Michael Keaton plays very different roles in new films: Fact-based 'Worth,' thriller 'The Protégé'
HOLLYWOOD -- Michael Keaton is playing two very different roles in his latest movies. He's a killer in "The Protégé," and he's a lawyer in the 9/11 drama, "Worth."
"Worth" is based on true events following the tragedy of Sept. 11. Keaton plays real life attorney and mediator Kenneth Feinberg. As head of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, he's in charge of allocating money to victims...essentially calculating their worth.
Along the way, he learns the math doesn't necessarily add up when you factor in human connection.
"The undertaking that Ken went through was bigger than he thought. You know, he has to look at it cold, in a removed way, you know, repress it, maybe? Ultimately, if you have a heartbeat, the empathy rises to the surface," said Keaton. "I'm proud of this movie and this movie's beyond relevant, you know?"
In his other new movie, "The Protégé," he's a killer who does battle...and then some...with Maggie Q, who plays a contract killer out for revenge.
Keaton turns 70 next month, but that did not stop him from taking on various fight sequences: painful but rewarding!
"Yes, about every morning I had to go to work, I thought, 'Michael, what are you thinking?' Yes. Honestly, I wanted to see if I could pull it off," said Keaton. "Actually, every night as I was taking aspirin or rubbing some sort of ointment on my body somewhere, I would say, 'What are you doing?' But it was fun."
"The Protege" is in the theatres now. "Worth" hits Netflix on Sept. 3.
MORE | Fights, action, romance in new thriller 'The Protégé'
