Actor Michael Keaton honored as Man of the Year by Harvard's Hasty Pudding theater group

"BOSTON (AP) - Actor Michael Keaton jousted with an Oscar statue and made burgers Friday night as he was roasted before receiving the 2026 Man of the Year by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. The theater group, which dates to 1844 and claims to be the world's third-oldest still operating, presented Keaton with his Pudding Pot award during the evening celebration. Afterward, he attended a performance of Hasty Pudding's 177th production, "Salooney Tunes.""

"Keaton, an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning actor, is known for roles in such films as "Batman," "Birdman," "Beetlejuice" and "Spotlight." More recently, he starred in and directed the short film "Sweetwater" and starred in and was executive producer on the eight-part Hulu miniseries "Dopesick." The ceremony opened with Keaton donning a Batman costume and chasing after an Oscar statue - a nod to the fact he never won one, though he was nominated in 2015 for "Birdman.""

"He later was dressed up as a McDonald's worker, a reference to his role playing Ray Kroc in a movie about the making of the fast food megachain. Armed with a spatula, he served a single customer who increasingly demanded bigger and bigger burgers while Keaton tried his best. "You didn't think I could do this. Make a huge burger for the guy," Keaton said."

Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals presented Michael Keaton with its 2026 Man of the Year Pudding Pot during an evening celebration. The century-old theater company honors entertainers who have made lasting contributions to the world of entertainment. Keaton, an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning actor, is known for roles in Batman, Birdman, Beetlejuice and Spotlight, and recently directed the short Sweetwater and executive produced and starred in the Hulu miniseries Dopesick. The ceremony featured Keaton jousting with an Oscar statue while costumed as Batman and later performing as a McDonald's worker serving increasingly large burgers. He then attended the troupe's production and praised Harvard students.

Read at Boston.com