Birdman

Birdman is a nickname and title used for several unrelated subjects in popular culture and history. The most widely known contemporary reference is the 2014 film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The film stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor attempting a Broadway comeback while grappling with his former superhero persona, whose alter ego is imaginatively dubbed Birdman. The movie explores themes of artistic legitimacy, ego, and fame, and won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The name is also associated with notable real-world figures. Bryan Williams, known professionally as Birdman, is an American rapper and co-founder of Cash Money Records. His work helped shape Southern hip hop in the 1990s and 2000s. Chris Andersen, an American former NBA player nicknamed “Birdman” for his distinctive tattoos and athletic style, played for several teams including the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat and won an NBA Championship in 2013. Robert Stroud, an American prisoner widely known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, gained fame for his decades of confinement and his study of birds, which he pursued while incarcerated.

The term has also appeared in other media and sports contexts as a moniker for those associated with birds or birdlike agility. In each case, the nickname implies boldness, flight, or a distinctive avian image.