Michael Keaton gives an emotional acceptance speech at the SAG Awards after winning Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for his work in the Hulu limited series Dopesic.
Dopesic follows a legal case against Purdue Pharma as well as individuals and families affected by the opioid addiction crisis in the US. Keaton receives the award for his role as Dr. Samuel Phoenix, a respected physician in his local mining town who is convinced by a Purdue Pharma sales representative to prescribe OxyContin to his patients to prevent drug addiction. Not addicted. The series was a personal project for Keaton, as his own nephew died of a fentanyl overdose.
"There's an argument to be made — it's a valid argument, look how good everyone looks — that tonight is self-serving, narcissistic. It's a valid argument," Keaton said while accepting his award. "That said, I'll tell you, I'm so lucky. We can spend a week here seeing how lucky I am, and I know you all will love it. Everyone wants to listen to Mike for a few hours." I'm so blessed, and very lucky, to do what I do. I have a job where I can be part of a production, like DopeSik, that can really create ideas, conversations, real change. Who gets that job? How lucky am I able to get good at the work I do just because I wanted to be an actor?"
He continued: "There is huge inequality in the world. In DopeSic, when you talk about addiction, the way to fix the problem is to admit that you have a problem. Not our country - the whole world. Economic, Racially, socially, economically. There's huge inequality in the world. It's just. Fair, and unfair. There's not much space in between. I can feel right now that people's eyes are rolling around talking to me Like, 'Shut up and dribble. Shut up and act.' Acting, I will give up. Shut up, not so much. I am blessed to be able to do something that can make one's life better."
He ended his speech by dedicating the victory to his nephew and sister: "Given the theme, this is for my nephew, Michael, and my sister, Pam. I lost my nephew Michael to drugs, and it would have hurt." To my sister Pam, thank you."
You can view the full list of award winners here. If you've already seen Dopesic, fill your viewing list with our picks of other best TV shows of 2021.