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Among the reasons I set up this site: I feel that Ron Silver is a celebrity who is mindful of the social power that comes with his career, and I believe he uses that power conscientiously. I have received many messages from visitors to this site regarding Ron Silver's political stances and his recent media appearances defending the Bush administration's approach to Iraq. I have been surprised at occasional notes in the past from people accusing him of being a knee-jerk liberal, as he has always projected a much more thoughtful range of political beliefs in public. Now, apparently, he is being touted as a conservative spokesperson for his stance on Iraq. Some have written me asking what I think of his "180 degree change" in political attitudes. I don't think he has been rigidly left or right, nor simplistic in his political views, and that he is displaying his usual independence and intelligence in his current media appearances.
I regret that I do not currently have an address to give for correspondence with Mr. Silver, but I am working on that. Until then, I am compiling all responses to forward to him (along with any contact information given) when I have a place to send it. Thank you for your notes!
Ron Silver was born on July 2, 1946. He grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side, and attended Stuyvesant High School. After graduating from the University of Buffalo with a degree in Spanish and Chinese, he received his master's degree in Chinese History from St. John's University and the College of Chinese Culture in Taiwan. Before turning to acting, he flirted with doing intelligence work. He took acting lessons while working on his masters degree.
He trained for the stage at the Herbert Berghof Studio. He also studied with Uta Hagen and at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg. His first big break came as a cast member of the hit satirical stage show "El Grande De Coca-Cola" in 1973; after that he moved to California and got a part on the TV sitcom "Rhoda" (see photo from "Rhoda" (52K)). From then on Silver remained steadily employed in TV and theater; his screen career was renewed in the early '80s, and by the late '80s he was landing lead roles in major productions.
Silver is known as an intense, electrifying stage and film actor; for his performance in David Mamet's Broadway play Speed-The-Plow he won the Tony and Drama Desk awards. He has also appeared on Broadway in "Hurlyburly" and "Social Security." In addition, he has starred in two one-man shows, "And..." and "Bill Graham Presents." A dedicated political activist, Silver is a vocal supporter of environmental and anti-nuclear organizations. In 1988, he founded The Creative Coalition, a political action group calling for the involvement of artists in pressing social issues, and currently serves on their Advisory Board [see photo of Creative Coalition members at a rally in Washington DC (77.5K).
I've seen Silver in most of the films and television programs in which he's appeared. Of his performances that I've seen, my favorite are in (1) Enemies: A Love Story, (2) Reversal of Fortune, and (3) "Wiseguy."
He's played a lot of easy-to-hate villains during his career, but I think he was great as the son trying to grant his mother her dying wish in "Garbo Talks," and as a man caught between the needs of his daughter and new wife in "Married to It." I thought he was hilarious as Larry Weisman in "Best Friends." I'd enjoy seeing him in more comedic roles or in dramatic roles in which he does not play a one- dimensional character.
Ron Silver has had continuing roles on several television series over the years, including "Rhoda," "Hill Street Blues," "Chicago Hope," "Veronica's Closet," and most recently, "The West Wing."
Here are a few articles about and editorials written or
co-written by Ron Silver, and a transcript from CNN's Talkback Live
February 20, 1998 broadcast, which he hosted. These are listed (and
linked) below. I will try to add a few more current ones as I am able.
--1990 People magazine profile of him
--1991 Cosmopolitan article about him
--1992 Los Angeles Times article about him and the play "and"
--1993 New York Times article about his activism
--1994 New York Times op-ed urging newly-inaugurated Mayor Giuliani to draw on Silver's expertise to revitalize Broadway
--1995 Atlanta Journal & Constitution article about his life and his role as Henry Kissinger in "Kissinger and Nixon"
--Excerpt from a 1991 Back Stage interview of several actors regarding formal acting training
--1991 Los Angeles Times editorial co-written by Silver and Mark Adams Taylor defending activism by celebrities
--1997 Newsday editorial co-written by Silver and a New York state assemblyman regarding a New York ballot measure
--1998 Wall Street Journal editorial Ron Silver wrote in support of Israel's right to defend itself if attacked (in this case, by Iraq in relaliation for U.S. bombings)
--1998 USA Today short piece on the upcoming film "The Agency," in which Ron Silver plays CIA chief Tom Lenahan
--1999 Journal News (Westchester County, NY) article about him (it also mentions me...!)
--Transcript from CNN's Talkback Live
Pictures:
Photograph 1
Photograph 2
Photograph 3
Photograph 4
As Herman Broder, with Lena Olin in Enemies: A Love Story
As Herman Broder, in Enemies: A Love Story
Scene with Joe Mategna and Madonna, in Speed-The-Plow
Scene with Marlo Thomas, in Social Security
As Alan Dershowitz, in Reversal of Fortune
As Gilbert Rolfe, in Garbo Talks
As Doug Kaines, with Rutger Hauer and Rebecca DeMornay, in Blind Side
As Senator Aaron McComb (visiting from 2004) and Senator Aaron McComb (in 1994), in Timecop
As David Sternberg, with Jerry Lewis in Wiseguy
As Phil Gordian, in The Arrival
As Tommy Wilmette, in Chicago Hope
As Eugene Hunt, in Blue Steel
As Tom, in Love is Strange
Links:
I'm hard of hearing (from early childhood), so I tend to wait until films are in the videostore so I can see them closed-captioned -- better than turning the volume high at home, or not being able to understand the movie dialogue when in the theater. The The Closed Captioning Web is a great source of information about both closed- and open-captioning.
I developed this web page because:
1. I appreciate Ron Silver's acting and his political involvement,
and no one else had put together a web page celebrating his work, and
2. My other web pages are all Very Serious, and I wanted to have just one that Fun.
I developed and maintain this website as an individual admirer of Ron Silver's work - it is not an official fan site. Although I collected the information in this site from the internet and other sources, I bear responsibility for any inaccuracies in this page. If you find any, please inform me and I will correct them.
To contact me, e-mail me at Barbara_Robertson@tripod.net.
Stop by my home page if you want to see resources for social & political psychology, disability research and activism, links about my hometown of Portland OR, or just to find out more about who I am.
Thanks!
Barbara
