Željko Ivanek

Željko Ivanek ([ˈʒeʎko iˈʋanək]; born August 15, 1957) is a Slovenian-born American actor of Croatian descent, known for his role as Ray Fiske on Damages,^[1] for which he won an Emmy Award. Ivanek is also known for his role of Ed Danvers on Homicide: Life on the Street and Homicide: The Movie, Governor James Devlin on Oz, Andre Drazen on 24, Blake Sterling on the short-lived NBC series The Event, and Emile Danko on Heroes.

Early life and education

Ivanek, a Slovenian American, was born in Ljubljana, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia, Europe. He emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1960, when he was 3 years old.^[2] After a two-year stay, in 1962, the family moved back to Slovenia for five years and then returned to the United States in 1967. Having performed in numerous community theater plays in the San Francisco Bay Area, Željko graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto in the mid-1970s. Ivanek went on to graduate from Yale University in 1978 and afterward attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.^[3]

Acting career

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 has also appeared in the U.S. premieres of such notable plays as Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine (for which he earned the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play) and Martin McDonagh's 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. The characters he portrays are most often professional men such as lawyers or government functionaries and are frequently antagonists. These 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; and Blake Sterling, the Director of National Intelligence in the NBC drama series The Event.^[4][5] He has also portrayed a broader range of roles, however, including John Dickinson, the Pennsylvanian representative to the Second Continental Congress in the HBO miniseries John Adams. Ivanek has also guest starred on shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and House.

Ivanek has received recognition for his on-screen work. In 2008, he was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in the role of Ray Fiske on Damages.

As well as his stage and television work, Ivanek has appeared in more than 20 feature films, including The Bourne Legacy, In Bruges, Dogville, Black Hawk Down, Donnie Brasco, Argo, and Seven Psychopaths.

As of 2012, he is starring as Dr. Stafford White in the Fox drama The Mob Doctor.

In That Guy... Who Was in That Thing, he reveals that his contract now includes a rider to ensure that the character Ž in "Željko" does not appear as Z in the credits.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

• Željko Ivanek at the Internet Movie Database
• Željko Ivanek at the Internet Broadway Database
• Željko Ivanek at Internet Off-Broadway Database