Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo Play Reporters in "Spotlight"

CCTV
January 21, 2016

http://english.cntv.cn/2016/01/22/VIDExi5RMTRIIQkuypeDCdwC160122.shtml

Michael Keaton's portrayal of investigative journalist Walter Robinson is so accurate, that Robinson has joked he will sue the actor for identity theft! Keaton, along with Mark Ruffalo and Stanley Tucci, stars in the film "Spotlight", which has just premiered in the U.K.

Having beaten "The Revenant" and "The Big Short" to take home the Critics Choice Award for Best Picture, "Spotlight" is being touted as one of this year's Oscar frontrunners.

The film has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and Best Director for Tom McCarthy.

"Spotlight" tells the true story of a team of journalists with The Boston Globe newspaper who broke the Massachusetts sex-abuse scandal within the Catholic Church and won the Pulitzer Prize for doing so in 2003.


"Spotlight"tells the true story of a team of journalists with The Boston Globe newspaper who broke the Massachusetts sex-abuse scandal within the Catholic Church and won the Pulitzer Prize for doing so in 2003.

To prepare for the shoot, Keaton spent time with Walter 'Robby' Robinson, the real-life journalist he plays, even picking up on his mannerisms.

"Once you realize that you're going to be working on a movie about this, you just do a little more research and you hang out with 'Robby' Robinson, the person I represented, played in the movie. And it's simple, there's a lot of information out there about it," said Michael Keaton, actor in "Spotlight".

Robinson was in fact so impressed by Keaton's portrayal of him that he joked he would "file a police report against him for identity theft."

Mark Ruffalo also spent time with HIS real-life character, Mike Rezendes, and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.


VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 03: Actor Mark Ruffalo attends a premiere for 'Spotlight' during the 72nd Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 3, 2015 in Venice, Italy. (Photo : Ian Gavan / Staff)

Though there are calls for boycotting the Oscars - given the absence of people of color in any acting categories - Ruffalo has decided he WILL attend for the sake of those affected by sexual abuse.

Although the movie is extremely critical of the Catholic Church, and the institutional cover up of mass sexual abuse of minors, Ruffalo said "Spotlight" has been well-received by the Catholic community.

"They embraced it. I think people were, we were expecting, they were expecting protests when the story came out and instead, they were getting thousands of calls from either victims or from people who are devout Catholics that were thanking The Boston Globe for running the story," said Mark Ruffalo, actor in "Spotlight".

"Spotlight" is out now in the U.S. and is released in the UK on Friday.