Actor Brooke Shields has been elected president of Actors’ Equity Association, the union has announced.
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Shields took the lead in a three-way race, beating out stage manager Erin Maureen Koster and actor Wydetta Carter. Actors’ Equity is represents 51,000 actors and stage managers.
Shields succeeds Kate Shindle as president, who announced in April that she would not seek re-election when her nine-year tenure ended May 23. Shindle has said that she will remain active in the labor movement but now intends to focus on resuming her acting career, noting that the unpaid position of president left her with so little time for acting that she had not been able to clock enough professional hours to quality for Equity health insurance.
Shields’ win was confirmed this morning by Equity, which announced the results of its 2024 Officer and Councilor Election. In total, 45 council seats across all three regions and representing four categories (principal actor, chorus actor, stage manager and at-large) were filled, effective immediately. All terms are four years except where noted.
In addition to Shields, the 2024 officers include Rashaan James II, elected Eastern Regional Vice President; Sarah LaBarr, elected Central Regional Vice President, without opposition. Jeffrey Landman was elected Western Regional Vice President, without opposition. All officers were elected to four-year terms.
In announcing her run for the presidency in April, Shields said, “I felt it was my responsibility to step up, I want to lead with strength. I want to lead with intelligence, with compassion, with passion. And, of course, a little bit of humor, always…I have been in the trenches with you and you have always had my back. And I’m here to tell you that I have your back.”
Shields comes to the position with no experience in union leadership, but has been a working actor since childhood. She has appeared on Broadway in Grease, Chicago, Cabaret, Wonderful Town and The Addams Family.
In addition to the national elections, the following candidates were elected in regional positions:
In the Eastern Region:
The following candidates were elected to four-year terms as Eastern Regional Principal Councilor:
- Jeff Blumenkrantz
- Jennifer Cody
- Jacqueline Jarrold
- Claire Karpen
- Austin Ku
- Jeffrey Omura
- Kellie Overbey
- Kate Shindle
- Nancy Slusser
- Richard Topol
Michele Ragusa was elected to a two-year term as Eastern Regional Principal Councilor.
The following candidates were elected to four-year terms as Eastern Regional Chorus Councilor:
- Belinda Allyn
- Holly Ann Butler
- Rebecca Kim Jordan
- Nikka Graff Lanzarone
- Melissa Hunter McCann
- T. Shyvonne Stewart
Ryan Rodiño was elected to a two-year term as Eastern Regional Chorus Councilor.
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The following candidates were elected to four-year terms as Eastern Regional Stage Manager Councilor:
- Anne McPherson
- Rebecca McBee
- Peter Royston
The following candidates were elected to four-year terms as Eastern Regional At-Large Councilor:
- Tamara Anderson
- Logan Benedict
- Leslie Sears
In the Central Region:
The following candidates were elected to four-year terms as Central Regional Principal Councilor:
- Rebecca Prescott
- Colin Sphar
- Nikki Switzer
The following candidate weas unopposed and deemed elected to a four-year term as Central Regional Stage Manager Councilor:
The following candidate was unopposed and deemed elected to a four-year term as Central Regional At-Large Councilor:
In the Western Region:
The following candidates were elected to four-year terms as Western Regional Principal Councilor:
- Ry Armstrong
- Michael James Bell
- Kate Burton
- Barbara Callander
- Josh Grisetti
- Kwana A. L. Martinez
The following candidates were elected to two-year terms as Western Regional Principal Councilor:
- Brian Herndon
- Cynthia Marty
- Gregory North
Juliane Godfrey was unopposed and deemed elected to a four-year term as Western Regional Chorus Councilor.
David S. Cohen was unopposed and deemed elected to a four-year term as Western Regional Stage Manager Councilor.
Michelle Dunn was unopposed and deemed elected to a four-year term as Western Regional At-Large Councilor.
Brooke Shields Announces Run For President Of Actors' Equity Association
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