Michael Keaton delivered a moving tribute to his late nephew Michael Scichilone, who passed away from a fentanyl overdose, last night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The Hulu miniseries Dopesick, which recounts the terrifying tale of the American opioid crisis, earned Keaton, 70, the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor award for his performance. He explained, “Given the subject, this is for my nephew Michael and my sister Pam.”
Michael Scichilone, from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was barely 34 years old when he passed away from an accidental opiate overdose. He had spent years ‘trying’ to get over his addiction. Michael was the son of Pamela Douglas, Keaton’s older sister, who was 72.
His passing made Keaton’s part in the television series Dopesick, in which he plays a rural doctor who is duped by Purdue Pharma’s misleading marketing and business tactics before suffering with his own OxyContin addiction, more tragic.
According to Keaton, there were times when reading the script that you would think, “Jeez, this is Michael’s story,” and he added that he chose to play the part as a way to fight the opioid crisis and hold those accountable, particularly the Sackler family, which owns Purdue Pharmaceuticals, accountable.
Inspiring tributes posted on social media by Scichilone’s family and friends describe him as a cherished son, brother, and uncle who was “fiercely missed” and who had a big personality. Scichilone lost his battle with addiction only a few weeks after entering rehab to try to stop abusing drugs.
In October 2017, his younger sister Emily penned a heartfelt appeal on Instagram with the words: “Last year on this day, Michael was in rehab trying to “get better.” He’s due better from us. Let’s exercise compassion. Let’s assist those in need before they turn to drugs.
Scichilone attended and graduated from a high school in Mount Lebanon, though it is unknown how long he battled addiction. He is also not believed to have finished a college degree.
According to his obituary, he was “a passionately devoted friend, an outstanding son, and an avid sports lover.”
Similar to his well-known uncle, who began as a stand-up comedian, Scichilone is noted for his “sense of humor” and ability to make “every kid that had the pleasure to be around him” grin.
Keaton, however, made another, much more tragic connection to his nephew through the film Dopesick. Like millions of other Americans, the actor’s nephew struggled with substance abuse for a very long time before it ultimately took his life. As a result, his family, as well as the actor, are now determined to fight opioid abuse in the US, both on and off-screen.
In particular, the Sackler family, who own Purdue Pharma, Keaton said he takes “joy in holding those people accountable for the victims of this opioid crisis,” which is why he was inspired to work on the project. Keaton was also an executive producer on the program.
According to him, “you become devoured by the addiction.” “It drains your soul.” It brings truly exceptional people to ruin.
The “KICK IT For Mike” foundation was established by Scichilone’s family in memory of him with the goal of increasing awareness via education.
His mother Pamela, who still resides in Pittsburgh (not far from where she, Keaton, and the rest of the Douglas family grew up), as well as his two sisters Meghan, a real estate agent in Mount Lebanon, and Emily, a cosmetics artist who presently makes her home in Chicago, operate the organization.
Numerous images posted on their social media accounts show Scichilone as a joyful child having fun dressing up, playing in the mud, splashing in the pool, and laughing with his well-known uncle. Later in his youth, Scichilone is seen attending his older sister Meghan’s wedding, going to prom, and posing with his “buddies.”
Scichilone’s nephew is seen in a video on the “KICK IT For Mike” foundation page chatting while watching sports. I miss Michael for so many reasons, but nothing makes me miss him more than when Cash speaks sports, according to the heartwarming caption. wishing he could use this new sports fanatic to study the draft.
Scichilone’s addiction is unknown, but the Sackler family, Purdue Pharma’s owners, and the company that makes the popular narcotic OxyContin are demonized in posts on the ‘KICK IT For Mike’ Facebook group.
One caption included a link to a New Yorker article titled “The Sackler Family’s Plan to Keep its Billions,” which stated, “This is outrageous.”
Another repost of a Washington Post article about Walgreens giving away “one out of every five oxycodone and hydrocodone pills” during the ongoing opioid crisis has the word “disgusting” put over it.
Another video on Instagram, titled “Five Important Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know,” alerts parents to the risks associated with prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.
Currently, synthetic opioids like fentanyl, OxyContin, oxycodone, and heroin are the number one killer in America, accounting for almost 79,000 deaths in that age group between 2020 and 2021.
Dopesick examines the opioid crisis through the viewpoints of patients, physicians, and law enforcement officials working to hold Purdue Pharma responsible for deploying an army of salespeople across the nation to persuade physicians to prescribe OxyContin over alternative painkillers. The Sackler family would become one of the wealthiest in America as a result of the plan.
In the Hulu series, users of the extremely addictive prescription opioid are shown crushing the pills into a powder before progressing to harder drugs like heroin and fentanyl to satisfy their cravings.
According to Michael Keaton, it was crucial for him to be able to reflect and say, “At least I achieved something that maybe meant something to someone.”
Dopesick is, in fact, deeply personal to him on many levels. His home state of Pennsylvania has been one of the most hit by the opioid crisis, and he tragically lost his nephew to addiction. In 2017, there were at least ten overdose deaths every day.
I don’t think I believe that I have an obligation exactly, but you wouldn’t want to leave the world thinking: “I could have been a mensch,” he remarked, reflecting on why he chose this post. I might have changed someone’s mind.
