsylvania in 1951. Fred Rogers was also from Pennsylvania, and in 1968 began his PBS series, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, in Pittsburgh. A few future film heavyweights ended up working with him, including another Pittsburgh guy, George A. Romero, who directed several segments of the show at the same time he was becoming the godfather of the modern zombie film with Night of the Living Dead.
Also working on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was one Michael Keaton, then known by his birth name of Michael Douglas. Keaton was in his 20s when he worked for Fred Rogers, and he has had nothing but nice things to say about the legendary kids’ TV show host.
In a 2014 interview on Live with Kelly and Michael, Keaton explained how he ended up working on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Keaton wasn’t actually employed by Fred, but by the Pittsburgh PBS station WQED. Keaton said, “When you worked at QED, you kind of did everything… so you would work on Fred’s crew from time to time.” The future Batman made a whopping $2 an hour at the TV station and did everything there, from working in the warehouse to being a stage manager. Unsurprisingly, Keaton called Fred Rogers one of the nicest people he’d ever met, adding that he had a “sneaky, sly great sense of humor.” In an interview on WTF with Marc Maron, Keaton admitted that most of the wild crew for Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was often high but that Rogers was just like the guy on the show and was someone you could joke around with.
What Did Michael Keaton Do on ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’?
In an interview, David Newell, who played deliveryman Mr. McFeely on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, went into more detail about what Michael Keaton did on the show. According to Newell, Keaton worked on the floor crew. Because of this job, Keaton ran the trolley that went through Mr. Rogers’ living room. If you’re watching any mid to late ’70s episodes, and you see the trolley come through the hole in the wall, that’s the man who would become Beetlejuice flipping the switch to make the trolley move. Keaton also helped build the sets and take them down before and after shooting an episode.
Newell remembered Michael Keaton as being very funny, so much so that he and the crew got Fred Rogers laughing when they performed a skit for him. Newell said Fred told him, “I’ll tell you something, that Michael Keaton is gonna be a star.” Fred Rogers saw the potential he had. Keaton knew he had it too, so on the weekends he’d travel to New York City and do standup at the comedy clubs. Keaton even went up to David Newell one day and told him he wanted to be an actor, following it up with a question, asking the man behind Mr. McFeely if he knew of any places in Pittsburgh where he could act. Newell got him an audition at a summer theater a friend of his ran. After four years of working on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Michael Keaton finally thought he was ready and took a big risk, moving to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. The rest is history.
After Leaving ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’, Michael Keaton Found Fame in Hollywood
It’s not a stretch to say that Fred Rogers and David Newell helped launch Michael Keaton into superstardom. Pittsburgh is far, far away from Hollywood, and for any actor in the Midwest to make it, they need help. Learning from Rogers and getting set up for a summer theater gig by Newell was a major part of Keaton’s acting education.
When Michael Keaton went to Hollywood, he started as many actors did, doing bit parts on television shows like Maude, All’s Fair, and The Tony Randall Show. In the early 80s, Keaton broke out, co-starring in the 1982 Ron Howard film Night Shift with Henry Winkler and Shelley Long, and landing the lead in writer John Hughes‘ Mr. Mom in 1983. Beetlejuice and Batman would come soon after, as well as one of the greatest acting careers in film history. All of it began with operating a trolley on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood is available to watch in the U.S. on Prime Video
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