Mourning the Death of Ron Silver
I want to offer a post to mourn the death of actor Ron Silver.
Back in 1988, I was asked to join the advocacy group The Creative Coalition, a collection of entertainment industry activists who were committed to issues such as federal funding of the arts, reproductive rights, First Amendment issues, gun control and campaign finance reform, to name a few. The group had been formed by former HBO head Michael Fuchs, Blair Brown, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon and Silver, who served as the group's first president.
On an Amtrak train trip to DC, Silver began to tutor me on the methods that he, and the group, believed were the more effective ways to lobby the Congress on behalf of the issues we were focused on. I learned a lot of what I know today from Ron. Study, learn your opponents' stances, have the cover ready for whatever fact, opinion or response they throw back at you. We had some real successes fighting on behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts back then. Some would say that the work of Ron Silver, along with Bob Lynch at Americans for the Arts and the coordinated efforts of numerous other arts groups from around the country, actually saved the NEA itself when it was in the real jeopardy during the Gingrich years.
Ron Silver was a great actor on stage, film and television. A Tony award winner for the original Broadway production of David Mamet's Speed the Plow, Silver' s intensity and intellectual forcefulness were on display in all of his roles.
In the wake of 9/11, Silver transformed himself from a liberal darling to a libertarian antagonist to many of his former political allies. He supported Giuliani for president and attended the Republican convention as an honored guest. Some shook their heads in wonder. Others knew that Ron's was a mind that was always seeking, no matter what the cost to his career or social status.
Rest in peace, Ron. A great actor, great thinker, great father and great friend.
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Happy Birthday Alec!
We Love you!
Beautifully written tribute Alec.
I appreciate this piece as I was a fan of Sllver as an actor and admired his courage in standing for his beliefs no matter who it offended. My 2 best friends in the world are very liberal and I am a conservative. I enjoy my conversations/debates with them because I always learn something and so do they. I think life would be very boring if we only hung around with people who agreed with us. I respect all opinions as long as the people have their history and facts straight.
When we lose a friend we remember what we liked and loved about them, and forget what we didn't like about them. But there's nothing wrong with that--we love them and miss them for those great things.
That's the way it should be.
What a nice remembrance. It is so important to embrace our common humanity even in the face of great differences.
Alec, I have met you several times when I was a cantor at St. Monica's in Santa Monica. You have always been both very generous and a gentleman, even when I told you I was a republican. It's been interesting defending you against some of my more stalwart friends, but I believe you to be sincere. Thanks for this moveming tribute to Ron. I hope that more people with the size of your loudspeaker would use it so responsibly.
Thanks again.
I always thought Ron Silver was a truly gifted actor. His portrayal of Alan Dershowitz in "Reversal of Fortune" was way overlooked by the industry. He is a truly gifted actor and much like Jane Fonda, I don't agree with his or her politics I was always able to seperate the two. He was wonderful on the West Wing- the kind of TV we don't get enough of. The industry is left with an ache that will take a while to
heal.
Great piece...Of course, until he got the Guiliani and Republican ending...How does a Libertarian that was so forward thinking go that direction in the end knowing what he did about the process?...Shocking, IMHO
Alec, you wrote a wonderful tribute to Ron Silver. Rest in peace, Ron.
Beautifully written Alec. Ron Silver was always clear about where he stood. He will be missed.
RIP Ron Silver...
On this Saint Patrick's Day, I will hoist a pint in memory of this fine actor, as I will also remember his simplistic and jingoistic pro-Giuliani statements.
Cheers, Ron Silver. Cya on the flip side.
Silver was true to himself. A band wagon rider, he was not. What more can you ask of yourself in this life? Living a lie in your beliefs because of fear is the ultimate failure. Going against the Hollywood tide takes a lot of courage.
It's only "courage" when you go against the orthodoxy and win. He lost both the political fight and his professional standing with it.
Roin Silver's brother Mitchell has been quoted as saying his brother did vote for Obama in November. But I gather even his family was somewhat confounded by Ron's recent politics. I found this in the Hollywood Elsewhere blog which in turn was quoting Bruce Weber 's New York Times obituary.
It's only courage if you win? What's it called if you lose?
By the way, when you follow your heart, you always win.
Silver followed his heart. You need to respect that and move on with your close-minded self.
Mr. Baldwin's is a very lovely tribute to Mr. Silver.
It's a shame that his career slowed down to a halt after he endorsed the GOP. How sad that people's policitcal positions should interfere with their professional affiliations, his support of the GOP never made him less of a talented actor.
I understand the sentiment, but these weren't simply honest political differences. I don't think accountability for their personal life is wrong. I wouldn't go see Giuliani on Broadway or OJ in a new movie or Anita Bryant sing. I won't give a dime to Chuck Norris. And I'd boycott the Texas Rangers if W bought them again.
I fully agree with you. Like Bill Maher, I'm also against government funding for the arts. People will either buy the work or they won't... BTW, I've been a full time painter and sometimes galley owner since 1977.
I know how you feel factbased. I never see Sarandon/Robbins, what's his name (the Milk guy) and I can't support Barbara Striesand either. I just don't like their politics and I don't feel like supporting them.
I do think that I like Alec B. a little better since he wrote this tribute..... and I feel that he personally did well by Sarah Palin on SNL...we appreciate it.
He had the right political stance to advance his career. I worked in Hollywood for twenty years, during the run-up to the wars there wasn't a (liberal) in town.
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