SAG-AFTRA remembers leslie Shreve

SAG-AFTRA Remembers Former National Board Member leslie Shreve

March 31, 2024

SAG-AFTRA celebrates the life of longtime former National Board member leslie Shreve, a current New York Local Board member, who passed away March 31, 2024, at the age of 79.

Shreve joined SAG in 1970 and AFTRA in 1975. She served in union leadership for over 40 years, beginning in 1980 as an AFTRA National Board member. She was elected to Screen Actors Guild's National Board in 1981 and continued serving on the SAG-AFTRA National Board from the 2012 merger until 2019.

"A performer, altruist and activist, leslie Shreve will be remembered for her commitment to women and the performing arts as well as her broad, beaming smile," said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. "She exemplified what it means to be a SAG-AFTRA member, and our union is deeply grateful for her decades of service."

"leslie Shreve was a warm, tireless and inspiring advocate for women, artists, performers and workers everywhere," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. "Serving on the SAG-AFTRA National Women's Committee, she led the charge in calling for industry colleagues to join the fight for reproductive rights. Her dedication to advocacy and refusal to be discouraged by obstacles has earned her a place in union history. She will be missed."

A champion for women's equity and a dedicated and eager volunteer for over four decades, Shreve brought her exuberant energy to the boardroom as national chair for the Women's Committees for both SAG and AFTRA. The magnitude of her passion for labor and unionism was demonstrated in her fierce advocacy for merger. For SAG-AFTRA, she was co-chair of the National Women's Committee, chair of the New York Local Women's Committee, and served on additional committees, including the National Diversity Advisory Group, the National Honors and Tributes Committee, and the National Convention Advisory Review Committee.

She enjoyed a fulfilling professional career as an actor, announcer, voiceover artist, and makeup artist, receiving a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Makeup Design in 1998 for her work on All My Children. Shreve was a Television Trustee for IATSE Local 798 and was also on the council of both the Episcopal Actors Guild and The Lambs, as well as a past president of the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition, which she championed since its inception and was named as Special Advisor.

Shreve's closing message:
"So, to you friends... I wish each of you to notice the magic in your life...I send you love."

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition through PayPal, Zelle (info@womenartsmediacoalition.org), or mailed to 22 East 30th Street.