As actors go, Ron Silver, who died Sunday at age 62, was a real winner. In 1988, he took both the Tony and Drama Desk awards as lead actor in a play for portraying a combative wannabe film producer named Charlie Fox in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" on Broadway. For the Tony, Ron Silver beat Derek Jacobi ("Breaking the Code"), John Lithgow ("M. Butterfly"), and Robert Prosky ("A Walk in the Woods").

"Mr. Silver gives the performance of his career," wrote Frank Rich in the New York Times. "While one expects this actor to capture Charlie's cigar-chomping vulgarity, Mr. Silver's frightening eruptions of snarling anger and crumpled demeanor in the face of defeat make what could be another Beverly Hills caricature into a figure of pathos." Four-time Tony nominee Raul Esparza played the part in the recent revival of the play.

Prior to his death from cancer on Sunday, Ron Silver was also nominated for three Emmys. Two of those nods came in prime-time races. One nomination was as best supporting actor in a TV movie/mini for portraying a murdered con artist in "Billionaire Boys Club" in 1987; he lost to John Shea ("Baby M"). The other nomination was in 2002 in the guest series category for playing a recurring character on "The West Wing"; he lost then to Charles S. Dutton ("The Practice"). As presidential campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli,  he appeared in 19 episodes of this Emmy-winning political drama over five seasons beginning in 2001.

And in 2005, Silver reaped a bid as best performer in a children/youth/family special at the Daytime Emmys as a dad who revealed to his son that he's gay in "Jack." He lost that race to his costar Stockard Channing.

Photo: Lincoln Center Productions

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