Screen Actors to Honor Betty White
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Although best known for her role as Rose Nylund on the 1980s “Golden Girls” TV series and as Sue Ann Nivens on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Betty White has for six decades been a beloved comedienne, pioneering television producer, host, author and animal rights advocate.
Often called “America’s Sweetheart,” White has won six Emmys, including the first and only Daytime Emmy for Best Game Show Host for a woman. In 1952, she became a Hollywood pioneer when she and two colleagues formed their own production company, creating the nationally televised comedy series “Life with Elizabeth.” The series made White one of only a few women with creative control before and behind the camera in television’s early years.
Now, her colleagues and co-workers plan to honor her with the Screen Actors (SAG) Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. White will receive the award at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards—the nation’s largest and only-nationally televised all-union awards show—which premieres live on TNT and TBS Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. MT. SAG represents nearly 120,000 actors in film, television, industrials, commercials and music videos.
SAG, NATCA and WGAE Elect Top Officers
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The Screen Actors (SAG) and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) elected new leadership teams recently and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) re-elected their top officers.
Actor Ken Howard was elected as SAG’s president in a mail ballot, with results announced yesterday. Amy Aquino was elected secretary-treasurer. Howard and Aquino succeed Alan Rosenberg and Connie Stevens, respectively, and begin their two-year terms immediately.
Howard pledged to strengthen the union’s bargaining power:
“I campaigned on the promise that I’d do everything in my power to strengthen our position at the bargaining table by building a greater unity with [American Federation of Television and Radio Artists] AFTRA and the other entertainment unions, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. Despite the sharp differences that those of us active in Guild affairs sometimes have over strategy and tactics, we need to continually remind ourselves that we’re all on the same team, fighting for the same thing—and by pulling together, we’ll only grow stronger.”
NATCA chose Paul Rinaldi, an 18-year veteran air traffic controller from the control tower at Washington Dulles Airport, as president in a runoff election. Rinaldi, who has served as NATCA’s executive vice president since 2006, will take office on Oct. 17 to begin his three-year term. He will succeed Patrick Forrey.
The runoff election was held because no candidate won the required 50 percent-plus one majority in the first balloting, which was announced on July 31. NATCA Executive Vice President Patricia Gilbert won a clear majority and took office Sept. 1.
Rinaldi said he plans to make sure the nation’s air traffic controllers have a voice in the workplace:
Throughout my career, I’ve made it my mission to further the goals of this union and I’m not stopping now. We’ve had a difficult last three years, but we’ve persevered. I look forward to ensuring that our members always have a voice and, just as important, that the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] always listens.
SAG Members Approve TV, Theatrical Contracts
Members of the Screen Actors (SAG) voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve new two-year basic agreements covering film and digital TV programs, motion pictures and new media productions.
Negotiations between SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) began more than a year ago. The two sides reached tentative agreements on April 16. The contracts were approved by a mail ballot. In February, the SAG national board overwhelmingly rejected what was then called the AMPTP’s last, best and final offer, but negotiations continued.
SAG, AFTRA Members Ratify Commercials Pact
In a nationwide mail ballot completed yesterday, members of the Screen Actors (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) overwhelmingly approved new three-year contracts with the advertising industry. The new agreements cover performers working in commercials made for and reused on TV, radio, the Internet and new media.
The unions estimate the contract will raise members’ earnings by more than $108 million over the three-year agreement. The deal also establishes a first-ever payment structure in commercials for the Internet and new media. The new payment structure goes into effect in the third year of the contract.
Stars Light Up SAG Awards
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| The Screen Actors honored James Earl Jones for his lifetime achievement as an actor and humanitarian. |
Last night, the stars were out in Hollywood as the members of the Screen Actors (SAG) honored their own at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® show.
The cast of “Slumdog Millionaire” took home the top honor for best performance by a cast in a motion picture. Meryl Streep and Sean Penn won the awards for best performance by an actress and actor in a leading role for their performances in “Doubt” and “Milk,” respectively.
The other winners included the late Heath Ledger who won best performance as a supporting actor for his role in “The Dark Knight.” On the TV side, Hugh Laurie (”House”) and Sally Field ( Brothers & Sisters) were honored for their performances in a drama series and the cast of “30 Rock” swept the TV comedy category with Alec Baldwin winning best actor, Tina Fey best actress and the entire cast winning the award foir best ensemble. You can check out all last night’s winners here.
During his remarks, SAG President Alan Rosenberg spoke about the importance of the union to the nation’s actors.
SAG is a union. We are proud to be union and and we look forward to the day when all workers can have the freedom to join a union.
James Earl Jones received the Lifetime Achievement Award, the union’s highest honor. Jones joins an all-star cast of previous winners, who include Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward (1986), Elizabeth Taylor (1997), Ricardo Montelbán (1993), Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee (2000), Edward Asner (2001), Clint Eastwood (2002), Shirley Temple Black (2005), Julie Andrews (2006) and Charles Durning (2007).
In an interview with SAG’s magazine, Screen Actor, Jones says the recognition by his peers is special:
So often you think, well is this is a popularity contest? You can never answer that, or disprove it, really. But in this case it is the people who do the same work you do, saying that work is good. And that’s important.
Don’t Miss SAG Awards This Sunday
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| Angela Bassett, star of the TV series “ER,” is one of the presenters at this year’s SAG Awards. |
It’s time for the biggest awards show in Hollywood—the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®. The only all-union awards show honors Screen Actors (SAG) members for their outstanding performances over the past year. This year SAG is bestowing its highest award for Life Achievement to James Earl Jones.
SAG is America’s largest union representing working actors, with 120,000 members in film, television, commercials, video games, music videos and other new media. The SAG Awards is the only nationally televised awards show of any kind that honors the work of union members.
There is a star-studded lineup of presenters, including Christina Applegate, Angela Bassett, Jon Hamm, John Krasinski, Eric McCormack, Kyra Sedgwick and William Shatner and Forest Whitaker.
The 2009 SAG Awards® ceremony will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. EST/PST, 7 p.m. CDT and 6 p.m. MST from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. An encore presentation will air on TNT at 11 p.m. EST/PST. For satellite and HD viewers, the live presentation can be seen on TBS and TNT at 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST), while the encore can be seen on TNT at 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST).
