Alan Rosenberg
A character actor of intense presence who later leveraged his craft to lead Hollywood's largest performers' union through turbulent times.
Born 1950 (age 76)·American actor·Birthday: October 4·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Rosenberg built a career on playing men who were frayed, passionate, and deeply human, often lawyers or professionals shouldering heavy burdens. After studying at the Yale School of Drama, he broke through as the troubled gang member 'Turkey' in the cult film 'The Wanderers.' Television, however, became his primary stage. He earned critical praise and an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of divorce attorney Eli Levinson on 'Civil Wars,' a role he later brought to 'L.A. Law.' He was equally memorable as the neurotic, lovelorn producer Ira Woodbine on 'Cybill.' In 2005, his peers elected him President of the Screen Actors Guild, thrusting him into a real-world drama of labor negotiations. His four-year term was marked by a bitter internal strike and contentious debates over how actors should be compensated in the digital age. Rosenberg brought a performer's empathy and a negotiator's toughness to the role, fighting for the working actors he represented while navigating the complex politics of a changing industry.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2005 to 2009, leading the union during the 2007-2008 contract negotiations and a internal crisis.
- Received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Eli Levinson on 'Civil Wars.'
- Portrayed the recurring character of Stuart Brickman, a cancer-stricken lawyer, on the medical drama 'Chicago Hope.'
- Played the iconic role of 'Turkey' in the influential street-gang film 'The Wanderers' (1979).
Did You Know?
He is the former husband of actress Marg Helgenberger; they were married for 19 years.
Rosenberg's brother, Mark Rosenberg, was a film producer and former president of Warner Bros.
He is a graduate of the prestigious Yale School of Drama.
During his SAG presidency, he was a vocal critic of the union's former executive director, leading to a major governance dispute.
“The law is a blunt instrument. It's about people, not just statutes.”
