The Entertainment Fellowship
Robert Hanley was founder and eight-year president of The Entertainment Fellowship, a very successful, nonprofit organization of more than 4,000 people in the entertainment industry.
It’s MISSION was to enable people in the entertainment industry to recognize Judeo-Christian principles and apply them to their careers. By offering the individual spiritual and practical choices, The Entertainment Fellowship addressed the issues of ethics, morals and survival in this industry. The Fellowship affected a positive change in the lives of individuals which subsequently brought a higher standard of morals and ethics to what the industry as a whole produced. In addition, the Fellowship encouraged all people to apply ethical principles as a wise and valuable guideline in the selection of their entertainment.
The Fellowship accomplished this by providing regular DISCUSSION MEETINGS, and other events, which focused on God & career; spirituality and the specific challenges faced by those in the entertainment and media industries. These meetings were held in an atmosphere, and with an agenda, that enabled people to share their faith, feelings and experiences with their peers from all areas of the industry. Representative topics included: “Perseverance;” “Emotional Burnout: What causes it? What can I do about it?” “Power: Coping with people who abuse it;” “Success and Failure: Dealing with the distractions.”
In addition to the Discussion Meetings, other events included MONTHLY SCREENINGS of new or soon-to-be-released films, MONTHLY GUEST SPEAKER DINNERS held at CBS Studio Center, a QUARTERLY PUBLICATION entitled Angie which contained articles by and for its members, as well as YEARLY RELIGIOUS RETREATS.
The Entertainment Fellowship also reached out to industry, civic and religious communities offering positive alternatives for the ethical improvement of entertainment in our society.
The Fellowship was inter-denominational, made up of people from a wide variety of faiths. Mark 3, 35(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. The Fellowship has been featured on numerous television news and talk shows including NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw as well as in the national press in the Washington (D. C.) Times, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. Subsequently, both the city and county of Los Angeles honored the Fellowship by presenting Robert with the prestigious Humanitarian of the Year award.
Making a difference in the individual and the industry
Videos
Board of Directors
Spiritual Advisor
Rev. Bert Billett, C.M.F.
Claretian Ministries
Membership Chair
Joe Costantino
Producer
Founder/President
Robert J. Hanley
Actor/Writer/Director
Programs Chair
Lisa Insana
Associate Producer
Secretary
Mary-Ann Selvaggio
Business Manager
Publicity Chair
Corrine J. Sidney
Sidney Event Marketing
Treasurer
Ivan C. Tiholiz, M.D.
Tiholiz Medical Group
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Honorary Board
John Baskin
Writer/Producer
President - Act III Productions
Jim Brogan
Stand-up Comedian/Writer,
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Fritz Coleman
NBC4 Weathercaster, Stand-up Comedian
Linda Crane
Vice President
Caesars World Entertainment
Sam Denoff
Writer/Producer
Laura Diaz
ABC7 News Anchor
Vic Faraci
Vice President, Nashville
Warner Bros. Records
Tracie Fiss
Segment Producer
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Jim Gosnell
Senior Vice President
Agency for the Performing Arts
Asaad Kelada
Director
Rabbi Aaron Kriegel
Temple Ner Maarav
Wink Martindale
Host
Peggy McCay
Actress
Kevin Nealon
Stand-up Comedian
Making a difference in the individual and the industry
Guest Speakers
The purpose of our Guest Speaker Dinners was to regularly inform, enlighten and entertain our members and their guests by providing a forum for prominent individuals from the entertainment industry to speak on the ethical and practical aspects of their careers as well as issues pertaining to the industry as a whole.
Steve Allen - Legendary performer, musician, author, composer, and first host of NBC's The Tonight Show
(Photo Above: Steve Allen)
Frankie Avalon - Teen idol, actor, singer (Venus)
John Baskin - Writer/executive producer, president of Act III Productions
Jimmy Brogan - Stand-up comedian/writer/Talent Coordinator for NBC'S The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno
Jimmy Burrows - Sit-com director, Cheers, Friends...
Dyan Cannon - Actress/writer/director, Heaven Can Wait...
Charles Champlin - Author/host/film critic, Los Angeles Times
Fritz Coleman - NBC4 weatherman, stand-up comedian
Linda Crane - V.P., Caesars World Entertainment, Las Vegas
Michael Curtis - Writer/producer, Friends...
