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Why Michael Keaton Deserves Way More Credit Than We Give Him

The Cheat Sheet

In the last few years, we've seen a ton of new movies being released with famous actor Michael Keaton. Yet it seems that throughout this revival of his reputation, we're still stuck picturing him from his most famous motion pictures, some of them giving him a slightly ridiculous image.

But Keaton is actually quite a capable actor, with many serious and moving roles to his name. Here are just a few that you may have forgotten about.

Mister Rogers Neighborhood

Keaton got one of his first major roles on the beloved children's show as a volunteer, but would actually go one to work as their full-time production assistant. He also hosted the tribute to Fred Rogers in 2004 following the icon's death.

Night Shift

One of the first in a long string of comedies for the rising star, this is often considered one of his most memorable roles. When a young guy working overnight at the morgue is offered the chance to set up a prostitution ring with a former Wall Street stockbroker who is trying to lay low in New York City. A different sort of forbidden romance develops and Keaton mixes the serious with the hilarity rather well in this early stage of his career.

Mr. Mom

At the time it was a shocking role reversal, but today perhaps not so much. When a husband must trade places with his wife as a homemaker he comes to appreciate the difficulties of running a household. This was a funny, but tasteful approach to how women were viewed in the workplace, and men as caregivers.

The Paper

This movie was a fantastic nod towards the investigative reporting campaigns that came out of the 20th century when newspapers still ruled the media cycle. While 'Henry Hackett' (Keaton) tries to investigate the murder of several businessmen, he stumbles onto a huge cover-up. His acting was at times tense in this comedy-drama, but it perfectly encapsulated the real-world examples of what editors ran into on the job.

Do you remember these roles? Share if you think Keaton deserves more street cred than he gets!