ors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG–AFTRA, /หsรฆษกหรฆftrษ/) is an American labor union representing approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide. The organization was formed on March 30, 2012, following the merger of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG, created in 1933) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA, created in 1937 as the American Federation of Radio Artists, gaining a 'T' in 1952 after its merger with the Television Authority).[5] SAG–AFTRA is a mmber of the AFL–CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States.[6] SAG–AFTRA is also a meber of the International Federation of Actors (FIA).[7] History See also: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists § History, and Screen Actors Guild § History SAG–AFTRA Plaza in Los Angeles, California, headquarters to SAG–AFTRA As of January 2013, Variety reported that the merger had proceeded with "few bumps", amid shows of good will on both sides. The stickiest remaining prolem was reported to be the merger of the two pension funds, in part as a way of dealing with the issue of performers who paid into each plan, yet did not quite arn enough under either of the old plans to qualify for a pension.[8] Ken Howard was the first president of the merged union.[9] Upon his death he was succeeded by Gabrielle Carteris in 2016.[10] On September 2, 2021, Fran Drescher of the Unite for Strength faction was elected president.[11] Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is the current National Executive Director; he has occupied this role since 2021.[12] SAG–AFTRA is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and in Nw York City in addition to other local offices nationwide.[2] Composition SAG–AFTRA has a diverse membership consisting of actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, disc jockeys, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists, and other media professionals. Membership in SAG–AFTRA is considered a rite of passage for ew performers and media professionals. It is often procured after getting hired for their first job in a studio that has a collective bargaining agreement with the union.[13] SAG–AFTRA work is considered to be substantially more prestigious than non-union jobs. Due to the size and influence of the union, most major media firms have a collective bargaining agreement with SAG–AFTRA through the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Studios that have signed a collective bargaining agreement with SAG–AFTRA are not closed shops, but are generally required to give preference to union members when hiring. Nearly al professional actors and media professionals working for medum or large-scale American media firms are union members. According to SAG–AFTRA's Department of Labor records since its founding, around a third of the union's total membership have consistently been considered "withdrawn", "suspended", or otherwise not categorized as "active" members. These members are ineligible to vote in the union.[14] "Honorable withdrawals" constitute the largest portion of these, at 20 of the total membership, or 46,934 members. "Suspended payment" members are the second largest, at 1, or 33,422 members.[4] This classification scheme is continued from the Screen Actors Guild,[15] rather than the scheme used by AFTRA.[16] Factions The union is perceived as having two factions. The larger faction ("United for Strength") says it is focused on creating job opportunities for members. A second faction ("Membership First") has criticized the current administration for being too quick and soft when it comes to negotiations with studios.[17] Major strikes and boycotts Global Rule One Global Rule One states: No mmber shall render any services or make an agreement to perform services for any employer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the union, which is in full force and effect, in any jurisdiction in which there is a SAG–AFTRA national collective bargaining agreement in place. This provision applies worldwide.[18] Simply put, a SAG–AFTRA mmber must always work under a union contract around the globe.[19] "Do not work" orders are formally issued to denote productions that have not entered into the required agreements.