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Phylicia Rashad Shares Her Story with SAG Members P hylicia Rashad speaks soſtly, but when she talks, people listen. The actress known to most as Clair Huxtable from The Cosby Show, came to SAG headquarters in Los Angeles on March 28 to share personal stories and philosophies of life. The event, Phylicia Rashad — A Woman of Distinction: Her Story, was organized by the SAG National Women’s Committee and the SAG Foundation. Demonstrating equal parts grace, humor, humility and wisdom, Rashad charmed the capacity audience with tales of a remarkable life and a deep love of acting and the arts. In one particularly poignant moment, she recounted meeting former South Africa President Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing apartheid. He expressed his appreciation for her work on The Cosby Show. “He thanked me; he said, ‘When I was on Robben Island, I watched that show HOLLYWOOD DIVISION MEMBERSHIP MEETING DATE: SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011 TIME: 10 a.m. – noon Member caucus. Share ideas, voice opinions and ask questions 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Mix with board, staff and members. Visit committee tables. Sign up to speak. 12:30 – 4 p.m. Meeting/Q&A PLACE: The Sportsmen’s Lodge 12833 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 91604 (Parking will be validated.) The membership meeting is only open to paid-up SAG members in good standing affiliated with the Hollywood Division. Unfortunately, no guests allowed. Parents/guardians of young performers under 18 years old are welcome. PLEASE BRING YOUR SAG MEMBERSHIP CARD FOR ADMITTANCE (paid thru April 30, 2011). No RSVP necessary. All bags larger than 14 inches in any dimension (i.e. backpacks, suitcases, beach bags, etc.) will be prohibited from entry into the meeting. No pets or animals, with the exception of service animals in service. GOLFING FOR CHARITY L PGA golfer Paula Creamer and Ray Romano were among dozens of celebrities who turned out for the 2011 Kraſt Nabisco Championship, held March 28–April 3 in Rancho Mirage. Proceeds from the event helped benefit the SAG Foundation. SAG.org Spring 2011 - SCREEN ACTOR 37 with my guard and it soſtened him.’ That is art,” Rashad said. Rashad has had a fascinating life. When she was 13, her mother moved her and her sister — actor, dancer and From left, National Board member and Women’s Committee Chair L. Scott Caldwell, Phylicia Rashad and Hattie Winston. choreographer Debbie Allen — to Mexico City. It was a time when segregation continued to be practiced in Rashad’s home state of Texas, despite the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Moving south of the border opened up Rashad’s world, made her bilingual and gave her a new perspective that life in Texas never could. Her life, both on the stage and off, was and is a never-ending learning experience. At age 62, she still tests herself. Most recently, she directed the stage play A Raisin in the Sun, starring National Board member L. Scott Caldwell. Caldwell is the national co-chair of the SAG National Women’s Committee and helped organize the event in honor of Women’s History Month. Hattie Winston, a member of the committee and a long-time friend of Rashad, moderated the event. Rashad speaks of acting and actors with reverence, and it’s clear she is satisfied with her chosen path. “My mother said we are magic people — we create something out of nothing,” she said. “Life is magical. Every moment of it is magic.” RUNAWAY PRODUCTION S AG Hollywood Division Board member Stacey Travis, leſt, testified in favor of California’s film credit on March 18 in Pasadena. The hearing was held by Assembly member Anthony Portantino, the chair of the Select Committee and a member of the California Film Commission, to examine the economic impact of runaway production and the effectiveness of the film credits adopted in 2009. Paul Lester Photography Office of Assemblymember Portantino