Michael Keaton Declares Love for Immigrant Cities at Pittsburgh Ceremony

There’s no doubt that Michael Keaton has had some great days in his 74 years. But the veteran star and hometown hero returned to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday for the official unveiling of his star on the city’s new Walk of Fame, and he described it as “one of the greatest days of my life.”

“This is ridiculously nice,” Keaton said as he stepped to the podium outside The Terminal, a shopping, dining and entertainment venue, where he offered brief comments in front of hundreds of city officials, fellow inductees, guests and members of his family. “I want to thank you, honestly, from the bottom of my heart for even showing up for this. This is just so nice. This is true what everyone says about these people. It is. I was just in New York City, and I was in a car driving with a cab driver, I think, or someone was taking me somewhere. He said, ‘Everyone I know from Pittsburgh loves being from Pittsburgh,’ and it’s true. Such a great place.”

The actor, whose career stretches back to the mid-1970s and covers such high-profile films like Batman, Beetlejuice, Mr. Mom, Spotlight, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Spider-Man: Homecoming and many more, then got political if only for a moment.

“Honestly, this is one of the greatest days of my life. I love places like this but I especially love this, my hometown. I love these immigrant cities. The entire country is a country of immigrants and my own family looks like the [United Nations] and I’m so proud of it,” Keaton said as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its immigration crackdown, relying on increased enforcement like arrests and deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He continued: “There’s nothing like being recognized by your hometown because it’s a place that actually makes you who you are, these places. To be honored here — and boy, to included among this inaugural group of honorees, people who have not just shaped Pittsburgh but literally shaped the world — this is almost embarrassing — almost. When I listened to these accomplishments of these people, you know it, but then when you hear it right in front of you, it makes me even more proud to be part of this group; it’s just extraordinary.”

The group Keaton was referring to included 10 inaugural inductees: Keaton; jazz guitarist, singer and songwriter George Benson; journalist Nellie Bly; industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie; environmentalist and writer Rachel Carson; baseball legend Roberto Clemente; children’s TV host and producer Fred Rogers; medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk; artist Andy Warhol; and playwright August Wilson. The ceremony was followed by a private lunch with board members, honorees and their friends and family. At the event, Keaton was joined by his son, grandkids, siblings and loved ones.

Keaton closed his speech by paying tribute to the city that shaped him.

“I left here even though you never really leave here. I left here with a very rough idea, kind of a rough draft of what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be,” he explained. “And the thing is, it leaves with so many memories and so many experiences and so many characters that I knew over the years that I’ve created characters based upon those people. But as I said, this city, these experiences, they shape you. At least they shaped who I am and you kind of carry it with you. So this star, I hope when you mostly kids, when you walk through here and look down at this star of mine and the star of all these people, I hope they look up and they just wonder what’s possible. This means the world to me. Peace.”

A funny thing happened when people walked by and looked down at his star following the ceremony: Passersby realized that Keaton’s name was misspelled. Per CBS, Pittsburgh Walk of Fame executive director Nancy Polinsky Johnson confirmed that officials are working on a new plaque to replace the one that appears there now with his first name misspelled as Micheal rather than Michael.