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Željko Ivanek

Acting

Born August 15, 1957 · Ljubljana, Yugoslavia [now Slovenia]

Biography

Željko Ivanek is a Slovenian-American actor. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he is the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Drama Desk Award, as well as three Tony Award nominations. 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), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). He has appeared in several films by Lars von Trier: Dancer in the Dark (2000), Dogville (2003), and Manderlay (2005). On television, Ivanek is known for playing Ray Fiske on the FX 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.

Awards & recognition

  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series · 2008
  • Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actor in a Play · 1982
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series · 2008 · nominated
  • Satellite AwardBest Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film · 2008 · nominated
  • Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Actor in a Play · 2006 · nominated
Show all 10 awards →
  • Tony AwardBest Actor in a Play · 2006 · nominated
  • Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actor in a Play · 1992 · nominated
  • Tony AwardBest Featured Actor in a Play · 1992 · nominated
  • Tony AwardBest Featured Actor in a Play · 1983 · nominated
  • Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actor in a Play · 1982 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

House

2004as Jason

The Mentalist

2008as Dr. Linus Wagner

The X-Files

1993as Roland Fuller / Dr. Arthur Grable

The West Wing

1999as Steve Atwood

Suits

2011as Eric Woodall

White Collar

2009as Brett Forsythe

Bones

2005as Carl Decker

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

2017as Desk Sergeant

From the Earth to the Moon

1998as Ken Mattingly

Oz

1997as Governor James Devlin

Homicide: Life on the Street

1993as Ed Danvers

Banshee

2013as Jim Racine

Lost

2004as Edmund Burke

The Reagans

as Michael Deaver

Sally Hemings: An American Scandal

as Thomas Mann Randolph

The Walking Dead: Dead City

2023as The Croat

The Americans

2013as John Skeevers

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999as Everett Drake

Cold Case

2003as John Doe

Dogville

2003as Ben

24

2001as Andre Drazen

Dancer in the Dark

2000as District Attorney

ER

1994as Bruce Resnick

The Practice

1997as U.S. Atty. Sanders

Frasier

1993as Arnold Shaw

True Blood

2008as Magister

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

2000as Andrew Melton

In Bruges

2008as Canadian Guy

Damages

2007as Ray Fiske

Donnie Brasco

1997as Tim Curley

Murder, She Wrote

1984as Eddie Saunders

The Last Duel

2021as Le Coq

12 Monkeys

2015as Leland Goines

Heroes

2006as Emile Danko

Black Hawk Down

2001as LTC Gary Harrell

Argo

2012as Robert Pender

Law & Order

1990as Charles Banks

Crossing Jordan

2001as Elliot McCafferty

L.A. Law

1986as Joel Lassen

The Courier

2020as CIA Boss

Madam Secretary

2014as Russell Jackson

Numb3rs

2005as William Fraley

The Mob Doctor

2012as Dr. Stafford White

Big Love

2006as JJ

Manderlay

2005as Dr. Hector

Homicide: The Movie

2000as Ed Danvers

Seven Psychopaths

2012as Paolo

Hannibal

2001as Dr. Cordell Doemling

The Words

2012as Joseph Cutler

Shark

2006as Elliott Dasher