WilliamMapother.com - Official website of the actor William Mapother

William and others join the Screen Actors Guild "Solidarity Campaign"

Posted on: December 15th, 2008 by wmapother 1 Comment

Los Angeles, December 12, 2008 —

Screen Actors Guild today announced the names of 30 recognizable members who, along with Guild national president Alan Rosenberg, signed SAG’s “Statement of Support.” The first signers include Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Martin Sheen, Sandra Oh, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, John Heard, Jerry O’Connell, Rob Morrow and 20 others. Guild secretary treasurer Connie Stevens and 1st national vice president Anne-Marie Johnson also signed on to the statement as did board members Elliott Gould, Frances Fisher, Valerie Harper, Robert Hays, Justine Bateman, Clancy Brown, Charles Shaughnessy, Scott Bakula, Diane Ladd and others.

The SAG “Statement of Support” reads:

“I support the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors request for members to vote YES to empower the National Board to decide whether to call a TV/Theatrical contract strike, and if so, determine its timeframe. We must arm our negotiating committee with the collective unity and strength of the Screen Actors Guild members.”

Holbrook, Asner, Sheen, Ladd, Fisher, and Stevens have recorded video testimonials and topical messages that will debut on Screen Actors Guild’s website next week along with other celebrity testimonials.

The Guild’s website now features video messages from Bateman, Shaughnessy and Brown prominently displayed in a homepage video viewer.

Initial signers include:
Ed Asner
Scott Bakula
Justine Bateman
Clancy Brown
Dixie Carter
George Coe
Anne DeSalvo
Frances Fisher
Mel Gibson
Brian Goodman
Elliot Gould
Ed Harris
Valerie Harper
John Heard
Robert Hays
Hal Holbrook
Holly Hunter
Anne-Marie Johnson
Diane Ladd
William Mapother
Kent McCord
Rob Morrow
Jerry O’Connell
Sandra Oh
Alan Rosenberg
Alan Ruck
Charles Shaughnessy
Martin Sheen
Connie Stevens
Renee Taylor
Alicia Witt

All SAG members are invited to sign the “Statement of Support” by emailing their name and member number to the email address contract2008@sag.org. (SAG is in the final programming stages of an online sign up form which will be put on the home page of the website.) Video statements of support are playing now at http://www.sag.org/.

Tags: SAG-AFTRA
Posted in Acting Projects, Video (Online & Home) | 1 Comment »

William speaks on the SAG vote

Posted on: December 11th, 2008 by wmapother No Comments

The recent news of the upcoming SAG vote to obtain strike authorization has stirred up a great deal of concern and confusion among industry members and the general public. SAG leaders are making every effort to clear up the confusion and shed light on the realities of the situation; for his part, William had the following to say…

The Screen Actors Guild is sending a referendum to its members asking not for a strike, but for a strike authorization. This will allow SAG’s National Board to call a strike if and when it deems it necessary. What’s at stake is nothing less than the ability of current and future actors to make a living at their craft. This fight is not for the highest-paid stars, but for everyday actors who depend on the contract minimums to make their living.

As content moves to the Internet, the networks and studios are refusing to maintain the pay arrangment they’ve had with actors for decades. And the contract they’re offering SAG is not the same, incredibly, but worse than what was signed by writers, directors and the other actors union, AFTRA. Given the economy, the timing of this is very unfortunate, obviously, but the livelihood of all middle-class actors hangs in the balance.

Tags: SAG-AFTRA
Posted in Acting Tips & Info | No Comments »

"The Lather Effect" comes to cable TV

Posted on: December 4th, 2008 by wmapother No Comments

This Friday night brings the cable TV premiere of William’s movie The Lather Effect, one of two independent films William shot back-to-back in 2005 that came out on DVD last spring. Described as a Big Chillfor the 80’s generation, the film explores the complex dynamics between a group of old friends cleaning up the mess left by one wild drunken party (and the years of unresolved hurt, love, envy, and doubt that preceded it).

Lather is definitely a must-see film for William fans, as it provides a rare opportunity for William to act far “outside the box” of his more common scary/creepy roles. His character “Jack” has plenty of serious and intense moments, as do all of the characters. However, for those who have wanted to see William flex his acting muscles in romantic scenes — lighthearted banter, emotional connection peppered with moments of temptation and long-held yearning — The Lather Effect breaks a lot of new ground for him onscreen.

Lather hits the small screen this Friday night on Showtime. If you haven’t yet seen the film, keep an eye on your local cable listings (or make your holiday wish list on Amazon.com) and check it out!

Posted in Acting Projects, Film, Photos of Wm, TV | No Comments »

Archived Links for November

Posted on: November 30th, 2008 by wmapother No Comments

In an effort to keep the Links section of the blog to a manageable length, we will be doing monthly archiving of William’s older press items.

Voice Tribune photo gallery of Actors Theatre opening
LEO Weekly review of “Glengarry Glen Ross” (9/2/08)
Louisville Courier-Journal Review of “Glengarry Glen Ross” (8/29/08)
Voice Tribune interview (8/13/08)

These older items will no longer be listed individually in the “Check These Out!” area, but they are still available to visitors at the click of a mouse! Just click on the new “Archived Links” feature to the right (at the bottom of the list of current links) or select “Archived Links” from the drop-down list of labels and you will find all of the William Mapother interviews and features previously featured here. As always, any questions or inquiries about past, present, and future blog items may be submitted via e-mail.

Posted in Interviews and Q&A's, Louisville & KY, Press, Stage | No Comments »