SAG-AFTRA, the union which represents approximately 160,000 actors, has named members Martin Sheen and Renée Taylor as the 2026 recipients of the local’s Ralph Morgan Award for exceptional union service.
Established in 1981, the Los Angeles Local’s Ralph Morgan Award is named in honor of the first president of the Screen Actors Guild, who served three terms as SAG President, first during the union’s inception in 1933, and then additional terms in 1938–1940. Upon the end of his final term as president, the SAG Board presented him with a scroll reading, “Devotion to the cause of actors, courage to fight for the right, sacrifice of self for others.” Inscribed on the award, these words remain the qualification for all recipients.
“These two legends have given so much of their time, energy, and unwavering commitment to this union and the members it serves,” said Los Angeles Local President Joely Fisher, “We are proud to honor them with the Ralph Morgan Award and deeply grateful for the lasting impact they’ve made on our community.”
Martin Sheen, who has been a union member since 1961, is one of the most acclaimed actors in American film and television, with a career spanning more than 60 years. He rose to prominence with landmark films like “Badlands” and “Apocalypse Now,” and he later earned a Golden Globe for his portrayal of President Josiah Bartlet on the iconic television series “The West Wing.”
An activist and humanitarian, during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, he delivered a rousing address at the National Day of Solidarity rally outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, reuniting with his West Wing castmates to call on members to stand together.
Renée Taylor is an actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director whose career spans more than seven decades. Alongside her late husband Joseph Bologna, she received an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay of “Lovers and Other Strangers” and an Emmy Award for writing the 1973 television special “Acts of Love and Other Comedies.” She is beloved by audiences worldwide for her role as Sylvia Fine on the CBS sitcom “The Nanny,” which she starred in alongside former SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
She has served on the SAG National Board of Directors across multiple terms, including the Hollywood Board of Directors beginning in 2001, and SAG National Board service from 2001 through 2010.
