Beetlejuice's Michael Keaton banned from using real name due to fellow Hollywood legend

Michael Keaton, known for his iconic roles in Beetlejuice and Batman, has revealed he had to take a stage name - because his own was already taken.

The Screen Actors Guild - the actors' union - doesn't allow duplicate names. It meant the 73-year-old, born Michael John Douglas, had to adopt a stage name when he started out.

That was because Michael Douglas was already a critically acclaimed actor, going on to star in the likes of Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction.

• Michael Keaton reveals film he 'sucked' in and why it still 'bugs' him to this day

• Beetlejuice sequel first look sees Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder return as Tim Burton teases film

The origin of his stage name, Keaton, is shrouded in legend, often linked to picking a name from a phone book. Clearing the air in a chat with People magazine, Keaton confessed: "I was looking through - I can't remember if it was a phone book - I must've gone, 'I don't know, let me think of something here.' And I went, 'Oh, that sounds reasonable.'"

Now, after more than 50 years in the industry, he's considering a blend of his birth and stage names for his directorial works. He planned to debut as Michael Keaton Douglas in his latest project, Knox Goes Away but amidst the hectic process of filmmaking, it slipped his mind.

Keaton admitted, "I said, 'Hey, just as a warning, my credit is going to be Michael Keaton Douglas.' And it totally got away from me. And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create that. But that will happen."

And while he's fond of a hybrid version of his real name, Michael Keaton is still billed as such in his latest hit, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the much-anticipated follow-up to the 1988 cult favorite. Keaton isn't alone in his preference for his given name.

La La Land sensation Emma Stone earlier this year expressed her desire to go by Emily, her birth name. After finding out an Emily Stone was already registered with the actors' union, the Academy Award winner chose Emma, taking a leaf out of Spice Girl Emma Bunton's book.

The Hollywood Reporter got the scoop when Stone shared, "When I get to know them, people that I work with do. It's just because my name was taken [by another actress in SAG]. Then I freaked out a couple of years ago. For some reason, I was like, 'I can't do it anymore. Just call me Emily.'"

Regarding fans calling her by her birth name, she added, "No. That would be so nice. I would like to be Emily."

Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.