Derwin Jordan

Actor Jordan Derwin was a familiar face in film and on television, but his greatest achievements lie within his work for performers' unions. Derwin attended the University of Pennsylvania and New York University, graduating with a law degree. He practiced law for 25 years before getting bitten by the acting bug. Derwin's acting work focused on extra or background work, leading to numerous appearances on Late Night With David Letterman and Saturday Night Live. It was apparently his background in law, however, that endeared him to the various acting guilds he was a member of, which led to his serving on numerous committees within the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Many of the issues he lent his knowledge and expertise to include agent relations, contract negotiations, health coverage, affirmative action, stunt and safety and member relations. Late in his life, Derwin received lifetime achievement awards from both of the major unions, only a few years before his death at age 68, from a nearly two-decade-long battle with cancer.