NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Michael Keaton Just Revealed Something We Never Realized About His Beetlejuice Role

The striped-suited trickster is back to steal the show in the highly anticipated sequel — but did you realize this about the 1988 original? 

By Christopher Rudolph
Michael Keaton on Getting Recognized as Batman and His Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Deal with Tim Burton
Video thumbnail
Now Playing
4:52
Highlight
Michael Keaton on Getting Recognized as Batman and His Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Deal with Tim Burton
Video thumbnail
6:07
Highlight
Pope Leo XIV Makes History as First American Pope, Trump Calls Pope's Election "Such an Honor"
Video thumbnail
9:24
Highlight
Shakira Almost Didn't Release "Hips Don't Lie," Talks About Her Massive World Tour (Extended)
Video thumbnail
5:32
Highlight
Joe List Stand-Up: Watching Movies with Smart People, Becoming a Father
Video thumbnail
4:41
Web Exclusive
Jimmy Interviews a Knicks Fan and Celtics Fan Following the Knicks' Game 2 Comeback Victory
Video thumbnail
8:03
Highlight
Melissa Rivers on Getting Married and Honoring Her Late Mother Joan Rivers with a Special (Extended)
Video thumbnail
6:10
Highlight
Box of Lies with Shakira
Video thumbnail
1:16
Highlight
Mr. Grande (Mikey Angelo) Performs a Rap Celebrating All Things Mother (Cold Open)
Video thumbnail
8:28
Highlight
Erin Doherty Talks Shooting Full Adolescence Episodes in One Take and Reacts to the Show's Success
Video thumbnail
7:19
Highlight
Josh Hartnett Invites Fight or Flight Director James Madigan to Join His Interview (Extended)
Video thumbnail
7:52
Highlight
Kerry Washington Confirms She's Involved in the Desperate Housewives Reboot (Extended)
Video thumbnail
10:17
Highlight
Trump Teases "Earth-Shattering" Announcement, Conclave to Elect New Pope Officially Kicks Off
Video thumbnail
7:02
Highlight
Adam Duritz Got a Care Package from Prince After Skipping Out on His Party (Extended)
Video thumbnail
4:05
Highlight
Counting Crows: Spaceman in Tulsa
Video thumbnail
10:38
Highlight
Trump's Tense Meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Carney, Conclave to Elect New Pope Kicks Off
Video thumbnail
4:23
Highlight
Shakira: Hips Don't Lie ft. Wyclef Jean (Special 20th Anniversary Performance)
Video thumbnail
11:58
Highlight
Lorraine Bracco Opens Up About The Sopranos' Ending, Shares True Story Behind Her Movie Nonnas
Video thumbnail
11:55
Highlight
Nate Bargatze Bought a Watch That Belonged to Darth Vader, Explains Why His Book Has Blank Pages

Michael Keaton just revealed a bit of trivia even the biggest Beetlejuice fan might not have realized.

How to Watch

Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC weeknights at 11:35/10:35c and next day on Peacock

The actor swung by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on August 19 to talk all about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — and to explain why he and director Tim Burton finally made the supernatural sequel happen 36 years after the original film's release.

When Jimmy Fallon asked Keaton about working with Burton, the former Batman called Burton "a true artist, and on this one [Beetlejuice Beetlejuice], he was particularly upbeat because we had a deal."

RELATED: The Stunt That Made Tom Cruise Say "Maybe This Wasn't Such a Good Idea

Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice only had 17 minutes of screen time 

"We'd talk about it now and then over the years, you know, about 'Should we do it, should we not do it?'" recalled Keaton. "I went through a little period saying, 'Man, I want to go do that again. It's so fun,' and then I thought, 'No, no, man, don't screw this up. Leave it alone. Don't touch it. Just let it be.'"

"Then it started, he and I would talk, but we had a deal. I said, 'If we ever do it, I can't be in it [too much]," he explained. "If I'm in, it may be a minute longer than I was. That's it.'"

Michal Keaton is interviewed by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Why? Symmetry. "In other words, I'm only in the first one for... I don't know, 12 minutes or something like that. I'm in it for a very short time," Keaton continued. "I said, 'We can't do more.'"

Keaton's total screen time in the original Beetlejuice was actually 17 minutes — but either way, the Juice was only loose for a surprisingly short amount of time in the 1988 original, considering the movie is named after the character.

Keaton also revealed another agreement he had with Burton, which was if they returned to the world of Beetlejuice, they'd stick to "really handmade" practical effects instead of heavily relying on CGI.

RELATED: Jimmy Fallon's Tonightmares Halloween Maze Is Coming to NYC: How to Get Tickets

In an August 2024 interview with GQ, Keaton said that he thought having too much Beetlejuice in the sequel would actually "kill it." 

"I think the Beetlejuice character doesn’t drive the story as much as he did in the first one," he said. "He’s more part of the storyline in this one as opposed to the first one, which is a case of, this thing comes in and drives the movie a little bit."

As long as the new movie has plenty of Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder, we'll be happy as a Sandworm in the sun.