I couldn’t resist squeezing in one more Michael Keaton post before Oscar weekend. All the votes are in, so there’s nothing more the nominees can do but sit on their hands and try to relax. This year’s Best Actor race has been highly entertaining and a bigger bitchfest than I can remember seeing from any recent awards season. These dudes shamelessly worked it. They’ve made Oscar season into a spectator sport, and I thank them for it.

Everyone assumes Eddie Redmayne will win at this point, although Keaton is still regarded as a solid contender. Steve Carell’s been quietly navigating behind the scenes. Benedict Cumberbatch may have realized by now that it’s not happening for him, but Bradley Cooper isn’t giving up. The fake baby and beige booty shorts just don’t stop, y’all. Some critics think BCoop has a shot at taking home this prize, but that would be an unprecedented upset.

Keaton did a few last minute interviews earlier this week. My favorite is a tiny autoplay video from People where Keaton kicks back with his horse in Montana. I’m combining that excerpt with a few others. Keaton’s stance all along has been to admit how much he wants to win and look down upon “false humility.” These new excerpts reflect Keaton’s desire show how hardworking and humble he is, which is interesting. Has he slipped into false humilitiy himself? It’s a fine line, but I think he’s genuine here:

His career in a nutshell: “Ever since I was a little kid, I was very kind of spoiled by the advantage of being able to walk out my door, up over the hill, and down into the woods, and play in the creek all day. I showed up in Los Angeles with about $263 dollars in my pocket. Someone asked me that the other day – ‘when was the time when you really had to pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps?’ And the truth is, I pulled myself up from the beginning and I pull myself up just about every job. I’m not sure I’ll ever get the opportunity to do anything like this again. I’m unbelievably grateful for the shot. I wake up in the morning, I’ve got two arms, two legs, two eyes, [breathes deep] got lungs. I’m pretty much good to go.”

He’s excited & grateful for the nomination: “The response from everyone’s been so great, to go through everything and work hard, work as hard as I did on this movie, all the years I’ve put into being recognized. It means a lot to me. It’s really fun, it’s ridiculously flattering … I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I’m grateful, that’s the word I keep using and I’m going to keep using it.”

He nearly “failed miserably” in the role: “It didn’t hit me until we had already started shooting, thank God, that I actually play four characters in this movie. I play the actor and the actor who’s actually directing and then two characters inside a play, then we perform the play inside of it and then there’s the Birdman character … you forget it’s a comedy … finally comedy is getting its due, I think.”

Advice to his younger self: “Mostly I’ve done what I would tell somebody, keep your eye on the ball, don’t be a baby, don’t whine, stay focused and just keep working, and don’t take your eye off the ball.”

[From People, Extra & GMA]

That last excerpt refers to his Golden Globe speech, where he said, “Never whine, ever. Never complain. And always, for crying out loud, keep a sense of humor.” Those are wise words for any occupation, not just acting. Keaton has more perspective (and a longer career) than the other Best Actor nominees. He led the Best Actor category for months, but the SAG and BAFTAs both point to Eddie Redmayne taking the top prize. I’ll be legit sad to see Keaton lose, but I believe him when he says he’s simply grateful to be recognized. He sounds genuinely humble, which is all the more reason for him to win. Oh well. We shall see what happens on Sunday!

Photos courtesy of WENN