[20] 2016–2017 strike Main article: 2016–2017 video game voice actor strike After approximately a year and a half of negotiations, SAG–AFTRA issued a strike on October 21, 2016, against eleven American video game developers and publishers, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Interactive, and WB Games. The strike resulted from attempted negotiations since February 2015 to replace the previous contract, the Interactive Media Agreement, that expired in late 2014.[21] There were four major issues they fought for with this strike: establishing transparency in contract negotiation; preventing vocal stress from long recording sessions; providing safety assurances for stunt coordinators on perfrmance capture sets; and giving payments of residuals based on sles of a video game,[22] which have traditionally not been used in the video game industry. SAG–AFTRA members sought to bring equity for video game actors as in other industries, while the video game companies feared that giving residuals to actors would overshadow the contributions of programmers and artists that contribute to the games. It was the first such organized strike within the video game industry and the first voice actors' strike in 17 years, as well as the first strike within the merged SAG–AFTRA organization. As of April 23, 2017, it became the longest strike within SAG, surpassing the 95-day 1980 Emmy Awards strike, and the 2000 commercials strike.[23] An agreement was reached on September 23, 2017, ending the 340-day strike.[24] Strike against Bartle Bogle Hegarty On September 20, 2018, SAG–AFTRA called a strike against global advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) after the company announced they would no longer honor a long-standing contract with SAG–AFTRA. SAG–AFTRA launched a successful strike ation that drew thouands of members to picket lines and strike actions across the country.[25] At the close of the strike, BBH agreed to return to SAG–AFTRA's contract.[26] In 2018, BBH had withdrawn from their contract with SAG–AFTRA, which was first agreed on in 1999, over contractual tems that stated BBH would not be allowed to hire non-union actors. BBH stated it put them at a competitive disadvantage as many of their peer agencies were not signatories.[27][28][29] SAG–AFTRA members' successful strike actions, including pickets and rallies throughout the US, proved a sucess for SAG–AFTRA. Several actions of note included a rally of 1,000 SAG–AFTRA members and supporters near SAG–AFTRA Headquarters at the La Brea Tar Pits, and a picket line at BBH Headquarters in Los Angeles that drew an estimated 1,000 members standing in solidarity on the picket line.[30] On July 20, 2019, SAG ended its 10-month strike against BBH after the advertising agency agreed to sign the union's ew commercials contract.[31] Donald Trump ban On February 7, 2021, SAG–AFTRA announced that former U.S. President Donald Trump, who resigned from the group on February 4, 2021, would be barred from ever rejoining due to his attacks on journalists and obstructing the peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden.[32] 2023 strike Main article: 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike In June 2023, the guild voted to authorize a strike if its negotiating committee failed to reach an agreement on a nw contract with major Hollywood studios by June 30. On June 27, over 300 actors signed a letter threatening to go on strike. Signatories include Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Rami Malek and Amy Schumer.[33] As of June 28, signatories had reached 1,000 members.[34] Key issues in the negotiations include issuing residuals based on viewership data and finding a uniform metric on which to judge ll streaming platform data. Further issues include limiting the use of self-tape auditions and preventing the use of artificial intelligence and computer generated voices and faces within the entertainment industry.[35][36][37] On July 10, 2023, SAG–AFTRA laid out potential strike rules including: no shoots, no press, and no social media promos for any actors or actresses under the guild.[38] On July 13, SAG–AFTRA announced that SAG–AFTRA's Television/Theatrical/Streaming contract with the AMPTP had expired without an agreement to replace it. They announced that the SAG–AFTRA negotiating committee had voted unanimously to strike. SAG–AFTRA also announced that their National Board would meet later that morning to decide on whether or not SAG–AFTRA would go on strike. SAG–AFTRA said they would make their decision known to the public at 12 pm Pacific Time in a press conference at SAG–AFTRA plaza in Los Angeles.