The Normal Heart, the small screen adaptation of Larry Kramer’s play, won the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie, resulting in one of the night’s best acceptance speeches by director Ryan Murphy.

Ryan Murphy Accepts 'Normal Heart' Emmy

Murphy appeared to struggle to keep his emotions in check as he accepted the Emmy or his passion project that was many years in the making. His first order of business was thanking Kramer for being the firebrand activist that he is and has been and penning the play and screenplay for Murphy’s The Normal Heart TV movie.

“We’re only here because of one person, and that’s Larry Kramer,” Murphy said, pointing to the activist who’d taken the stage alongside the movie’s actors and crewmembers.

Murphy also acknowledged that the star power he was ultimately able to get attached to his movie served to get it made.

"Special thanks to our wonderful cast, particularly a shout out to Julia Roberts and Mark Ruffalo, who got this movie made,” said Murphy, who also had Matt Bomer and Jim Parsons in his movie. “After 30 years, it took the superpowers of Erin Brokovich and The Incredible Hulk to finally get this thing alive."

After his notes of gratitude, Murphy delivered a call-to-action to the young men and women tuning in to the live Emmy broadcast. "We're gonna use the rest of our time to ask young people watching to become Larry Kramers,” said Murphy. “To find a cause that you believe in that you will fight for, that you will die for. Go online, look up amfAR [The Foundation for AIDS Research], look up the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation."

Lastly, Murphy took his few short minutes up on the podium to dedicate the award to "the hundreds of thousands of artists who have passed from Hiv/AIDS since 1981", adding, "Your memory and your passion burns on in us, and this is for them. Thank you."