National Board Candidate Statement

After over a decade in service, multiple negotiations, and committee chairpersonships, I see our union on the verge of finally embracing its true strength. Better residuals, stronger protections, access to benefits; you’ve heard that all before, but I think we can make real progress under the leadership of Sean Astin. We can build upon the unity of purpose that we showed during the TV/Theatrical and Video Game strikes. I ask that you elect him and allow me to work beside him on the national board to continue this forward trend. (see local statement for more).

Los Angeles Local Board Candidate Statement

I've been a working actor for almost 40 years. I know from personal experience as a two-time cancer survivor how important our health benefits are and how hard they are to earn. During 10 major negotiations I've fought to improve our contracts, protect our plans, increase residuals, and make benefits accessible for all. As chair of the National Background Actors Committee, I fight hard for BG issues. We need contracts that support everyone and leaders who'll work for you. I respectfully ask for your vote for another term on the LA Local Board.

Candidate Bio

I was first drawn to union serve in 1998 when I had been working regularly on two sitcoms as a stand-in. For 3 or 4 days a week, I would act in place of either guest cast who had not yet been hired or series regulars who were otherwise unavailable. I did the job of an actor but was only being paid a token amount for my services. I thought that was grossly unfair and went to a local membership meeting to advocate that stand-ins should get paid as actors when they act. But when I tried to make that point, I was shut down from the dais. As I was walking away, I was approached and encouraged to join the background committee and that’s what I did.

Over the next 27 years, a large part of my union service has been as an advocate for the background community. As chair of the National Background Actors Committee, past chair of both the Los Angeles Background Actors and Los Angeles Stand-in Committees, and serving 5 times on the TV/Theatrical, 3 times on the Commercials, 2 times on the Netcode, and once on the Netflix negotiating committees, I have helped bring meaningful changes to the wages and working conditions for this community. Including finally bringing parity in numbers with the east coast, achieving a significant adjustment to the rate for stand-ins who read lines and rehearse for guest cast in sit-coms, getting a new zone for Netflix in New Mexico, and making sure that background counts are protected in the AI provisions of all of our contracts. Some of my many goals are to get commensurate pay for off-camera dialog on single camera shows, increase our numbers nationally, and to finally organize zones outside of the west and east coasts zones where our members are continually required to work non-jurisdictional.

But my advocacy has never been limited to background. I have been a consistent voice for all the smaller categories, even when those categories’ representatives have been hesitant to hold the line. I believe we have a communal obligation to support and raise up the members who may not have the strength in numbers or the confidence in our union’s solidarity to push too hard. Anyone who knows me knows I am never afraid to take a firm principled position.

That is especially true when it comes to health coverage. I know first-hand how important health insurance is. When I joined the unions in 1984, it only took $1,000 in earnings in AFTRA and $5,000 in SAG to earn your coverage. There were no premiums. I have lived through every change. I qualified for the old Plans 1 and 2 as well as “age and service.” I remember vividly the pride and relief I felt after I got my 20th pension credit, knowing that meant I would have health care for my wife and me the rest of our lives. And then the pain when 4 years ago the catastrophic rules change happened that stripped that benefit away. Not only that, but 3 days before those changes were announced, I had qualified once again for “age and service” and then that too was taken away. Like many of you who could afford it, I went on COBRA. But I know many, many more people who didn’t have that option available to them. I’ve had cancer twice and have a child with autism. My family would have been devastated, and I would not be alive today without health insurance.

If you have actually read this far, please indulge me a little further to describe my professional experience. After graduating with a BFA in Acting from Ithaca College, I moved to New York City. Like many of us, I started out doing non-union background work. It only took three jobs for me to vow never to do that again. I joined AFTRA through the open door and after doing a radio commercial, I was able to join both Actors Equity and SAG. I started doing union background work and bought a cop’s uniform in order to book more work. It was while I was working one of those jobs that I was hired for the Broadway production of A FEW GOOD MEN. I was in that show for over a year and did the national tour as well. It was an amazing time. But, even when I was working on Broadway, I continued to do background work on my day off in shows like LAW AND ORDER. After the show closed, in the course of 4 consecutive days, I worked background on a film in NY, went to DC to have my first speaking role in a film (A FEW GOOD MEN) and returned to NYC for my first speaking role on TV (LAW AND ORDER). After doing the national tour and having more small roles in film and TV, my wife and I ventured out to LA, and I started all over again. I did background, then stand-in, which lead to numerous co-star and recurring roles. In 1999, I was fortunate to become a regular cast member on a half hour show and after that I recurred for 4 years on hit network drama. All the while I was also working as a co-star or guest star on other shows. But after a set back with cancer that took me out of the game, I returned to stand-in work. While still getting TV and film roles, for the majority of the last 12 years I have made my living from standing-in and commercials. Last week, I had my first job on a stunt contract! When asked, I describe myself as a portfolio actor. I have done most everything and worked under a great variety of our contracts. That is what I think makes me particularly suited to continue representing all actors on the National and Los Angeles boards.

I respectfully ask for your vote once more.