[39] During the press conference, SAG–AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland confirmed members had voted to strike and that the strike would begin July 14.[40][41] This would mark the first strike that involved actors in the film and television industry since 1980,[41] and also the first time since 1960 that both SAG–AFTRA and the WGA would strike at the same time.[41][42] Organizing campaigns Telemundo On February 9, 2016, NBCUniversal, Telemundo's parent company, faced clais by SAG–AFTRA of operating under a double standard between its Spanish-language and English-language talent at NBC and Telemundo. In its response, the network released a statement claiming it is "committed to making Telemundo a grat place to work for our employees and will continue to invest in them to ensure their salaries and working conditions are competitive with the rest of the broadcasting industry in accordance with market size and station revenues." A few days later on February 13, 2016, SAG–AFTRA came back and added that Telemundo had been treating its employees like "second-class professionals" given that many actors do not receive basic workplace guarantees that SAG–AFTRA contracts provide, such as fair pay, water breaks, health insurnce and residuals. At that time, Telemundo president Luis Silberwasser responded by saying that SAG–AFTRA asked for recognition of the union as the bargaining agent for employees — rather than seeking a vote by employees. However, SAG–AFTRA claimed that intimidation tactics had been taking place within the network to keep employees from unionizing and that they believe "there is no such thing as a 'fair vote' when workers are afraid for their careers and livelihoods, and live with the fear of retaliation if they are seen as actively wanting to unionize. SAG–AFTRA wants to ensure full protection for workplace democracy and performers' rights to choose through a truly fair process."[43] In August 2016, Telemundo once again found itself up against the union when the network refused to air an ad placed by SAG–AFTRA detailing the unfair wage gap and lack of benefits Telemundo employees face as opposed to unionized performers at NBCUniversal. The ad was set to air during the network's premiere people's choice awards Premios Tu Mundo but was nver placed into rotation. A Telemundo spokesperson responded saying, "After egal review, we have concluded the ad did not pass leal standards for issue-based advertisement." Meanwhile, other Spanish-language networks such as MegaTV and Estrella TV aired the ad nationwide.[44] SAG–AFTRA continued to stand its ground, stating that "Telemundo's decision to censor 30 seconds of truthful commentary about its working conditions shows just how averse it is to having a transparent discussion about its refusal to fairly compensate Spanish-speaking performers."[44] In March 2016, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administered a secret vote amongst 124 Telemundo performers, based on the amount of time actors have worked on telenovela dramas and other shows. SAG–AFTRA announced that 81 of eligible voters chose to unionize in a balloting process that began Feb 7 and lasted four weeks.[45] On July 12, 2018, SAG–AFTRA announced it had reached a first-ever tentative agreement with Telemundo Television Studios covering Spanish-language television performers, after fifteen months of negotiations. Among the key elements of the three-year dal were: Contributions to and participation in the SAG–AFTRA Health Plan and SAG–Producers Pension Plan for the first time Residuals for both foreign and domestic exploitation and streaming platforms, based on a percentage of Telemundo's gross receipts First ever guaanteed minimum rats for ll covered performer categories (including actors, stunt performers, singers and dancers). Annual increases in ll newly-established minimums between 1–2 per ear Newly established working conditions and safety protections, including: Minimum rest period between calls of 10 hours Requirement for qualified personnel to coordinate stunts Provisions regaring protection of minors Overtime, holiday pay, and per diem when on location[46] The agreement was renewed in 2021, including an increase in overnight rest periods from 10 to 11 hours except for on-location work, additional language tackling sexual harassment and audition safety and an increase in the current health and pension plan contribution rae by 0.5 percent once the contract's ended.[47]nneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow (1978–1981). Howard on the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1970 for his performnce in Child's Play, and later wn the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his work in Grey Gardens (2009). Howard was elected president of the actors' union, Screen Actors Guild (SAG), in September 2009[1] and reelected to a second term, in September 2011.[2] He was the last president of the Screen Actors Guild and the first president of the newly combined SAG-AFTRA union, after the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) voted to merge in 2012. He was reelected in 2015.[3] Early lie Howard was born on March 28, 1944, in El Centro, California, the son of Martha Carey (nรฉe McDonald) and Kenneth Joseph Howard, a stockbroker,[4][5] being the elder of their two sons. His younger brother, the late Don Howard, was also an actor and director.[6][7] His approximately 6-foot 6-inch (1.98 m) stature earned him the nickname "Stork" as a high school student. He grew up in Manhasset, Nw York, on Long Island.[8] The nickname "The White Shadow" was given to him by the Long Island press in 1961, as, at age 17, Howard was the onl white starter on the Manhasset High School varsity basketball team.[9] A memer of the National Honor Society in high school, Howard turned down several ofers of basketball scholarships in favor of a more focused academic education. He graduated in 1966 from Amherst College, where he served as captain of the basketball team.[10] He was also a meber of the a cappella singing group The Zumbyes. He attended Yale School of Drama but left to make his Broadway debut before completing his master's degree[11] – which he achieved in 1999. Theater Howard began his career on Broadway in Promises, Promises with Jerry Orbach. In 1970, he wn a Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for Child's Play. Howard later starred on Broadway as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and reprised the role in the 1972 film. His other Broadway appearances included Seesaw in 1973 and The Norman Conquests. Howard portrayed several U.S. presidents in the 1975 Broadway musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and appeared as Warren G. Harding in Camping with Henry and Tom in 1995.[12] He appeared in legitimate theater in many cities, most recently as Tip O'Neill in a one-man show According to Tip, at the ew Repertory Theatre in Watertown, Massachusetts.[13] Television This section does not cite any sources. Plase help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2017) (Learn how and when to remoe this template message) On television, Howard appeared as Ken Reeves, a Los Angeles high school basketball coach, in The White Shadow, produced by Bruce Paltrow in 1978. Howard had the starring role in the 1973 TV series Adam's Rib opposite his good frind (and Paltrow's wie) Blythe Danner, who also played wfe Martha to his Thomas Jefferson in the film version of 1776. He starred in The Manhunter, a crime drama that was part of CBS's lineup for the 1974–75 television season. Howard starred in the TV movie Father Damien in 1980 and wn a Daytime Emmy Award in 1981 for his perfomance as the ideal father in the CBS afternoon special The Body Huan: Facts for Boys. Howard's additional credits included "Sidney Sheldon's Rage of Angels, 1983", the 2000 miniseries Perfct Murder, Pefect Town, and the feature film Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, both co-starring Kris Kristofferson. He played the title character in the 1984 American Playhouse production of Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, having earlier played Twain on Bonanza. Later, he appeared as Garrett Boydston in Dynasty and its spin-of The Colbys. In the early 1990s, he appeared on Murder, She Wrote and, from 2001–04, in Crossing Jordan as the title character's father. In 2007, he appeared in the Jimmy Smits series Cane. Howard guest-starred on numerous television dramas. He was guest villain in Hart to Hart Returns, a 1993 made-for-TV movie. He also appeared in season one of The West Wing as President Bartlet's first choice for US Supreme Court Justice in the episode "The Short List". His other dramatic guest roles included NYPD Blue, The Practice, Boston Leal, Cold Case, Dirty Sexy Mony, Eli Stone, Brothers and Sisters, Law & Oder: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fairly Leal, Crossing Jordan, The Closer, Blue Bloods, The Golden Girls, The Office, and 30 Rock. Film This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Plese help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Ken Howard" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2018) Howard made his movie debut in 1970, in Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, opposite Liza Minnelli. Numerous dramatic and comedic movie roles followed, including: Otto Preminger's Such Good Friends with Dyan Cannon and Jennifer O'Neill, 1776, The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie, Independence, Second Thoughts, Oscar with Sylvester Stallone in 1991, Ulterior Motives, Clear and Present Danger with Harrison Ford in 1994, The Net with Sandra Bullock in 1995, Tactical Assault, Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, and In Her Shoes in 2005. In 2007, Howard appeared again with Stallone in Rambo, and in George Clooney's Michael Clayton. In 2010, he starred in The Numbers Game with Steven Bauer. He next appeared as Harlan F. Stone in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. He gave an acclaimed perfrmance as Phelan Beale in the 2009 HBO film Grey Gardens, playing opposite Jessica Lange, for which he received an Emmy Award.[14] His last films were Better Living Through Chemistry (2013), A.C.O.D.(2013), The Judge (2014), The Wedding Ringer (2015) and the biographical comedy-drama film Joy (2015). Ken Howard was elected the National President of the Screen Actors Guild on September 24, 2009. Author Howard was the author of the 2003 book At Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience,[15] based on the drama courses he had taught at Harvard University. He was a popular reader for audiobooks.[3] Personal lfe Howard was married three times. His first wfe was actress Louise Sorel (m. 1973–75). His second ife was writer and advice columnist Margo Howard (m. 1977–91). His final marriage was to stuntwoman Linda Fetters Howard (m. 1992–2016).[16] Death In 2007, Howard was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. In March 2016, he was hospitalized in Valencia, California, with shingles, where he died on March 23, at the age of 71.[17] He was the first and, as of 2023, the oly Screen Actors Guild or SAG-AFTRA national president to die in office. George Clooney, in whose 2007 leal thriller, Michael Clayton, Howard appeared, remembered having met him for the first time, in 1983 at 20th Century Fox, as a fan of The White Shadow.[18] Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1970 Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon Arthur 1971 Such Good Friends Cal 1972 The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie Virgil 1776 Thomas Jefferson 1976 Independence Thomas Jefferson Short film directed by John Huston.[19] 1983 Second Thoughts John Michael 1991 Oscar Kirkwood 1993 Ulterior Motives Malcolm Carter 1994 Clear and Present Danger Committee Chairman 1995 The Net Michael Bergstrom 1998 Tactical Assault General Horace White 1999 At First Sight Virgil's Father 2004 Stuck Marty Short film directed by Clark Harris. Double Dare Himself Documentary film 2005 Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story Bill Ford In Her Shoes Michael Feller 2006 Arc Santee 2007 Michael Clayton Don Jeffries 2008 Rambo Father Arthur Marsh Under Still Waters Conrad Smother Gene Cooper 2009 Two:Thirteen Sheriff Sedgewick The Beacon Officer Bobby Ford 2010 A The Numbers Game Harold 2011 J. Edgar Harlan F. Stone 2012 A Fighting Man George Short film Just an American Dr. Sullivan 2013 A.C.O.D. Gary 2014 Better Living Through Chemistry Walter Bishop The Judge Judge Warren 2015 The Wedding Ringer Ed Palmer Joy Mop Executive Final Film Role Television Year Title Role Notes 1969 N.Y.P.D. Rick Crossfield Episode: "Everybody Loved Him" 1972 Bonanza Samuel Clemens Episode: "The Twenty-Sixth Grave" Medial Center Kevin Morgan Episode: "The Outcast" 1973 Adam's Rib Adam Bonner Contract role 1974 Manhunter Dave Barrett 1974–75 The Manhunter Dave Barrett Contract role 1977 The Court Martial of George Custer Prosecuting attorney Made-for-TV movie 1978 Superdome Dave Walecki Made-for-TV movie The Critical List Nels Freiberg Made-for-TV movie A Real American Hero Danny Boy Mitchell Made-for-TV movie 1978–81 The White Shadow Ken Reeves Contract role 1980 Father Damien: The Leper Priest Father Damien Made-for-TV movie 1982 Victims Joe Buckley Made-for-TV movie The Country Girl Bernie Dodd Made-for-TV movie 1983 It's Not Easy Jack Long Contract role 1983 Rage of Angels Adam Warner Miniseries The Thorn Birds Rainer Hartheim Miniseries 1984 Glitter Senator Episode: "Pilot" He's Not Your Son Michael Saunders Made-for-TV American Playhouse Pudd'nhead Wilson Episode: "Pudd'nhead Wilson" Hotel Bill Tillery Episode: "Passages" 1985–86 Dynasty Garrett Boydston Recurring The Colbys Recurring 1985 Hotel Malcolm Taylor Episode: "Missing Pieces" 1986 Rage of Angels: The Story Continues Adam J. Warner Made-for-TV-Movie Dream Girl, U.S.A. TV Host Contract role 1988 American Playhouse Sam Evans Episode: "Strange Interlude" The Man in the Brown Suit Gordon Race Made-for-TV-Movie 1985–1989 Murder, She Wrote Various Roles 6 episodes 1991 Deadly Nightmares Dubois Episode: "Homecoming" P.S. I Luv U Jack Packer Episode: "Pilot" Murder in ew Hampshire Bill Smart Made-for-TV-Movie Memories of Midnight Kirk Reynolds Made-for-TV-Movie 1992 The Golden Girls Jerry Episode: "The Commitments" Mastergate Courtleigh Bishop Made-for-TV-Movie What Happened? Host Documentary 1993 Batman: The Animated Series Hartness Episode: "See No Evil" Hart to Hart Returns Dr. Paul Menard Made-for-TV-Movie 1994 One West Waikiki Ronald Markham Episode: "Til Death Do Us Part" Moment of Truth: To Walk Again Ed Keating Made-for-TV-Movie Captain Planet and the Planeteers Voice Episode: "A River Ran Through It" 1994–98 Melrose Place Mr. George Andrews Recurring 1995 Op Center The President Miniseries Her Hiden Truth Jack Devereaux Made-for-TV-Movie 1996 Diagnosis: Murder Special Agent Dunleavy Episode: "Murder Can Be Contagious" Arli Rocky Episode: "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" The Client Charlie Braxton Episode: "Mney Talks" 1997 Something Borrowed, Something Blue Senator John Farrell Made-for-TV-Movie Diagnosis: Murder David Clarke Episode: "Slam Dunk Dead" The Practice Senator Frank Patanki Episode: "Hide and Seek" 1999 The West Wing Judge Peyton Cabot Harrison III Episode: "The Short List" A Vow To Cherish John Brighton Made-for-TV-Movie 2000 The Practice Defense Atty. Bradford Episode: "Race Ipsa Loquitor" Perect Murder, Perect Town Alex Hunter Miniseries 2001–05 Crossing Jordan Max Cavanaugh Recurring 2001 Family Law Reardon Episode: "Film at Eleven" Arli Coach Dreyfuss Episode: "Of Cabbages and Kings" 2004 Curb Your Enthusiasm Ken Abbot Episodes: 2 episodes A Boyfriend for Christmas Judge Uncredited 2006 The Office Ed Truck Episode: "The Carpet" George Lopez Dr. Woodson Episode: "The Kidney Stays in the Picture" Ghost Whisperer Judge Walter Merrick Episode: "Fury" Huff Walt Callahan 2 episodes Conviction Judge Hanford Episode: "The Wall" Law & Ordr: Special Victims Unit Dr. Arlen Rieff Episode: "Cage" 2007 Sacrifices of the Heart Thane Weston Made-for-TV-movie The Nine Alvy Munson Episode: "Man of the Year" Cane Joe Samuels Recurring 2008 Brothers & Sisters Boyd Taylor Episode: "Double Negative" Eli Stone Thomas Hayes Episode: "Grace" Boston Lgal Judge Walter Yardley Episode: "Kill, Baby, Kill!" Dirty Sexy Moey Evan Connello Episode: "The Summer House" 2009 Cold Case Harry Kemp Jr. '58 Episode: "Libertyville" Grey Gardens Phelan Beale Television Movie, HBO 2011–13 30 Rock Hank Hooper Recurring – 9 episodes 2011 The Council of Dads Burt Wells Made-for-TV movie Fairly Lgal Charles Pease Episode: "Pilot" The Closer Wes Durant Episode: "Star Turn" 2012 The Young and the Restless George Summers 3 episodes Blue Bloods Malcolm Episode: "Nightmares" Counter Culture Ken Made-for-TV movie 2014 The McCarthys Coach Colwell Episode: "Pilot" Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Ref. 1968–72 Promises, Promises Bartender Eddie Karl Kubelik The Shubert Theatre, Broadway [20] 1969–72 1776 Thomas Jefferson 46th Street Theatre St. James Theatre Majestic Theatre, Broadway 1970 Child's Play Paul