Ron Silver

Infobox actor


caption =
birthdate = birth date and age|1946|7|2
birthplace = New York City, New York, USA
tonyawards = Best Leading Actor in a Play
1979 "Speed-the-Plow"

Ronald Silver (born July 2 1946) is an American actor, director, and producer. He currently hosts a morning drive-time radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio, which focuses on politics and public affairs.

Biography

Early life

Silver was born in New York City, New York, the son of May (née Zimelman), a teacher, and Irving Roy Silver, who worked in clothing sales. [cite web |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/62/Ron-Silver.html |title=Ron Silver Biography |accessdate=2007-11-01] Silver was raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and attended The East Side Hebrew Institute ("ESHI") and then Stuyvesant High School. [cite web |url=http://www.greatertalent.com/speakers/speakers.php?speakerid=563 |title=Ron Silver |publisher=Greater Talent Network |accessdate=2007-11-01] He went on to graduate from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Chinese, and received a Master's Degree in Chinese History from St. John's University in New York and the College of Chinese Culture in Taiwan. He also attended Columbia University's Graduate School of International Affairs.

Career

Silver made his film debut in "Tunnel Vision" in 1976. Additional screen roles include "Lovesick" (1983), the devoted son of Anne Bancroft in "Garbo Talks" (1984), an incompetent detective in "Eat and Run" (1986), and the lead in Paul Mazursky's Oscar-nominated "" (1989). He also portrayed defense attorney Alan Dershowitz in "Reversal of Fortune" (1990), based on the trial of Claus von Bülow.

Silver has been featured in such diverse films as Billy Crystal's "Mr. Saturday Night" (1992), "Timecop" (1994) with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and as Muhammad Ali's boxing cornerman Angelo Dundee in Michael Mann's "Ali". From 2001 to 2002 and 2005 to 2006, Silver portrayed presidential campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli on "The West Wing".

From 1991 to 2000, Silver served as president of the Actors' Equity Association.

In February 2008, Silver began hosting "The Ron Silver Show" on Sirius Satellite Radio. The show airs live at 9–11am ET on Indie Talk, Sirius 110.

Personal life

Silver has traveled to more than 30 countries and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. He has taught high school and has done social work for the Department of Social Services.

Silver is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2000, he co-founded the organization One Jerusalem to oppose the Oslo Peace Agreement. Its purpose is to maintain "a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel." [cite web |url=http://www.onejerusalem.org/statement.asp |title=Mission Statement |accessdate=2007-11-01]

Silver, who was a Democrat for many years, has recently been an outspoken supporter for President George W. Bush, citing the September 11, 2001 attacks and the Democrats' policies regarding terrorism as his reasons for becoming an independent. He spoke at the United States 2004 Republican National Convention and has staunchly continued to support the President. Silver was appointed Chairman for the Millennium Committee by New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He currently has a blog on the Pajamas Media website.

On October 7 2005, Silver was nominated by President Bush to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace.

On September 8 2006, it was announced that Silver had joined an advisory committee to the Lewis Libby Legal Defense Trust. [cite web |url=http://www.scooterlibby.com |title=Libby Legal Defense Fund |accessdate=2007-11-01]

Work

Television
* "Chicago Hope"
* "Law & Order"
* "Rhoda"
* "Skin"
* "Veronica's Closet"
* "Heat Vision and Jack"
* "Billionaire Boys Club"
* "The West Wing"

Stage
* "Hurlyburly"
* "Speed The Plow" (Tony and Drama Desk Awards)
* "Social Security"Film
* "Find Me Guilty"
* "Kane and Abel"
* "The Entity"
* "Silent Rage"
* "Silkwood"
* "Timecop"
* "The Arrival"
* "Rhapsody In Bloom"
* "Blue Steel"
* ""
(director, executive producer, narrator)
* "FahrenHYPE 9/11"
* "Exposure" a 2000 drama film by director David Blyth

succession box
title=Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
years=1986-1987
for "Speed-the-Plow"
before=James Earl Jones
for "Fences"
after=Philip Bosco
for "Lend Me a Tenor"

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0798779
* [http://members.tripod.com/~Barbara_Robertson/silver.html Ron Silver Page]
* [http://mt.pajamasmedia.com/xpress/ronsilver/ Ron Silver's blog at Pajamas Media]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57904-2004Sep2.html "Actor Ron Silver Has a New Role, Backing Bush," "The Washington Post", September 3, 2004.]