Michael Keaton’s awards season campaign is in overdrive, and I’m loving it. Mostly because he’s on a slightly bitchy, truth-telling mission. He’s tossed some shade in the interviews I’ve mentioned, but he also makes fun of himself. A lot. And he promised the “weeping, gushing, phony, obnoxious” Oscar speech that begs to be heard.

Keaton isn’t exactly schmoozing, but dude is everywhere right now. He’s hitting the galas and festivals. He has a new, Birdman-themed shoot in in Prestige Hong Kong with a serious, career-spanning interview. Keaton delivered some comic relief to HuffPo as he explained why Herbie: Fully Loaded ended up in his body of work. This interview with New Zealand Herald brings it home in time for the Globes:

His dry spell: “There was a whole period of people not knocking on my door saying, ‘Hey, we want you to be in a movie’. But I was lucky that I had done a bunch of things before Batman and so I wasn’t haunted by the same things as Riggan.”

On the trappings of fame: “As far as being a celebrity, you should be grateful about what it brings. I’m not one of those people who rage about the burden. It’s not a burden if you do it right. I live a very dull life so there’s nothing much to get interested in when it comes to my personal life. And frankly, I do that purposely.”

On taking it off in Times Square: “Well, it proves that I am really nuts. What’s funny is that when you read the script, you know that there’s a scene where I will take off my clothes and run through Times Square. But you never stop and think about it. Then you show up on the day on set and go, ‘Wait a minute. Why didn’t I stop and think about this?'”

His newfound momentum: “Oh yeah. You’d have to not have a pulse not to feel it,” he smiles. “It feels good. I’m in a new phase. I don’t mean this in an arrogant way but I’m so confident at how good this film is that if everyone said it was the worst thing they’d ever seen, I’d be okay with it. I did a movie called Clean and Sober and people always bring that up and say, ‘Why didn’t you win something?’ And that was flattering to hear. I don’t know how to answer it because I hate the false humility thing. I hate it as much as the ‘look how cool and groovy I am’ thing. So I if was to sit here and go, ‘Oh … I don’t know’,” he says, feigning bashfulness, “it would be bullsh*t. Of course, it’s all pretty great but I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

On Birdman & voices in one’s head: “I do have a little voice in my head. It says, ‘Will you shut up already about this movie!’ He rises out of his chair, signalling the interview has come to an end. “One thing I can tell you is that I’m just glad to be in a good movie, frankly.”

[From New Zealand Herald]

What Keaton says about “false humility” is interesting because many actors pull out that strategy for the press. I don’t know if he’s shading anyone in particular, but the possibility is fun to consider from a gossip standpoint. Have at it with guesses!

Keaton’s certainly not faking his own lack of false humility, if that makes sense. He’s been around long enough — as both a former A-lister and as an outsider — to genuinely not be interested in feigning modesty. Look at the insufferable character (Riggan Thomson) he chose to play in Birdman. Keaton may scoop some major awards with this role, but he’s not about to sugarcoat his experience. Several times, he’s said how stressful this film was to shoot. He’s terribly proud of what he calls his most difficult acting job ever, and he wants to win. There’s no shame in that at all.

P.S. As some of you have mentioned already, Keaton is in talks to join Hiddles in Skull Island.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN