Željko Ivanek
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image Željko Ivanek (Template:IPAc-en;[1] Script error: No such module "IPA".; born August 15, 1957) is a Slovenian-American actor of Croat descent.
Ivanek's film credits include Courage Under Fire (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), Hannibal, Black Hawk Down (both 2001), Unfaithful (2002), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), The Bourne Legacy, Argo, Seven Psychopaths (all 2012). He has appeared in several films by Lars von Trier, including Dancer in the Dark (2000), Dogville (2003), and Manderlay (2005). In 2017, he appeared in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
Ivanek portrayed Ray Fiske on the FX television series Damages (2007–2010), for which he won the 2008 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor. He also appeared as Ed Danvers on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999) and Russell Jackson on the CBS drama Madam Secretary (2014–2019), and has had recurring roles on series such as Oz (1997–2003), 24 (2002), True Blood (2008), Heroes (2009), Big Love (2009–2010), Banshee (2014), and 12 Monkeys (2015–2017). Since 2023, he has starred as "The Croat" on AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City.
As a result of his theater work, he has been nominated for three Tony Awards.
Early life and education
Ivanek was born in Ljubljana, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia.[2] His father was Ferdo Ivanek, who grew up in Zajezda, in the Croatian region of Hrvatsko Zagorje, and spent his later childhood in Varaždin.[3] In 1960, Željko, his younger brother Ivan, and his mother immigrated to Palo Alto, California, where his father was working as a research assistant at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University.[4][5] His mother also worked at Stanford University as a project manager.[6]
In 1962, Ivanek and his family moved back to Slovenia for five years; they returned to Palo Alto in 1967. Having performed in numerous community theater plays in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ivanek graduated from Ellwood P. Cubberley High School in Palo Alto in 1975.[7] In 1978, Ivanek graduated from Yale University, majoring in theater. He later attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[8]
Acting career
Template:BLP sources section Ivanek has worked extensively on the stage. In 1982, he originated the role of Hally in Athol Fugard's play "Master Harold"...and the Boys. He appeared in the U.S. premieres of Cloud Nine (for which he earned the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play), and The Pillowman. He performs frequently on Broadway and has been nominated for three Tony Awards for his performances in the original production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, in Two Shakespearean Actors, and in a revival of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, alongside David Schwimmer and Tim Daly.
However, Ivanek is perhaps best known for his supporting roles in a number of well-known television series. His first television role was as Sammie Wheaton on the soap opera The Edge of Night. Other roles include Emile Danko in Heroes; Roland in The X-Files; prosecuting attorney Ed Danvers in Homicide: Life on the Street; Ray Fiske in Damages; J.J. in Big Love; the Magister in True Blood; Governor James Devlin in Oz; Serbian terrorist Andre Drazen in 24; and Blake Sterling, the Director of National Intelligence in the NBC drama series The Event.[9][10]
Most recently, Ivanek played Russell Jackson in the TV series Madam Secretary. He portrayed John Dickinson, the Pennsylvania representative to the Second Continental Congress, in the miniseries John Adams. He has guest-starred on such shows as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and House. He has appeared several times on Law & Order, both as one-off characters and as Ed Danvers in crossover episodes with Homicide: Life on the Street.
In addition to his stage and television work, Ivanek has appeared in more than 20 feature films, including The Sender, in which he made his feature film debut as the unnamed title character; School Ties; Black Hawk Down; In Bruges; Dogville; The Bourne Legacy; Donnie Brasco; Argo; Seven Psychopaths; and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
In 2012, he portrayed Dr. Stafford White in the drama The Mob Doctor. As of 2014, he had supporting roles in several shows on broadcast and cable television, including the series Revolution, where he plays the recurring roles of Dr. Calvin Horn and an illusory nanotech avatar of Horn; Suits; Banshee; and The Americans.
In the documentary That Guy... Who Was in That Thing, Ivanek states that his contract includes a rider to ensure that the first letter in his name, Ž, has its caron properly rendered in any credits sequence where his name appears.
Awards
Ivanek has received recognition for his on-screen work. In 2008, he was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in the role of Ray Fiske on Damages.[11]
Personal life
As of 2018, Ivanek resided in New York City with his partner, Greg Pierce. Pierce is the nephew of actor David Hyde Pierce.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Bombmaker/Cleaning lady | |
| Tex | Mark Jennings | Credited as "Hitchhiker" | |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | John Doe #83 / The Sender | ||
| 1984 | Mass Appeal | Mark Dolson | |
| The Sun Also Rises | Bill Gorton | ||
| 1987 | Rachel River | Momo | |
| 1990 | Artificial Paradise | Willy | |
| 1991 | Our Sons | Donald Barnes | |
| 1992 | School Ties | Mr. Cleary | |
| 1996 | White Squall | Coast Guard Captain Sanders | |
| Courage Under Fire | Ben Banacek | ||
| Infinity | Bill Price | ||
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SEC Agent Thompkins | ||
| 1997 | Donnie Brasco | Tim Curley | |
| Julian Po | Tom Potter | ||
| 1998 | Nowhere to Go | Principal Jack Walker | |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Bill Crowley | ||
| 1999 | Snow Falling on Cedars | Dr. Whitman | |
| 2000 | Dancer in the Dark | District Attorney | |
| 2001 | Hannibal | Dr. Cordell Doemling | |
| Black Hawk Down | Lieutenant Colonel Gary Harrell | ||
| 2002 | Unfaithful | Detective Dean | |
| 2003 | Dogville | Ben | |
| 2004 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Vaughn Utly | |
| 2005 | Manderlay | Dr. Hector | |
| 2006 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Ralph Graves | |
| 2007 | Ascension Day | Master Travis | |
| Live Free or Die Hard | Molina | ||
| 2008 | In Bruges | Canadian Guy | |
| 2011 | Tower Heist | FBI Director Mazin | |
| 2012 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Dr. Donald Foite | |
| Argo | Robert Pender | Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble | |
| Seven Psychopaths | Paulo | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble | |
| The Words | Cutler | ||
| 2016 | X-Men: Apocalypse | Pentagon Scientist | |
| 2017 | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Desk Sergeant Cedric Connoly | Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2020 | The Courier | John A. McCone | |
| 2021 | The Last Duel | Le Coq |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Great Performances | March Hare | Episode: "Alice in Wonderland" |
| 1986 | American Playhouse | George Deever | Episode: "All My Sons" |
| 1987 | St. Elsewhere | Mark Dolson | Episode: "You Again?" |
| Echoes in the Darkness | Vince Valaitis | Television movie | |
| 1990 | L.A. Law | Joel Lassen | Episode: "Bound for Glory" |
| 1993 | Law & Order | Phillip Swann | Episode: "American Dreams" |
| 1993–1999 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Ed Danvers | 37 episodes |
| 1994 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Roland Fuller / Dr. Arthur Grable | Episode: "Roland" |
| 1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Eddie Saunders | Episode: "Home Care" |
| Truman | Eddie Jacobsen | Television movie | |
| 1997–1999 | Law & Order | AUSA Ed Danvers | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Frasier | Dr. Arnold Shaw | Episode: "Death and the Dog" |
| The Practice | DA Mark McGovern | Episode: "The Civil Right" | |
| Millennium | Dr. Daniel "Danny" Miller | Episode: "Walkabout" | |
| Ally McBeal | Judge Marshal Pink | Episode: "One Hundred Tears Away" | |
| 1997–2003 | Oz | Governor James Devlin | 27 episodes |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | Ken Mattingly | Episode: "The Original Wives Club" |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | Robert F. Kennedy | Television movie | |
| 2000 | ER | Bruce Resnick | Episode: "The Dance We Do" |
| Homicide: The Movie | Ed Danvers | TV film | |
| 2001 | The Practice | AUSA Steven Sanders | Episode: "The Confession" |
| 2002 | The Practice | Matthew Davies | Episode: "Neighboring Species" |
| 24 | Andre Drazen | 15 episodes | |
| The Twilight Zone | ER chief | Episode: "The Lineman" | |
| 2003 | The West Wing | Steve Atwood | 2 episodes |
| The Reagans | Michael Deaver | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Law & Order | Richard Kaplin | Episode: "Gov Love" |
| Touching Evil | Ronald Hinks | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2005 | NYPD Blue | Justin Deroos | Episode: "Stoli With a Twist" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Andrew Melton | Episode: "Nesting Dolls" | |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Everett Drake | Episode: "Taboo" |
| Bones | Carl Decker | Episode: "The Woman in the Car" | |
| Shark | Eliot Dasher | 2 episodes | |
| Cold Case | John Doe | Episode: "One Night" | |
| 2007–2010 | Damages | Raymond "Ray" Fiske | 16 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film |
| 2007 | Lost | Edmund Burke | Episode: "Not in Portland" |
| 2008 | Numbers | William Fraley | Episode: "When Worlds Collide" |
| John Adams | John Dickinson | 2 episodes | |
| House | Jason | Episode: "Last Resort" | |
| 2008–2014 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Dr. Linus Wagner | 2 episodes |
| True Blood | Magister | 5 episodes | |
| 2009 | Heroes | Emile "The Hunter" Danko | 13 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Big Love | J.J. | 12 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Blake Sterling | 22 episodes |
| 2013 | White Collar | Brett Forsythe | Episode: "Digging Deeper" |
| 2012–2013 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Dr. Stafford White | 13 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Revolution | Dr. Calvin Horn | 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Banshee | FBI Special Agent Jim Racine | 3 episodes |
| The Americans | John Skeevers | Episode: "Stealth" | |
| 2014–2015 | Suits | Eric Woodall | 4 episodes |
| 2014–2019 | Madam Secretary | Russell Jackson | 102 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | 12 Monkeys | Leland Goines | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Now and Then | Detective Sullivan | 8 episodes |
| Let the Right One In | Arthur | Recurring | |
| 2023–present | The Walking Dead: Dead City | Mile Jurkovic / "The Croat" | Main cast |
| 2024–2025 | Law & Order | Defense Attorney Charles Banks | 2 episodes |
| Template:TableTBA | Death by Lightning | Doctor Willard Bliss | Upcoming miniseries |
Stage
References
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- ↑ Voislava Simic-Ivanek, Ivan Simic-Ivanek, and Željko Šimic-Ivanek; arrived New York, New York, US, aboard Queen Elizabeth, destination Palo Alto, California; New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1966
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- ↑ Levin, Gary (January 5, 2009). "'Damages' returns in all its complexity." USA Today. p. 01D. Retrieved via Biography In Context database, November 25, 2018.
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External links
Template:Sister project Script error: No such module "Portal".
- Template:Trim/ Template:PAGENAMEBASE at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Template:First word Template:PAGENAMEBASE at the Internet Broadway DatabaseTemplate:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
- Željko Ivanek at Internet Off-Broadway Database
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- Pages with script errors
- IBDB name template using Wikidata
- 1957 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- Male actors from Ljubljana
- Yugoslav emigrants to the United States
- American expatriate male actors
- American expatriates in England
- American male television actors
- American male stage actors
- American male film actors
- LGBTQ people from California
- American people of Slovenian descent
- Yale University alumni
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Male actors from Palo Alto, California
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American people of Croatian descent
- Slovenian people of Croatian descent
- Slovenian LGBTQ people
- American LGBTQ actors