The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to announce that William Petersen is the winner of the 2008-2009 Sarah Siddons Award. The award was presented at the organization's annual Gala, held June 1, 2009.

WILLIAM PETERSEN

Biography

A multi-ranged actor with a unique talent for edgy characters, William Petersen continues to rivet audiences with his performances.

Most recently, Petersen starred for nine seasons on the critically acclaimed CBS drama “C.S.I:  Crime Scene Investigation” for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. Petersen remains an Executive Producer on the hit show which garnered a number one rating position in just two seasons and has remained at the top ever since.

Throughout his years on C.S.I. Petersen was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, and a nomination for Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic from the Producers Guild of America.

Petersen first drew attention with his critically acclaimed performances in such feature films as William Friedkin’s stylish thriller “To Live and Die in L.A.” with Willem Dafoe, Michael Mann’s haunting “Manhunter,” and his portrayal of a philandering husband in Joel Schumacher’s “Cousins.”

In 2000, Petersen starred opposite Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen and Gary Oldham in the Dreamworks political thriller, “The Contender” directed by Rod Lurie.

Petersen’s other feature credits include Roger Young’s “Kiss the Sky,”  James Foley’s “Fear” with Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon, Geoff Murphy’s “Young Guns II,” and John Progue’s “The Skulls.” His credits also include “Hard Promises” which he also produced along with his partner Cindy Chvatal for his High Horse productions banner.

On the small screen, Petersen has been no less prolific.  In 1998, Petersen starred as John F. Kennedy in HBO’s Emmy nominated miniseries “The Rat Pack.”  The impressive cast included Don Cheadle, Ray Liotta and Joe Mantegna.

In 1997, he starred with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott as “Juror #12” in the Golden Globe winning tele-film, “12 Angry Men” for Showtime which was directed by William Friedkin, this remake of the 1957 classic.

Petersen’s other television credits include the Golden Globe Award winning miniseries “The Kennedys of Massachusetts,” NBC’s highly rated mini-series “The Beast,” which was based on the novel by Peter Benchly, “Return of the Lonesome Dove” with John Voight and Barbara Hershey and “Long Gone” for HBO.  Petersen also starred in the Andy Tennant directed TNT telefilm “Keep the Change” which he also produced for his High Horse productions banner.

In 1979, he founded the Remains Theater Ensemble in Chicago with a group of fellow actors.  In 1983, Petersen starred as Jack Henry Abbott in “In the Belly of the Beast” which he performed at the Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago, at the Edinburgh Festival and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In 1996 Petersen made his Broadway debut in a revival of Tennessee Williams' “The Night of the Iguana.” He has appeared in a number of regional stage productions, including “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Time of Your Life,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Fool for Love” and “Speed-the-Plow.”

Most recently he starred in “A Dublin Carol” at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and will appear this summer at the Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago in David Harrower’s controversial “Blackbird.”

Petersen was born in Evanston, Illinois, and he first discovered acting while pursuing a football scholarship at Idaho State University.

April 2009

The Sarah Siddons Society is also pleased to announce that Hollis Resnik is the winner of the 2008-2009 Chicago's Leading Lady Award for her performance in Grey Gardens. This is the second time she has been honored with this award by the organization. The award was presented at the Sarah Siddons annual Gala, held June 1, 2009.

HOLLIS RESNIK

Hollis most recently appeared as big and little Edie in the Northlight production of Grey Gardens.  Her Goodman credits include Wings, A Little Night Music, House of Martin Guerre, and The Beard of Avon.  National tours: Muriel in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Fantine in Les Miserables.  Court Theatre credits include Titus Andronicus, The Little Foxes, Yravesties, Man of La Mancha, The Dead , The Misanthrope, The Learned Ladies, The Chairs, and The Cherry Orchard.  Additional credits include Pen at Appletree Theatre, Always Patsy Cline at the Apollo, The Immigrant at Northlight, Rough Crossing at Writers Theatre, Mame and Into the Woods at Marriott Lincolnshire, and Song and Dance and Evita at Candlelight.  She has sung with the Lyric Opera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and at Ravinia. She appeared as Blanche in Streetcar Named Desire at Cleveland Playhouse and Lane in Clean House for Mixed Blood in Minneapolis. Other regional theatres include Alliance Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Indiana Rep, Long Wharf, Arizona Rep, and Santa Fe Stages. She has also appeared in film and television.

Hollis Resnik is the recipient of 9 Jeff awards, 3 After Dark awards, and this will be her second Sarah Siddons Chicago's Leading Lady Award.  Previously she was honored for her role in Piaf at Interplay Theatre.  She has recorded a CD entitled "Make Someone Happy."

April, 2009

Sarah Siddons Award

The Sarah Siddons Society Awardees

Helen Hayes First winner of the Sarah Siddons Society Award.  Honored as Chicago's most outstanding actress of the 1952-53 theatrical season for her role in Mrs. McThing, Helen Hayes is congratulated by Mr. and Mrs. James Hart at the Society's first annual Gala	Lauren Bacall & Irv Kupcinet Lauren Bacall is the winner of two Sarah Siddons Awards  (1971-72 for Applause & 1984-85 for Woman of the Year)
Bette Davis & Stanley Paul Bette Davis was the recipient of the 1972-73 Special 20th Anniversary Award for All About Eve. Betty Stuart Rodgers Jeffreys & Lily Tomlin Lily Tomlin was the recipient of the 1989-90  Sarah Siddons Society Award for her one-woman show,  The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe.

Stanley Paul, Donna Atwater, Elaine Stritch, Merle Reskin, Greta Wiley
Elaine Stritch was the recipient of the 2003-04 Sarah Siddons Award  for her show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty.

 

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