Fred de Cordova - Executive producer, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Sam Denoff - Writer/producer, four Emmys, The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl...
Laura Diaz - News anchor, ABC7
Tom Dreesen - Stand-up Comedian, emcee, actor
Nancy Eckels - Director, The Bold &The Beautiful
(Photo Above: Directors Asaad Kelada and
Jimmy Burrows woth Robert at a Fellowship Dinner)
Vic Faraci - Vice president, Warner Brothers Records
Tracie Fiss - Segment producer, The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno
Christine Foster - Literary agent, Shapiro-Lichtman
Louis Goldstein - Casting Director
Jim Gosnell - Senior vice president, Agency for the Performing Arts
Sam Haskell - Executive V. P., West Coast Head of Television,
William Morris Agency
Kathy Ireland - Actress/model/entrepreneur
Asaad Kelada - Director, Who's The Boss...
Michael Klausman - President, CBS Studio Center
Carol Lawrence - Broadway and TV Actress, dancer, singer (West Side Story...)
Richard Lawrence - President/owner, Abrams-Rubaloff & Lawrence theatrical agency
Eric Lutes - Actor, Caroline In The City
Brent Maddock - Screenwriter/producer, Batteries Not Included, Tremmors, Heart & Souls...
(Photo Above: Members at a Guest Speaker Dinner)
Greg Maylins - Writer/producer, Friends...
Wendie Malick - Actress, Just Shoot Me
Leslie Mann - The Norman Lear Foundation
Peter Marshall - Singer, actor, host
The Hollywood Squares
Ann Martin - News anchor, CBS2
Wink Martindale - TV and radio host, Gambit...
Peggy McCay - Actress, Days Of Our Lives...
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. - Singers/actors - The Fifth Dimension (Up, Up and Away...)
(Photo Above: Dyan Cannon)
Michael Medved - Author, host (Sneak Previews), film critic - New York Post
Denise Muntzner - Producer, NBC
Kevin Nealon - Comedian, Saturday Night Live!
Dennis Prager - Author, KABC talk radio host
Lynn Redgrave - Actress
George Schenck & Frank Cardea - Writers/executive producers, Shogun...
Danny Simon - (Neil's brother) writer, director, and teacher
Ernest Thomas - Actor, (What's Happening . . .)
Fred Travalena - Entertainer, actor, singer, impressionist
Joan Van Ark - Actress, (Knot's Landing...)
Paul Williams - Humanitarian, musician, composer (We've Only Just Begun...), actor
Tom Wilson - Comedian/actor (Back To The Future I, II, III)
Making a difference in the individual and the industry!
Newspaper Articles
Click an Article Below to View:
- The Washington Times - Hollywood group takes high ground
- Los Angeles Times - Actor Plays His Part in Keeping Faith on Film
- Emmy Magazine - The Industry
- Daily News - Los Angeles - Answered prayers: Sho-biz workers share their faith
- Catholic Twin Circle - Robert Hanley: Acting For God
- Catholic Twin Circle - The Entertainment Fellowship
- The Plain Truth – The Hollywood Faithful
- Los Angeles Times - Entertainment with a Christian message
Photos
Fellowship supporter Bob Hope and writer-EF member Martha Bolton. Mr. Hope agreed to a story we did on him for our quarterly publication Angie.
Robert is invited to speak by The George Washington University in Washington D.C., on the influence of the entertainment industry has on the country
Fellowship guest speakers - directors Asaad Kelada and Jimmy Burrows join Robert at the monthly Guest Speaker Dinner held at CBS
EF members attend one of the earlier Guest Speaker Dinners at Barone's Restaurant in Toluca Lake, CA
EF member and guest speaker – actress, director, screenwriter, editor and producer Dyan Cannon
Robert is presented with the Humanitarian of the Year award by both the city and county of Los Angeles
EF member and guest speaker - model, actress and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland
EF member and guest speaker – comedian and actor – Kevin Nealon
EF members and guest speakers – members of The 5th Dimension – singer/actor Marilyn McCoo and musician/singer Billy Davis Jr.
Robert at podium during monthly CBS Guest Speaker Dinner
EF member and guest speaker – first host of The Tonight Show, musician, actor, comedian, and writer – Steve Allen
EF member and guest speaker – actress – Lynn Redgrave