Fellow Actors: Don't Let George Do It

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday October 29, 2001 01:00 PM EST

George Clooney raised the ire of some of his fellow Screen Actors Guild members when he sounded off to Variety last week about the actors' union's decision to expel three strikebreakers. According to the trade paper, Clooney, 40, took issue with the SAG national board's move to dismiss Mario Barbieri Cecchini, Gerry Donato and Robert Kalomeer, who broke rank and worked during last year's commercials strike. "I suggest that in this time of healing that we accept all of the actors' apologies, attach fines appropriately and fairly and let people go about the business of chasing their dreams," said Clooney, who also offered to pay the trio's fines. But in a new development, board member Tom Bosley, 74 (yes, Howard Cunningham on TV's "Happy Days"), asserted that Clooney did not have the full story. Furthermore, said Bosley, the board is precluded from disclosing details. SAG member Gary D. Mosher also wrote Clooney and described how Donato had allegedly punched Mosher several times on a picket line. "The lifetime ban for Gerry Donato was not only fair, it was deserved," Mosher said. Clooney also complained that the punishments were not equivalent to those given out to Elizabeth Hurley and Tiger Woods, who were fined $100,000 each for performing non-union work. But Bosley said those punishments were "just" and that the fines assisted members who had been on strike. No new comment from Clooney.