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Željko Ivanek
Close-up photograph of a thin bespectacled man, mostly bald with short gray hair around
Ivanek in 2017
Born (1957-08-15) August 15, 1957 (age 67)
Nationality American
Education
Occupation Actor
Years active 1981–present
Parent(s) Ferdo Ivanek

Željko Ivanek (born August 15, 1957) is an actor from Slovenia and America. He is famous for his roles in movies, TV shows, and plays. He has won important awards like a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated for three Tony Awards.

Ivanek has appeared in many popular films. These include Black Hawk Down, Live Free or Die Hard, Argo, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. On television, he is well-known for playing Ray Fiske in the series Damages. For this role, he won an Emmy Award in 2008. He also played Russell Jackson in Madam Secretary.

Early Life and School

Željko Ivanek was born in Ljubljana, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. His family moved to Palo Alto, California, in 1960. His father worked at Stanford University.

In 1962, Željko and his family moved back to Slovenia for five years. They returned to Palo Alto in 1967. Željko enjoyed acting in local plays. He finished high school in Palo Alto in 1975. Later, he studied theater at Yale University. He also attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Acting Career

Željko Ivanek has had a long and successful acting career. He has performed a lot on stage, in movies, and on television.

Stage Performances

Ivanek started his career in theater. In 1981, he won a Drama Desk Award for his role in the play Cloud Nine. He has also been nominated for three Tony Awards. These nominations were for his work in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Two Shakespearean Actors, and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Television Roles

Ivanek is perhaps most recognized for his many roles on TV. He played Ed Danvers in Homicide: Life on the Street. He was also Ray Fiske in Damages, which earned him an Emmy. Other notable TV roles include Governor James Devlin in Oz and Andre Drazen in 24.

More recently, he played Russell Jackson in the TV series Madam Secretary. He also appeared in John Adams as John Dickinson. He has made guest appearances on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and House. Since 2023, he has been starring as "The Croat" in The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Film Appearances

Ivanek has acted in more than 20 feature films. His first movie role was in The Sender. He has appeared in films like School Ties, Black Hawk Down, Donnie Brasco, and Argo. He also worked with director Lars von Trier on films such as Dancer in the Dark and Dogville.

In 2017, he was in the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He also had roles in The Bourne Legacy and Seven Psychopaths.

Awards and Recognition

Željko Ivanek has received several awards for his acting. In 2008, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. This was for his role as Ray Fiske in the TV show Damages. He has also won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Drama Desk Award.

Personal Life

As of 2018, Željko Ivanek lives in New York City.

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