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4. Burton’s first choice for the titular character was Sammy Davis Jr. before producer David Geffen suggested Michael Keaton for the role.
5. But when Keaton first approached about the project, he turned it down, despite liking Burton. “I didn’t understand what he was talking about,” Keaton told Charlie Rose in 2014. “I said, ‘I wish I could do it, you seem like a really nice guy and I know you’re creative, but I don’t get it.'”
6. Despite his reservations, Keaton met with the director two more times, his interest piqued by Burton saying the character “exists in all times and spaces.” So, the future Batman star met with the wardrobe department and brought his vision of the bio-exorcist to life, including clothing from all different time periods, the mold, the teeth, the walk and hair “that looked like I stuck my hand in an electrical outlet.”
When he showed up on set in the final look, Keaton admitted, “I thought, ‘This is going to be way off the mark,'” but, to his surprise, Burton “got it immediately.”