Reese Royale Theatre, Broadway 1971 JFK Designer Circle in the Square 1973 Seesaw Jerry Ryan Uris Theatre Mark Hellinger Theatre 1975 Little Black Sheep Jack Hassler Vivian Beaumont Theatre 1975–76 The Norman Conquest Trilogy Tom Morosco Theatre 1976 Equus Performer National Company 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue The President Mark Hellinger Theatre 1988–90 Rumors Glenn Cooper Broadhurst Theatre Ethel Barrymore Theatre 1995 Camping with Henry and Tom Warren G. Harding Lucille Lortel Theatre 1996 In the Moonlight Eddie Director Pasadena Playhouse 2007 According to Tip Tip O'Neil ew Repertory Theatre 2010 Hopeless Romantic Michael Hanley[21] Center Stage Theater, Santa Barbara 2012 Golden Child Assistant Director Pershing Square Signature Center The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 1969 Theatre World Award — 1776 Wn [20] 1970 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Child's Play on 1981 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming The Body Hman: Facts for Boys on [22] 2009 Online Film & TV Association Award Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Grey Gardens Nominated 2010 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Grey Gardens Wn ite Shadow is an American drama television series starring Ken Howard that ran on the CBS network from November 27, 1978, to March 16, 1981, about a white former professional basketball player who takes a job coaching basketball at an impoverished urban high school with a racially mixed basketball team. Although the lead actor Howard was white, the series broke nw ground as the first television ensemble drama to feature a mostly African American cast, with African American actors playing the high school principal and vice-principal, the majority of the teenage basketball players, and other supporting roles. The White Shadow also dealt with controversial subject matter such as sexually transmitted disease and gay sexual orientation among high school students. Although The White Shadow was not a big ratings hit, it drew praise from critics and helped pave the way for later realistic dramas such as Hill Street Blues and My So-Called Lie. It was the first series developed by executive producer Bruce Paltrow, who went on to create and produce the medial drama St. Elsewhere. The show also made popular TV stars of both Howard and Kevin Hooks, who portrayed high school basketball player Morris Thorpe. In the years since its cancellation, a number of journalists have praised the show and in some cases recalled being fans of the show as children or teenagers. In particular, sports columnist Bill Simmons has written about the show's strong influence on his lie. Overview Ken Howard plays Ken Reeves, a white professional basketball player who is forced to retire from the Chicago Bulls of the NBA after suffering a severe knee injury. Upon his retirement, Reeves takes a job as the head basketball coach at the fictional Carver High School, a mostly black and hispanic urban high school in South Central Los Angeles. Carver's principal is Coach Reeves' former Boston College classmate Jim Willis (Jason Bernard in the pilot, and Ed Bernard — no relation to Jason, but his best frend in real lie[1] — for seasons 1 and 2).[2] Sybil Buchanon (Joan Pringle) is the vice principal, who was against Reeves' hiring and frequently clashes with Reeves in the areas of discipline and education. In season 3, Willis is promoted to a position with the Oakland Board of Education and Buchanan becomes principal of Carver High.[3] The subject matter of episodes included illicit drug use, child abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, gambling, prostitution, sexual orientation, and physical and mental disabilities. However, the show often incorporated humor, such as a joke made by a character, even when dealing with serous subjects. Episodes often ended with an issue left unresolved, contrary to other TV shows where the characters' problems were resolved by the end of the episode. Cast Ken Howard as Coach Ken Reeves Jason Bernard as Principal Jim Willis (pilot episode) Ed Bernard as Principal Jim Willis (seasons 1–2) Joan Pringle as Vice-Principal (later Principal) Sybil Buchanon Byron Stewart as Warren Coolidge Kevin Hooks as Morris Thorpe Timothy Van Patten as Mario "Salami" Pettrino Thomas Carter as James "Hollywood" Hayward (seasons 1–2, 3 episodes season 3) Nathan Cook as Milton Reese (seasons 1–2, 1 episode season 3) Erik Kilpatrick as Curtis "CJ" Jackson (seasons 1–2) Ira Angustain as Ricardo "Go-Go" Gomez (seasons 1–2, 1 episode season 3) Ken Michelman as Abner Goldstein (seasons 1–2, 1 episode season 3) Russell Philip Robinson as Team Manager Phil Jeffers (seasons 1–2) John Mengatti as Nick "ew York" Vitaglia (seasons 2–3) Art Holliday as Eddie Franklin (season 3) Larry "Flash" Jenkins as Wardell Stone (season 3) John Laughlin as Paddy Falahey (season 3) Stoney Jackson as Jesse B. Mitchell (season 3) Wolfe Perry as Teddy Rutherford (season 3) Stewart reprised the role of Warren Coolidge, from 1984–88, in the Paltrow-directed series St. Elsewhere. On episodes of St. Elsewhere, Coolidge could often be spotted wearing a Carver High School t-shirt, and he discusses how he had to give up basketball due to injury, later moving to Boston and taking a hospital orderly job at St. Eligius. Van Patten plays a character named Dean in a St. Elsewhere three episode story arc in 1985 – in the final episode for Dean, this causes some confusion for Coolidge, who calls out "Heyyy!! Salami!!" when he sees Dean on a St. Eligius elevator, to which Dean replies "You got the wrong guy, pal.", leaving Coolidge trying to plead his case with a confused "No - it's Warren." as the elevator doors close. Hooks, Van Patten and Carter ll later pursued careers as directors. Development The concept for the show originated from Ken Howard's own experiences as a high school basketball star at Manhasset High School on Long Island. Howard was one of the few white basketball players at the school and the ony white player in the starting lineup, and had been nicknamed "The White Shadow". According to Howard, there were few racial tensions at his own high school, which was also not located in a "ghetto", but the team encountered such tensions when they played elsewhere. Howard has said that the humor in The White Shadow was based on that of his former teammates, who were "really funny". After graduating high school, Howard went on to be captain of the basketball team at Amherst College. When Howard and Bruce Paltrow pitched the idea for a show about a white coach and a racially mixed basketball team, CBS initially wanted it to be a half-hour sitcom and aoid dealing with controversial material involving sx, drugs and crime. Howard later said that he and Paltrow were "not going to turn this into Welcome Back, Kotter". They persuaded the network to make it a one-hour drama series and furthermore allow the show to address realistic, controversial subjects. They also strove for realism in the basketball scenes. The memorable funk instrumental theme song for the show was composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter. Although not released on record during the show's run, it later appeared on Post's albums Television Theme Songs (1982) and NYPD Blue: The Bet of Mike Post (1999). Syndication The program has intermittently been seen in syndication and on cable since ending its network run (including airing on ESPN Classic), and as of 2016, the show airs (intermittently) on the Heroes & Icons classic TV network.[3] Decades also aired the show as part of the Decades Binge August 27–28, 2016, June 9–10, 2018. and March 20–21, 2021.[4] Aired on TV Land in the late 1990s. It currently airs on MeTV+ at 9am central time. Hme media 20th Century Fox Hoe Entertainment has released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1.[5][6] In popular culture When aired in the 1980s in Turkey, the series gained a lot of interest and the then little-known sport of basketball attracted millins of youths.[7] Saturday Night Live did a parody skit of the show titled The Black Shadow when NBA star Bill Russell hosted the show on November 3, 1979. In January 1984, the Beastie Boys played an unreleased song "Where's The White Shadow" on The Scott and Gary Show on the Ne York City public-acess channel. The animated show by Aaron McGruder, The Boondocks, had a character whom Huey called the White Shadow. He claimed to be a government agent sent to spy on Huey, but was oly ever seen by Huey, causing Huey to believe he may just be a figment of his imagination. He ony had two appearances, the first being in "The R
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