Michael Keaton on his new film and antagonizing Mister Rogers

Academy award nominee Michael Keaton, star of Birdman and Batman, actually got his start on the production crew of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in Pittsburgh, where, despite the famously straight-laced persona of the host, the spirit of the sixties was alive behind the scenes. 

"We were wild," Keaton tells Tom Power in an interview on Q. "We were way ahead of our time, you know, with gay members and women members, and everybody had long hair and beards. That's where it started." 

Keaton did a little of everything "from floor managing shows to lighting," developing a fondness for Rogers along the way.

"He was just a very nice man," says Keaton "and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking, 'well, this can't be real.' It turns out he had a wonderful sense of humor. We were pretty wild guys on his crew, and he just appreciated us all.

After wrapping up his time as a crew member, Keaton began his career in theatre and film where he was initially pushed into acting by his agents. But directing 

"The directing thing is something I always wanted to do," he says.

In 2008, he had his directorial debut for the film The Merry Gentleman. In Knox Goes Away, Keaton returns to directing and also plays the lead role of John Knox. 

His new film, says Keaton, was tricky for him to direct, "it's got a lot of levels, and you're trying to accomplish a lot," he says.

It was important for Keaton not to give too much away in the initial scenes of the film. "I removed some things from the opening of a movie that described everything," Keaton says. "I want the audience to wonder what I'm [doing] in the scene."

The film is what Keaton describes as a "redemption story," and follows a hitman who is struggling with his recent diagnosis of dementia. "I just wanted to tell the story and I wanted to tell it how I saw it," says Keaton. 

Keaton worked with his former Dopesick co-star Ray McKinnon on this project. "I was a fan and I knew I'd wanna do something with that guy again," he says. 

The Godfather and Scarface actor Al Pacino also stars in Keaton's film. "We had a long conversation about it [the role]," says Keaton,"It was the single best conversation about acting I've ever had."

Keaton is happy with the result of his film."There was a lot to accomplish and a lot to pull off, especially in a limited amount of time," Keaton says. "I'm very proud of Knox Goes Away."

The full interview with Michael Keaton is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Michael Keaton produced by Mitch Pollock.