Michael Keaton loved working with the other cast members of “Spotlight,” and credits the camaraderie of the original Boston Globe journalists for inspiring cast members Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Brian d’Arcy James.
“You can smell authenticity, and it was clear from the get-go,” Keaton said during a conversation with Globe reporter Walter Robinson, whom Keaton plays in the film, for an upcoming cover story in TheWrap Magazine.
“The thing I found fascinating… was how you all subordinated your egos and worked so well together as a cast — it’s an amazing parallel,” said Robinson, a longtime member of the Globe’s Spotlight team of investigative reporters.
Keaton saw the similarities between journalists and actors as well. “The Spotlight team was really a team that had real respect for one another,” the star said. “And we really melded really quickly, so the question would be, ‘Did we come together so easily and seamlessly because you guys did?’ Actors just will reflect things sometimes.”
The drama, which chronicles the true story of the Boston Globe journalists who broke the 2001 story about the molestation scandal by Roman Catholic priests, has resonated with audiences since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. On Thursday, it earned three Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture – Drama.
Robinson told Keaton that it was clear from the start that Keaton, McAdams, Ruffalo and James were approaching the material as more than just a typical movie project.
“All of a sudden, it dawned on us that everybody in this film… You weren’t in this just to make a film,” Robinson said. “You were in this because of the issue.”
“We kind of watched all of you and we all believed in it,” Keaton said about the actors’ preparation for the film. “The script was so good that I think we had a leg up on it going in…. I believe in these kind of things. To be in a good movie that’s handled this well about something and get to be your voice, to represent you and the Spotlight team — this may never happen again.”