Richard Masur to Receive SAG-AFTRA President’s Award

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – SAG-AFTRA has selected Richard Masur as the recipient of its President’s Award.

The honor will be presented on Oct. 20 during the National Board plenary. Introduced at last year’s SAG-AFTRA convention, the President’s Award celebrates a member who has given meritorious service to the union and its membership.

Masur served as SAG president for two terms between 1995 and 1999. He has an extensive acting resume of more than 60 credits that includes an Emmy nomination for “The Burning Bed,” an Oscar nod for writing and directing the short subject “Love Struck,” and a memorable role as a Yale University recruiter in Tom Cruise’s “Risky Business.”

“It is an honor and privilege for me to recognize Richard’s many contributions with this award,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “For decades, he has worked to enrich the lives of performers; from volunteering on committees, serving on local and national boards, to ultimately two terms as the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Richard embodies the true meaning of leadership and service.”

Masur began his professional acting career in 1972 at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven before moving to Broadway the following year in “The Changing Room.” In 1989, at a friend’s suggestion, he decided to run for a SAG board seat and has been involved with the union since then. He was a key player in the process that developed the merger agreement between SAG and AFTRA and drafted the SAG-AFTRA Constitution.

Masur has served on more than two-dozen union committees. He is national chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee, leading the union’s legislative efforts, and a trustee on the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.