As of last Sunday, actor Ken Howard became an Emmy-award winner; as of Thursday Howard became the President of the Screen Actors Guild. Howard, who leads the 'moderate' faction within the divisive SAG, soundly defeated his closest opponent, actress Anne-Marie Johnson. The moderate faction also won a majority of the vacant board seats. The moderates, including Tom Hanks and George Clooney, drove out former President Doug Allen last year, and relations within the union have remained contentious since then. Moderates hope that their election victory could mean less contentious relations within the union, as well as with major studios. Many remain uneasy however, as the economic crisis takes its toll on the entertainment industry.
See "Ken Howard, a moderate, elected Screen Actors Guild president", Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2009