Ron Silver
Ron Silver was an American screen and stage actor and ardent political activist. Like many in Hollywood, he had been deeply liberal for many years. But he shocked expectations in 2004 when he fully supported President George W. Bush's reelection. His educated reexamination of his political positions was denigrated by liberals who expected him to blindly follow the Hollywood values line. Silver complained of being blacklisted[1][2] for his politics in the years that followed, citing his difficulty in obtaining film roles, despite Hollywood's ostensible willingness to employ hardworking individuals with acting chops. His film career may have faltered due to external forces, but he did not let them kill his political activism too. He remained politically active until his death. Silver succumbed to esophageal cancer on March 15, 2009.
| “ | I find it ironic that many human rights advocates and outspoken members of my own entertainment community are often on the front lines to protest repression ... but they are usually the first ones to oppose any use of force to take care of these horrors that they catalogue repeatedly. Under the unwavering leadership of President Bush, the cause of freedom and democracy is being advanced by the courageous men and women serving in our armed services. The president is doing exactly the right thing.[3] | ” |
References
- ↑ NYPost "After I made that speech for President George W. Bush at the Republican Convention here in Manhattan [in 2004], Hollywood and Broadway dried up on me," Silver told radio station magnate William O'Shaughnessy last year when they saw each other at Le Cirque. "The phone stopped ringing . . . nada . . . not a thing."
- ↑ DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com "Silver accused liberal Hollywood of punishing him for his political about-face by withholding acting roles; whether true or not, the fact is Silver wasn't working as much in recent years."
- ↑ [1] Speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention
