The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice actor shares his towering son with late ex-wife Caroline McWilliams
To some he may be Beetlejuice, or Batman, or Birdman, but to Sean Douglas, Michael Keaton is just dad.
The actor, who most recently reprised his role as Beetlejuice for the highly-anticipated sequel, is a doting dad to Sean, 41, who he welcomed with his ex-wife Caroline McWilliams, to whom he was married from 1982 to 1990.
And while his (towering) mini-me certainly got his good looks, Sean has followed a different career path than that of his father’s, albeit still within the entertainment industry, and he even has a different last name.Still, they are two peas in a pod. When Michael won a Golden Globe in 2015 for Birdman, he said of his son: “My best friend is kind, intelligent, funny, talented, considerate, thoughtful,” adding: “Did I say kind? He also happens to be my son, Sean. I love you with all my heart, buddy.”
Catch up on all we know about Sean, from his career to his family life, below.
© GettyWhy Sean’s last name is Douglas
Though Michael is widely known as Michael Keaton, his birth name is Michael John Douglas. He adopted “Keaton” as his stage name so as not to be confused with fellow A-Lister Michael Douglas, however his son stuck with Douglas for his last name.
© GettyHis mother passed away
Sean was born on May 27, 1983 to Michael and Caroline, who tied the knot the year prior. The former couple divorced in 1990, however Michael has always kept largely mum when it comes to his personal life.
Caroline, an actress known for roles in Soap and Beverly Hills, 90210, passed away aged 64 in February 2010 after a battle with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer. Michael, 72, has never remarried, though he dated Friends actress Courteney Cox for five years following his split from his ex-wife, and since 2014, has been in a relationship with Marni Turner.
© GettySean works in the music industry
As opposed to his actor parents, Sean is a songwriter and record producer, based in Los Angeles. Before he pursued a music career, he graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied anthropology.
Though he previously had his own band, he has largely focused on writing music of varying genres for other artists. He won a Grammy for Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” earned another nomination for co-writing Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man,” and he also co-wrote Demi Lovato’s 2013 hit “Heart Attack.”
© GettyHe’s married to his manager and they have two kids
In 2014, Sean married his college sweetheart Rachel Bartov, who later became his manager, and is a partner at Range Media.
In 2017, they welcomed son River, followed by daughter Maggie in 2020.