Michael Keaton discusses the death of his nephew in a heartbreaking speech

Michael Keaton rewarded with Dopesick

On the night of February 28, the ceremony of Screen Actors Guild Awards, whose awards are presented by the Union of Motion Picture and Television Actors in the United States. A moment less significant than the Oscars, but which is still important. This year, among the winners, there was Michael Keaton. The actor has not won statuettes so often but the situation seems to have changed thanks to dope sick. Indeed, the mini-series available on Disney+ enabled him to win a Golden Globe in January and therefore also a SAG Award for Best Actor.

The series focuses on the opioid crisis in the United States. A phenomenon that began in the 1990s when Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin, a drug supposed to remedy severe pain. A product (among others) that has been responsible for years thousands of overdose deaths.

A moving tribute to his nephew

In receiving his award, Michael Keaton delivered a speech sometimes funny, sometimes moving. Starting off with a few jokes, he then moved on to more important matters. He mentioned, in particular, Volodymyr Zelensky, current president of Ukraine who began his career as an actor. But Michael Keaton’s speech took another turn in his last moments, when he paid tribute to his nephew, Michael. The latter died in 2016 while he struggled with drug addiction. A tragedy that had influenced his desire to participate in dope sick whose subject touches him directly. On the verge of tears, he says:

Given the importance of the subject, this award is for my nephew, Michael, and for my sister, Pam. I lost Michael, and it hurts.

Check out his full speech in the video below uploaded by TNT: