Brooke Shields has been elected president of Actors’ Equity Association, the union that represents more than 51,000 professional stage actors and managers. She will serve a four-year term.
Rashaan James II was elected eastern regional vice president; Sarah LaBarr was elected central regional vice president, without opposition; and Jeffrey Landman was elected western regional vice president, without opposition.
Shields is best known for her roles in the films “Pretty Baby,” “The Blue Lagoon” and “Endless Love,” but she has also graced Broadway a handful of times. Her stage credits include “The Addams Family,” “Chicago,” “Cabaret” and “Grease.” Earlier this year, Shields starred in and executive produced Netflix’s “Mother of the Bride.” In 2023 she was the subject of a two-part Hulu documentary titled “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” which explores the actor’s exploitation and sexualization as a child star, her navigation of misogyny in the industry and her struggles with motherhood and postpartum depression.
Shields won the election over stage manager Erin Maureen Koster and replaces actor Kate Shindle, who was elected in 2015 and opted out of re-election this year.
In April, Shields posted a video announcing her candidacy, saying she hoped to use her star power to lobby for the union and increase the value of being a member.
“I want Equity to be in the position to command the respect that we deserve, whether it’s at the bargaining table or in DC or in every state house and city hall across the country, where we want to lobby for arts funding,” Shields said. “I want to use all of the goodwill, and the advantages that I have built up in my career over the years, to be able to grow the value of being an Equity member.”
View the full list of officers and councilors elected to Actors’ Equity seats here.
Source Agencies
