Longtime Screen Actors Guild Members to Receive Hollywood Division's Ralph Morgan Award

LOS ANGELES (May 24, 2010) – Screen Actors Guild today announced that Gloria Stuart and Paul Napier have been selected to receive the Hollywood Division’s prestigious Ralph Morgan Award, the highest service award given by the Hollywood Division. The honor will be bestowed Saturday, June 19 as part of the Annual Hollywood Division Membership Meeting at the Sportsmen’s Lodge.

Gloria Stuart was among the first members to join Screen Actors Guild in 1933, becoming member No. 843 and subsequently serving for several years on the National Board. She is the sole surviving board member from the 1930s. Paul Napier has served Screen Actors Guild through continuous service on the board of directors or one of its committees since 1979, and this past spring, chaired the Los Angeles representatives in the successful negotiation of the Commercials Contract. This represents an extraordinary 26 times that he has been a member of a negotiating committee of national contracts. Both Stuart and Napier have generously given their time and expertise in service to the Guild’s membership and all actors.

Stuart, who turns 100 on July 4, is best known for her performances in The Invisible Man, Poor Little Rich Girl, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Titanic. In 1937 she began her service as a board member. She was appointed as one of six to work out a coordinating program with the Junior Council (representing background talent) and was re-elected to a three-year term on the board. In 1976, Stuart was issued a Screen Actors Guild Life Membership. In 1998, she was awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance as Rose in Titanic, for which she received a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination as well.

"We are especially privileged this year to honor Gloria Stuart as a Ralph Morgan Award recipient,” said SAG President Ken Howard. “ Ms. Stuart’s early service to the Guild lay the groundwork for SAG to become one of the most powerful and respected labor unions today.”

Napier is one of the founding members and continuing producers of the annual, nationally televised Screen Actors Guild Awards show. He began his career 40 years ago as the announcer for the then-new Rochester Americans professional hockey team. After moving to Los Angeles, he originated the Mr. Goodwrench character for General Motors’ commercial campaign. Among his more than 400 commercial credits are his recent appearances for Washington Mutual.

"For more than three decades, the Screen Actors Guild has benefitted immeasurably from the time and talents of Paul Napier," said Howard. "I commend his tremendous dedication and thank him for his extraordinary contributions to the Guild."

“I am honored to join my colleagues in expressing our sincere gratitude to Paul Napier,” said SAG National Board Member Pamela Reed, co-chair of the SAG National Honors and Tributes Committee. “Hollywood members and the membership at-large have benefitted tremendously from his years of board and committee service.”

The Ralph Morgan Award is named after SAG’s first president, who led the fight to establish a union for screen actors in 1933. It is given periodically for distinguished service to the Guild’s Hollywood membership. Among the previous recipients of the Ralph Morgan Award are past SAG presidents Ed Asner, Dennis Weaver, William Schallert and Kathleen Nolan, as well as other distinguished officers and members.

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About SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation's largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists' rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 Branches nationwide, SAG represents more than 125,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors' working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists' rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at SAG.org.

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