---
name: "Ron Silver"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ron-silver"
fi1m_id: "ron-silver"
imdb_id: "nm0798779"
tmdb_id: 21399
wikidata_id: "Q382036"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "2 July 1946"
died: "15 March 2009"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 71
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-05T20:04:58.832424+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ron Silver

## Identity

Ron Silver

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ron-silver
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ron-silver
- **IMDb ID:** nm0798779
- **TMDB ID:** 21399
- **Wikidata ID:** Q382036
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Silver, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q382036, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0798779/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/21399

Actor. Born 2 July 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 15 March 2009.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 2 July 1946, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 15 March 2009
- **Active:** 1984–2001
- **Also known as:** ران سیلور
- **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 77 (1), 1990s 70 (3), 2000s 68 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 64 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Action 2, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $319m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Silver, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q382036, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0798779/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/21399

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Ali*](https://film.one/film/ali.md) (68)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Timecop*](https://film.one/film/timecop.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Ron Silver

> Ron Silver makes quick thinking worth watching. His alertness and verbal agility are a particular pleasure when the script gives him a problem to solve, though clever talk can become too enjoyable for a film's own good.

In *Reversal of Fortune* (1990), Ron Silver makes a discussion of evidence feel like something happening. His Alan Dershowitz thinks through a problem with an alertness that gives Barbet Schroeder's dryly funny legal drama a welcome change of energy. We enjoyed these exchanges because he makes the thinking itself engaging, without asking us to admire the lawyer for being clever. He can hold our attention through an explanation, a useful skill in a film full of disputed evidence.

The role brought wider notice after supporting film work through the 1980s and an important stage part as Charlie Fox in David Mamet's *Speed-the-Plow* (1988). Silver was often cast as intelligent professionals and authority figures, with verbal agility that could be used to persuade or manipulate. *Blue Steel* (1990) drew on the more menacing possibilities of his charm.

Nicholas Kazan's screenplay gives him material worth listening to in *Reversal of Fortune*. The writing understands how a question about evidence can become a question about the person presenting it, so Silver has more to do than deliver information clearly. He keeps the discussion lively, but this is also where our reservation about the film begins. The satisfaction of the talk sometimes makes the human cost feel less urgent, and Sunny can seem like an afterthought. We would not blame Silver for being interesting, but Schroeder could have been less willing to let that interest dominate.

Later work continued to make use of his authority, including Bruno Gianelli, his recurring role in *The West Wing* from 2001 to 2006. Michael Mann's *Ali* (2001) cast him as Muhammad Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee. Sidney Lumet's *Find Me Guilty* (2006) put him back in a courtroom as Judge Sidney Finestein, another part for a man who could sound as though he knew his business. Start with *Reversal of Fortune*, where a good screenplay gives that intelligence something to work on.

## Biography

Ron Silver was an American actor. He was born Ronald Arthur Silver on 2 July 1946 in New York City and died there on 15 March 2009.

He studied at the State University of New York at Buffalo and St John's University, and trained at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the Actors Studio. Silver appeared in films including *Romancing the Stone* (1984), *Silkwood* (1983), *Blue Steel* (1990), *Timecop* (1994), *The Arrival* (1996), *Ali* (2001) and *Find Me Guilty* (2006). He played Alan Dershowitz in *Reversal of Fortune* (1990) and had a recurring role as Bruno Gianelli in the television series *The West Wing* (1999–2006).

On stage, Silver won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for *Speed-the-Plow* (1988). He served as president of the Actors' Equity Association from 1991 to 2000.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Ali* (2001), Fi1m 68, as Angelo Dundee — [page](https://film.one/film/ali.md)
- *Timecop* (1994), Fi1m 64, as Senator Aaron McComb — [page](https://film.one/film/timecop.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, as Bernie Adler — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Reversal of Fortune* (1990), Fi1m 75, as Alan Dershowitz — [page](https://film.one/film/reversal-of-fortune.md)
- *Romancing the Stone* (1984), Fi1m 77, as Vendor — [page](https://film.one/film/romancing-the-stone.md)

