Michael Keaton dedicates 2022 SAG award win to late nephew in emotional tribute
Feb 28, 2022
Washington [US], February 28 : After winning the best actor SAG Award for his performance in 'Dopesick', Hollywood star Michael Keaton surprised everyone with a delay in taking the stage Sunday during the 2022 SAG Awards ceremony.
"Sorry! Quick trip to the men's room. It is packed, by the way," he said after rushing to the podium, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Following a couple of more quips, Keaton's tone turned serious as he moved beyond the "self-serving and narcissistic" nature of awards shows.
"There is a massive inequity in the world," he repeated multiple times, noting how fortunate he is to be able to make a good living as an actor and be "part of a production like 'Dopesick' that can spawn thought, conversation, actual change."
"I can feel right now the rolling thunder of eye-rolling coming across, people saying to me things like 'Shut up and dribble', 'Shut up and act'," he said, referring to Laura Ingraham's infamous remark about LeBron James.
"The acting, I'll quit. The shutting-up, not so much," Keaton said to a roaring applause. In his impassioned speech, Keaton also referenced the Ukraine invasion by acknowledging the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor-comedian who has been leading his nation in its defence against Russia.
"We have fellow actor in Zelensky who deserves some credit tonight for fighting the fight," Keaton said.
His remarks then turned deeply personal, with his voice cracking as he choked back tears. "Given the subject matter," he said about 'Dopesick', which tackles the opioid crisis, "this is for my nephew Michael and my sister Pam. I lost Michael, and it hurts."
As per Deadline, back in 2016, Keaton's nephew, Michael, had died following a battle with drug addiction. The actor had previously said that losing his nephew influenced his decision to do 'Dopesick', a limited series adaptation of Beth Macy's book of the same name.
