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Ron Silver

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Recent Role:: Shelley Levine on Crossing Jordan

Gender:: Male

Born:: 7-2-1946

Died:: 3-15-2009 (Esophageal Cancer)

Birthplace:: New York, New York, USA

Birth Name:: Ronald Zimelman

Dynamic, versatile character lead who was once a busy sitcom actor, notably on "Rhoda" (1976-78) and his own short-lived series, "Baker's Dozen" (1982). After an inauspicious screen debut in Tunnelvision (1976), Silver scored with hilarious supporting roles in Best Friends (1982) as a yuppie Hollywood executive, and Lovesick (1983) as an Al Pacino-like actor. The following year he had the lead in Garbo Talks but found greater success on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award starring in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" (1988). More film roles followed: the leading role of a Jewish immigrant… More wearily juggling three women in Enemies, A Love Story (1989, one of his best), a blacklisted writer in Fellow Traveler (1989), a dapper serial killer in Blue Steel and his spot-on impersonation of attorney Alan Dershowitz in Reversal of Fortune (both 1990). His other credits include Semi-Tough (1977), The Entity, Silent Rage (both 1982), The Goodbye People, Oh, God! You Devil (both 1984), Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Married to It (1993), and Timecop (1994). He also has many television credits, and played Jerry Lewis' estranged son in a memorable multi-episode story on "Wiseguy" (1988-89 season). In 1993 he directed the TV movie Lifepod in which he also appeared. Silver, a highly visible member of the arts community, is also a forceful and outspoken advocate of liberal causes.

Ron was married to Lynne Miller from the 24 December 1975 till July 1997. They have two children, a son who was born in 1979 and a daughter, named Alexandra, who was born in 1983.