Actor and activist Ron Silver died on Sunday after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer. He was 62. “Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him early Sunday morning” in New York City, said Robin Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, a political advocacy organization that the actor helped found.
Silver was an Emmy nominee for his recurring role as a strategist for liberal President Jed Bartlet on “The West Wing,” and was long known as a left-leaning political activist. But after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, Democrat Silver came out in support for President George W. Bush over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and began referring himself to himself as a “9/11 Republican.” He spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention and then reregistered as an independent.
Although he ruffled some feathers in liberal Hollywood, Silver was still respected and loved as an actor. He won a Tony Award for his portrayal of a producer in David Mamet's "Speed The Plow" and was a regular or had recurring roles on such TV shows as “Veronica’s Closet,” “Chicago Hope” and “Wiseguy.” Silver's big-screen credits included films “Ali,” “Reversal of Fortune,” “Enemies: A Love Story,” and “Silkwood.”
But in all the tributes I've read to Silver, the one thing they never fail to mention is that the actor was first and foremost a dedicated father; he and ex-wife Lynn Miller had a son, Adam, and daughter, Alexandra. "He was a great friend, a great family man. He loved his kids," read one, and another said, "His kids came first, but America was a close second." Silver himself was quoted as saying, "If I don't see my kids for six days, I start to get withdrawal pains."
Our condolences go out to Silver's family, friends and colleagues. He will be missed.
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