Alan Rosenberg (born October 4, 1950) is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union. Rosenberg was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey. Alan's late brother, Mark, was a political activist in the 1960s, later a film producer; while his first cousin is musician Donald Fagen. Alan's parents gave him money to apply to graduate school. Rosenberg said on graduating in 1972 from Case Western Reserve University, that he found another passion, poker, and had gambled away most of the money his parents sent him, and could only afford one application to Yale School of Drama. Rosenberg dropped out halfway through his second year, after his heart was broken by classmate Meryl Streep. Rosenberg is perhaps best known for his character Eli Levinson which appeared in both the series Civil Wars and the popular L.A. Law. In 1979, he appeared in the movie The Wanderers, as Turkey. He is also well known for his character Ira Woodbine in the sitcom Cybill. More recently he was seen in the legal drama The Guardian as Alvin Masterson.