Howard received 16,233 votes in this week's (beg17Aug15) election - over 2,000 more than second-placed Patricia Richardson. He was first elected president of the Screen Actors Guild in September, 2009 and re-elected in 2011. In 2013, he became the co-president of SAG-AFTRA when the two unions merged, and he is now the first elected president of the new body.

Speaking after his victory, Howard said, "Serving the members of Screen Actors Guild and now SAG-AFTRA has been one of the greatest privileges of my life as an actor. I am honoured and grateful to the members for their confidence in our team.

"We have together built a strong union that is focused on economic security and opportunity for members. But the fight to protect performers is never over and I am eager to continue it. I thank the members for their support and I'm excited to get back to work."