Pittsburgh crowns Keaton its greatest living celeb
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Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Dominique Charriau/WireImage via Getty Images
The face-off for our greatest living celebrity came down to West Homestead's Jeff Goldblum and Robinson's Michael Keaton — and the caped crusader walked away with the win.
Catch up quick: Axios Pittsburgh readers and social media followers turned out in force this week to vote in our very high-stakes bracket of the region's top 16 living legends, trimming the field to a star-studded final four: Goldblum, Keaton, hip-hop artist Wiz Khalifa and longtime "shark" and billionaire investor Mark Cuban.
- When the championship round came calling, the guy who got his start on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" sealed the deal.
What they're saying: "He seems to have a good sense of himself," said reader Connie O. "He's had such an interesting variety of roles and his link with Mister Rogers easily puts him in first place."
- "He feels like someone you'd bump into at Giant Eagle," said reader Amy F. "Plus, he's 'Batman.'"
By the numbers: No. 2 seed Keaton beat No. 1 seed and beloved actor Goldblum 58% to 42%.
The big picture: Keaton, now professionally known as Michael Keaton Douglas, is arguably best known for embodying the titular character in Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" and 1992's "Batman Returns," transforming the character from a campy comic book figure into a brooding cinematic mainstay.
- The critically acclaimed actor has also given us "Beetlejuice" "Birdman," Western Pa.-filmed "Gung Ho" and much more.
Between the lines: The Montour High grad wears Pittsburgh on his sleeve. He earned an honorary Carnegie Mellon doctorate, shouts out his hometown when the big awards roll in, floods Instagram with Pirates and Steelers takes, and has pledged to invest in the region's green economy.
What's next: Keaton will be inducted into the inaugural Pittsburgh Walk of Fame on Oct. 20 in the Strip District — an honor he somehow managed to earn without Axios' help.