When Michael Keaton won a SAG award in 2022 for his work and became emotional while accepting the accolade, dedicating it to his nephew.
The Beetlejuice star picked up the statue for best male actor in a television movie or limited series on Dopesick. He starred in the TV drama alongside the likes of Will Poulter and it struck a personal cord with the actor due to the series theme of drug addiction. After almost missing his moment at the awards show, he delivered a poignant speech about being an actor and the heartache he had suffered.
Michael Keaton dedicates award to dead nephew
When it was announced the 72-year-old had won the award, there was an awkward pause – he seemed nowhere to be found and left a presenting Salma Hayek very confused.
However, the camera soon caught him running to get on stage. Instead of walking up the steps, he body-rolled onto the stage and explained he had been using “the men’s room.”
“Thank you very much. Sorry quick trip to the men’s room – it’s packed, by the way,” the celebrity joked, “really I’m truly so grateful.”
“There’s an argument to be made — it’s a legitimate argument, look how nice everyone looks — that a night like tonight is self-serving, narcissistic. It’s a legitimate argument to be made,” Keaton said.
“That said, I will tell you, I am so fortunate. We could spend a week here talking about how fortunate I am, and I know you would all love that.”
The star admitted he felt “so blessed” to work in Hollywood and said even if he quit acting, he’d never stop talking about what matters.
He then started to become emotional and had to take a few moments to gather himself.
Keaton says: “Given the subject matter, this is for my nephew, Michael, and my sister, Pam. I lost my nephew Michael to drugs, and it hurts. To my sister Pam, thanks.”
Michael’s work was influenced by his family’s tragedy
Michael Keaton has previously spoken about his decision to star in Dopesick. He decided to take part after the death of his nephew. Michael Scichilone was just 35 when he died from an overdose in 2016. Keaton admitted while reading the script he would think about how much the show’s story aligned with his nephew’s.
“You become consumed by the addiction. It’s soul-sucking. It takes really great people down,” the Hollywood veteran said.
On the show’s script, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “I thought, ‘Well, if this is even remotely good, I have to do this.’ It happens to be real good,” he said of signing on.
However, his decision to take the role was partly because of his personal life, he didn’t really want to discuss his family member’s death. “It’s like pimping somebody,” he claimed.
“I can answer real simply: It was a major factor,” he explained, “and, after that, I don’t talk about it because, frankly, it’s like pimping somebody. Like people pimp their kids. Celebrities go, ‘Look what a wonderful parent I am! Look at my adopted child from some third-world nation — aren’t I groovy?’ It’s all so pimpy to me.
“So I choose to say I know what my relationship is and I’m not going to use him to up my celebrity and that I don’t need to talk about it.”
If you’ve been affected by this story you can contact American Addiction Centers on (877) 686-7688 or Talk To Frank on 0300 123 6600 in the UK.
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