Ron Silver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Silver
Ron Silver in the television series Skin (2003)
Born	Ronald Arthur Silver (1946-07-02)July 2, 1946 New York City, U.S.
Died	March 15, 2009(2009-03-15) (aged 62) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Westchester Hills Cemetery
Education	University at Buffalo (BA) St. John's University
Occupation	Actor director producer political activist
Years active	1974–2009
Political party	Independent (after 2001)
Spouse(s)	Lynne Miller ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1997)​
Children	2
12th President of the Actors' Equity Association
In office 1991–2000
Preceded by	Colleen Dewhurst
Succeeded by	Patrick Quinn

Ronald Arthur Silver (born July 2, 1946 – died March 15, 2009) was an American actor, director, and producer. He also hosted a radio show and worked as an activist. As an actor, he was known for playing famous people like Henry Kissinger and boxing trainer Angelo Dundee. Ron won a Tony Award in 1988 for his role in the play Speed-the-Plow. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for his part as Bruno Gianelli in the TV show The West Wing.

Early Life and Education

Ron Silver was born in Manhattan, New York City, on July 2, 1946. His mom, May, was a teacher, and his dad, Irving, worked in clothing sales. Ron grew up in a part of New York called the Lower East Side. He went to Stuyvesant High School.

Ron studied at several universities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Chinese from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also got a master's degree in Chinese History from St. John's University in New York and the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan. He also studied acting at The Actors Studio.

Acting Career

Ron Silver started his acting career in 1974 in a play called El Grande de Coca-Cola. This play ran for over a year in Los Angeles. Ron and his co-star, Jeff Goldblum, were noticed by Hollywood agents during this time.

First Film and TV Roles

In 1976, Ron made his first movie appearance in Tunnel Vision. He also played a football player in the comedy film Semi-Tough. From 1976 to 1978, he had a regular role as Gary Levy in the TV show Rhoda.

He played different types of characters in movies. He was a doctor in the film Silent Rage and in the horror story The Entity (1983). He played a loving son in Garbo Talks (1984) and a detective in Eat and Run (1986). In Blue Steel (1989), he played a dangerous character. He also had the main role in Enemies: A Love Story (1989).

Ron also appeared in the TV crime series Wiseguy (1988). He played the son of a character played by Jerry Lewis.

Playing Real-Life Figures

Ron Silver was known for playing real people in movies. He played Alan Dershowitz, a famous lawyer, in Reversal of Fortune (1990). This movie was based on a real trial. He also played lawyer Robert Shapiro in the TV movie American Tragedy (2000), which was about the O. J. Simpson trial.

In other true stories, Ron played tennis player Bobby Riggs in the TV movie When Billie Beat Bobby (2001). This film was about Riggs' famous tennis match against Billie Jean King. He also played Muhammad Ali's boxing trainer, Angelo Dundee, in the movie Ali (2001).

Later Career and Other Work

From 1991 to 2000, Ron Silver was the president of the Actors' Equity Association, a union for actors. He played a film producer in Best Friends (1982) and a film director in Mr. Saturday Night (1992). In the 1994 sci-fi movie Timecop, he played a dishonest senator.

On TV, he starred with Kirstie Alley in her comedy series Veronica's Closet in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, he had a regular role as political adviser Bruno Gianelli on the TV series The West Wing.

Ron also narrated some documentary films. He narrated FahrenHYPE 9/11 (2004), which was a response to another documentary. He also narrated a film about how people in Arab countries and Iran reacted to the September 11 attacks.

He also read the audiobooks for several novels by author Philip Roth, including American Pastoral and The Plot Against America. One of his last movie roles was as a judge in the 2006 film Find Me Guilty.

In 2008, Ron Silver started hosting his own radio show, The Ron Silver Show, on Sirius Satellite Radio. The show focused on politics and public issues.

Personal Life and Activism

Ron Silver was a well-traveled person. He visited over 30 countries and could speak Mandarin Chinese and Spanish fluently. Before becoming a full-time actor, he taught high school and worked as a social worker.

In 1975, he married Lynne Miller, who was also a social worker. They were married until 1997.

In 1989, he helped start an organization called the Creative Coalition. This group helps support free speech rights, public education, and the arts.

Political Views

Ron Silver was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a group that discusses international policy. In 2000, he helped create an organization called One Jerusalem. This group wanted to keep Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

Ron had been a member of the Democratic Party for most of his life. However, after the September 11 attacks, he became an independent voter. He then supported President George W. Bush, saying the attacks and how the Democrats handled terrorism were his reasons. He spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

President Bush also appointed Ron to serve on the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace. In 2008, President Bush asked Ron to join a special group traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary.

In one of his last interviews, Ron said he thought Senator John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate in the 2008 Presidential election was a smart move. However, his brother, Mitchell Silver, said that Ron eventually voted for Barack Obama.

Death

Silver family marker

Ron Silver passed away on March 15, 2009, at the age of 62. He had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer two years earlier. He is buried at Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Ron Silver para niños