Emmy-award winning narrator gives voice to Moscone film
Emmy winner Peter Coyote will narrate the upcoming documentary about former San Francisco mayor and Pacific alumnus George Moscone '53.
Coyote is a familiar voice in documentaries having narrated six of Ken Burns' documentaries and the Oscar-nominated 2005 film "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," as well as a number of other PBS films.
"Peter brings to the project a wealth of experience as the narrator of some of the most significant documentaries in television history, including most recently the Ken Burns series such as the 2014 film "The Roosevelts" and 2017's "The Vietnam War," said Moscone documentary director Nat Katzman.
The film is a project being produced by Pacific and will highlight the life and political career of Moscone, who strongly advocated for the rights and protections for all people, regardless of color, gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation or age. The progressiveness of his San Francisco mayoral campaign helped give the city its contemporary identity.
Coyote played his own role in San Francisco's culture. He was one of the founders of the 1960s anarchist collective called the Diggers, which hosted events that tried to demonstrate what life would be like if everything was free. The Diggers grew into the Free Family, a series of communes on the West Coast.
In the late '70s, Coyote began his acting career and has appeared in films such as "ET, The Extra-Terrestrial" and "Erin Brokovich," as well as television shows including "Deadwood" and "Law and Order."
Coyote is at least as well known for his voice work. He narrated the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, as well as numerous documentaries. He won Emmy awards for his work on the PBS series "The Pacific Century" and for "The Roosevelts."
"In my opinion Coyote's voice is perfect for telling the story of George Moscone," Katzman said. "It can be warm and friendly as well as serious and authoritative, characteristics we need to convey the nature and accomplishments of the late mayor. We are thrilled that he has agreed to participate."
University of the Pacific houses Moscone's papers for use by Pacific students, faculty and other researchers. The film is expected to air on local PBS stations in November to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Moscone's assassination.
To learn more about the Moscone's connection to Pacific and the documentary project:
Pacific honors George R. Moscone '53 Pacific students dig into research George Moscone '53
George R. Moscone '53: A spirited Pacifican and pathbreaking public servant
