Zeljko Ivanek
About
Biography
Filmography
Notes
His name is pronounced ZHEL-ko Ee-VAH-nek
Ivanek is proficient in English, French, German, Slovenian, and his native Serbo-Croat.
Biography
Even though most people could not pronounce Zeljko Ivanek's name, there was no denying he made an impression every time he appeared onscreen. Already an accomplished stage star, Ivanek appeared in several film and TV projects, often as conniving and evil men who wore three-piece suits. His performance as a smooth-talking Southern lawyer in "Damages" (FX, 2007-12) earned the Slovenian-born actor his first time Emmy Award nomination and win in 2008, where he went up against his co-star Ted Danson for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Zeljko Ivanek (pronounced Zhel-ko Ee-vah-nik) was born on Aug. 15, 1957 in Ljubljana, Slovenia (then a part of Yugoslavia). The actor was just three years old when his parents brought him to the United States in 1960. Ivanek graduated from Yale University in 1978 before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. "I started in theater in New York, and it's a smaller community, and it feels like you know the ins and outs more," Ivanek said. His theater training paid off in 1981, when the actor won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, for a production of Caryl Churchill's "Cloud Nine." A year later, he originated the role of Hally in the Athol Fugard play, "Master Harold and the Boys."
Broadway gave Ivanek an outlet to showcase his exceptional acting skills, even honoring him with multiple Tony Award nominations, including one for his performance in the original production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (1983). He also received critical praise - and more Tony nods - for "Two Shakespearean Actors" (1992) and for playing Captain Queeg in "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial" (2006). The marquee star never thought about changing his name, stating that even though it had been suggested, "it always seemed very peculiar to have my parents see me using a different name."
Ivanek's first feature film appearance was playing a hitchhiker in "Tex" (1982). Since that time, the actor's roles got bigger and meatier, with unforgettable turns as Bobby Kennedy in "The Rat Pack" (1998), a District Attorney in Lars Von Trier's heartbreaking "Dancer in the Dark" (2000), and a doctor in "Hannibal" (2001). Von Trier was so enthralled by the passion and depth Ivanek brought his characters that he cast the actor in two more films, "Dogville" (2003) and "Manderlay" (2005).
Perhaps even more than his stage and film appearances, Ivanek was mostly recognized for his extensive and impressive television resume. While still acting on Broadway, Ivanek joined the cast of the mystery soap series "The Edge of Night" (CBS, 1956-1975, ABC, 1975-1984) as Sammy Wheaton. He had supporting roles throughout the 1980s in shows like "St. Elsewhere" (NBC, 1982-88) and "L.A. Law" (NBC, 1986-1994) before landing a recurring role as prosecuting attorney Ed Danvers in "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC, 1993-99).
In 1998, Ivanek was cast as Astronaut Ken Mattingly in the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon" (HBO). He reprised his role of Ed Danvers for the 2000 film "Homicide, and two years later, Ivanek got cast in another recurring role - this time as Andre Drazen, the man who plotted to kill Senator David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) and frame Jack Bauer ( Keifer Sutherland) in "24" (FOX, 2001-10).
Ivanek was not one to take on one acting job at a time. While acting in "24," he also appeared on episodes of "The Practice" (ABC, 1997-2004), "The Twilight Zone" (UPN, 2002-03), and the gritty prison drama "Oz" (HBO, 1997-2003). In the latter, Ivanek played chillingly evil Governor James Devlin, the inmate-hated politician who advocated "No perks for prisoners." The year 2007 proved to be a big year for the Slovenian star, playing FBI Agent Molina in the film "Live Free or Die Hard" with Bruce Willis, and getting cast as the charmingly manipulative Southern lawyer Ray Fiske in the FX series "Damages."
Though his character ended up committing suicide in the first season of the show, Ivanek's performance caught the attention of Emmy voters, who gave him the statue in 2008. Asked about the irony of getting nominated for a role he could not reprise, the actor said, "It was just such a great part that when it happened, it was a wonderful way to end it and put a cap on it. It was such a nice bow to tie it all up." That same year, Ivanek portrayed Pennsylvania representative John Dickinson in the HBO miniseries "John Adams," opposite Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1981
Made Broadway debut in "The Survivor"
1981
Appeared in U.S. premiere of Caryl Churchill's "Cloud Nine"
1982
Originated the role of Stanley in Neil Simon's Broadway play "Brighton Beach Memoirs"; earned a Tony Award nomination
1982
Originated the role of Hally in Athol Fugard's play "Master Harold...and the Boys"
1982
First starring role in the horror film "The Sender"
1982
Made film debut in "Tex"
1984
Appeared opposite Jack Lemmon in the feature "Mass Appeal"
1984
Made TV miniseries debut as Bill Gorton in "The Sun Also Rises" (NBC)
1992
Played a malicious French teacher in "School Ties"
1993
Cast in recurring role of prosecuting attorney Ed Danverson on NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street"
1996
Cast in Edward Zwick's "Courage Under Fire"
1996
Played a Coast Guard Captain in the Ridley Scott directed "White Squall"
1997
Cast as Governor James Devlin on the HBO prison drama "Oz"
1998
Cast as one of John Travolta's associates in the legal drama "A Civil Action"
2000
Acted on the London stage in Neil LaBute's "Bash: Latter-Day Plays"
2000
First film with director Lars von Trier, "Dancer in the Dark"
2001
Once again directed by Ridley Scott in "Black Hawk Down"
2001
Appeared at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in "The Dumbwaiter" and "The Zoo Story"; both co-starred Sam Rockwell
2001
Cast as an assistant to Mason Verger in Ridley Scott's "Hannibal"
2002
Appeared on the first season of "24" (Fox)
2003
Second film with director Lars von Trier, "Dogville"
2005
Cast in Martin McDonagh's Broadway play "The Pillowman" at the Booth Theatre
2006
Cast as an intense naval officer in the Broadway revival of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"; earned a Tony Award nomination
2006
Re-teamed with von Trier for "Manderlay"; the second part to director's U.S.A. trilogy
2007
Cast as attorney Ray Fiske on FX legal drama "Damages"
2008
Portrayed Pennsylvania representative John Dickinson in HBO miniseries "John Adams"
2009
Appeared in the third and fourth seasons of "Big Love" (HBO) as Nicki Grant's (Chloë Sevigny) first husband
2010
Cast as Director of National Intelligence Blake Sterling on "The Event" (NBC)
2012
Played a doctor in "The Bourne Legacy"
2012
Cast alongside Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana in romantic drama "The Words"
2012
Cast in political thriller "Argo," directed by Ben Affleck
Bibliography
Notes
His name is pronounced ZHEL-ko Ee-VAH-nek
Ivanek is proficient in English, French, German, Slovenian, and his native Serbo-Croat.
"[Acting] was the only thing that I took any real pleasure from, and it always seemed the most logical thing to pursue. I started out with a juvenile desire for attention, probably. By the time I got to college, I settled onto more specific reasons about what it is I get out of it and why I want to continue doing it." --Ivanek quoted in "Caught in the Act: New York Actors Face to Face", interviews by Don Shewey. New York: New American Library, 1986.
