Micheal Keaton Uses 'Spotlight' SAG Win to Shine Light on the 'Disenfranchised Everywhere'

Spotlight won the night’s most coveted prize at the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards. And the victory gave star Michael Keaton a platform to deliver a powerful speech.

Capping Saturday night’s ceremony in Los Angeles, the Spotlight ensemble received the accolade for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Keaton, accompanied by fellow stars Mark Ruffalo, Brian d’Arcy James, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, and John Slattery, took the stage.

First up, Ruffalo spoke on behalf of the group, addressing the victims of the Catholic Church abuse case, which was the subject of the film. “[I am] honored these people, these victims who are dead, and the survivors who are still alive [after] one of the most horrific things that our culture has allowed to happen. This movie allows them to be seen in a world that has been blind to them.”

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He passed the microphone to Keaton, who channeled his inner Tom Joad, extending Ruffalo’s sentiment. “Honestly this is not only about the survivors of this horrific situation but for me, personally — and I’m only speaking for me — this is really for the disenfranchised everywhere,” said the 64-year old actor. “This is for every Flint, Michigan, in the world,” he went on to say, referencing the city suffering through a tainted-water scandal.

“This is for the powerless, this is for the powerful who take advantage of the powerless. And you can hang me for that. I don’t really care. That’s why I’m proud to be part of this, thank you very much. It comes down to two things: There’s fair and there’s unfair. And I’m always going to vote for the fair, I’m going to pull for the good guys. Thanks for this. This means a lot.”

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