Michael Keaton thinks he was "crazy" in his younger days for moving to Hollywood.
Working as a cameraman at Pittsburgh television station WQED before landing minor roles, he eventually decided to relocate to California, and is proud of his courage as he had less than $300 and nobody to live.
Asked where he found the bravery to do such a thing, he said to Prestige Hong Kong magazine: "No f**king idea. When I look back at it now ... first of all, I pat myself on the back for doing it. But the other part of me is like, 'What was he thinking? He's so crazy.' I can't remember the exact amount of money I had, but I know it was under $300 that I'd saved. Almost all of it was gone once I bought an airline ticket."
The actor originally planned to make a move to New York but was advised to try his luck on the West Coast because there were more acting opportunities.
"One guy who was already making a living as a comedy writer - I was moving to New York - and he said to me, 'You should come and try LA out. It's wide open.' "
With a rocky start to his career, he dropped out of college and admitted to trying "a zillion jobs" before making a name for himself.
"I dropped out to make money, then went back and then dropped out to make money again because I couldn't afford my tuition. I dropped out to get a job. I was working for a survey crew. Work on the roads with road crews. I had a zillion jobs. I shovelled asphalt off the back of a truck, drove a cab. I did a ton of stuff. My brother gave me a little part-time job selling building materials on construction sites, so I did that."
Michael Keaton was speaking to Joe Yogerst at Prestige Hong Kong magazine.
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