Ron Silver Dies At 62

Actor and political activist Ron Silver reportedly died this morning, succumbing to a long battle with esophageal cancer.

The 62 year old actor had been fighting esophageal cancer for two years and reportedly died in his sleep with family and friends nearby.

Silver has starred in numerous films, TV shows, and stage plays over the last 30 years in addition to being quite politically active. Notably Silver had recurring roles on The West Wing, Veronica's Closet, and Chicago Hope.

Before getting into acting, Silver taught Spanish for several years in the 1960s at Roosevelt High School, a Jewish boarding school in Connecticut. Because of his knowledge of Chinese, he sought employment with the US Government and traveled to Taiwan in the early 1970s.

Silver was no stranger to politics, he was a known supporter of the Democratic party for many years and helped found the Creative Coalition in 1989. After the 9/11 attacks, Silver surprisingly became a supporter for President Bush's reelection in 2004.

Most recently he hosted a public affairs talk show on Sirius satellite radio.