Ron Silver Dead At 62

Actor and conservative activist Ron Silver has died of cancer at age 62.

"Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him early Sunday morning," said Robin Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, which Silver helped found. Bronk said Silver was with his family in New York City and he had been fighting esophageal cancer for two years. Bronk called Silver not only a very talented actor, but a champion of free speech and artists rights. New York-based Creative Coalition is an art-oriented political group founded in 1989 by Silver, Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon, among others. After the September 11 attacks, Silver, a longtime Democrat, became an outspoken supporter of Republican President George W. Bush.

Silver was fantastic in The West Wing.