## Complete filmography (91)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *My Father's Will* (2009), as Dunbar
- *Xenophobia* (2008), as President
- *The Ten* (2007), as Fielding Barnes
- *The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays* (2006), as Charlie Fox (segment "Speed-the-Plow")
- *Find Me Guilty* (2006), as Sidney Finestein
- *Red Mercury* (2005), as Sidney
- *Law & Order: Trial by Jury* (2005), series, as Bernie Adler
- *Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60* (2005), as Narrator (voice) · Co-Director, Executive Producer
- *Fahrenhype 9/11* (2004), Actor
- *Jack* (2004), as Paul
- *Skin* (2003), series, Actor
- *Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story* (2002), as Mike Fine
- *Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story* (2002), series, as Mike Fine
- *The Wisher* (2002), as Campbell
- *Exposure* (2001), as Gary Whitford
- *Ali* (2001), as Angelo Dundee — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/ali.md)
- *Festival in Cannes* (2001), as Rick Yorkin
- *Crossing Jordan* (2001), series, as Shelly Levine
- *When Billie Beat Bobby* (2001), as Bobby Riggs
- *American Tragedy* (2000), as Robert Shapiro
- *Cutaway* (2000), as Lt. Brian Margate
- *Ratz* (2000), as Herb Soric
- *Black & White* (1999), as Simon Herzel
- *In the Company of Spies* (1999), as Tom Lenahan
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Bruno Gianelli — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Love Is Strange* (1999), as Tom Ainsworth
- *Heat Vision and Jack* (1999), series, as Ron Silver
- *The White Raven* (1998), as Tully Windsor
- *Rhapsody in Bloom* (1998), as Mitch Bloom
- *Veronica's Closet* (1997), series, as Alec Bilson
- *Skeletons* (1997), as Peter Crane
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Attorney John Mockler
- *The Beneficiary* (1997), as Guy Girard
- *Shadow Zone: The Undead Express* (1996), as Valentine
- *Danger Zone* (1996), as Maurice Dupont
- *The Arrival* (1996), as Gordian
- *Girl 6* (1996), as Director #2 - LA
- *Deadly Outbreak* (1996), as Colonel Baron
- *Kissinger and Nixon* (1995), as Henry A. Kissinger
- *Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story* (1995), as Ron Kershaw
- *A Woman of Independent Means* (1995), series, as Arthur
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, as Tommy Wilmette
- *Timecop* (1994), as Senator Aaron McComb — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/timecop.md)
- *Loyalty & Betrayal: The Story of the American Mob* (1994), as Narrator
- *Lifepod* (1993), as Terman · Director
- *Blind Side* (1993), as Doug Kaines
- *Mr. Saturday Night* (1992), as Larry Meyerson
- *Live Wire* (1992), as Frank Traveres
- *Married to It* (1991), as Leo Rothenberg
- *The Good Policeman* (1991), as Isaac Seidel · Executive Producer
- *Forgotten Prisoners: The Amnesty Files* (1990), as Jordan Ford
- *Reversal of Fortune* (1990), as Alan Dershowitz — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/reversal-of-fortune.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Bernie Adler — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Blue Steel* (1990), as Eugene Hunt
- *Enemies, a Love Story* (1989), as Herman Broder
- *Fellow Traveller* (1989), as Asa Kaufman
- *A Father's Revenge* (1988), as Max Greenwald
- *Billionaire Boys Club* (1987), as Ron Levin
- *Billionaire Boys Club* (1987), series, as Ron Levin
- *Trying Times* (1987), series, Actor
- *Wiseguy* (1987), series, Actor
- *Eat and Run* (1987), as Mickey McSorely
- *Trapped In Silence* (1986), as Dr. Jeff Tomlinson
- *Kane & Abel* (1985), series, as Thaddeus Cohen
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Asa Kaufman
- *Oh, God! You Devil* (1984), as Gary Frantz
- *Garbo Talks* (1984), as Gilbert Rolfe
- *The Goodbye People* (1984), as Eddie Bergson
- *Romancing the Stone* (1984), as Vendor — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/romancing-the-stone.md)
- *Silkwood* (1983), as Paul Stone
- *Lovesick* (1983), as Ted Caruso
- *Best Friends* (1982), as Larry Weisman
- *The Entity* (1982), as Phil Sneiderman
- *Silent Rage* (1982), as Dr. Tom Halman
- *Bakers' Dozen* (1982), series, as Mike Locasale
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Gruenwald
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *Word of Honor* (1981), as David Lerner
- *The Stockard Channing Show* (1980), series, as Brad Gabriel
- *Dear Detective* (1979), series, Actor
- *Dear Detective* (1979), as Det. Schwartz
- *Betrayal* (1978), as Bob Cohen
- *Murder at the Mardi Gras* (1978), as Larry Cook
- *Semi-Tough* (1977), as Vlada
- *Welcome to L.A.* (1976), as Massuese (uncredited)
- *The Return of the World's Greatest Detective* (1976), as Dr. Collins
- *Tunnel Vision* (1976), as Dr. Manuel Labor
- *Big Eddie* (1975), series, Actor
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Ted Haller — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Rhoda* (1974), series, as Gary Levy
- *McMillan & Wife* (1971), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Ron Silver](https://film.one/media/person/77733/gallery-3a0564aa4820.jpg) Ron Silver — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel  Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Ron_Silver_1998.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![The headstone of Ron Silver in Westchester Hills Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (2013)](https://film.one/media/person/77733/gallery-28e68d0c0dbd.jpg) The headstone of Ron Silver in Westchester Hills Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (2013) — Anthony22, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Ron_Silver_Headstone_December_04%2C_2013.jpg/1280px-Ron_Silver_Headstone_December_04%2C_2013.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ron Silver](https://film.one/media/person/77733/gallery-6d8cf0663b06.jpg) Ron Silver — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1988: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ron-silver