Veteran character actor Dan Ziskie, known for his recurring roles in Netflix’s “House of Cards” and HBO’s “Treme,” died on July 21 in New York from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was 80 years old.
Ziskie’s family announced his death in an obituary, describing him as “a man of remarkable talent and a keen observer of life.” The Detroit native portrayed Vice President Jim Mathews in six episodes of “House of Cards” from 2013 to 2017, appearing alongside Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Michael Kelly in the political thriller that became Netflix’s first major scripted drama series.
In “Treme,” Ziskie played construction magnate and political fundraiser C.J. Liguori across several episodes during the show’s final three seasons from 2011 to 2013. His character frequently collaborated with Jon Seda’s Nelson Hidalgo, leveraging connections to profit from New Orleans’ post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts.
Born on August 13, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, Ziskie excelled in track and football during high school and lettered in relay races at the University of Michigan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. After graduation, he worked as a crewman on a Great Lakes freighter before pursuing journalism briefly in Chicago.
Ziskie’s entertainment career began when he joined Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe in the early 1970s, working alongside future stars John Belushi, Joe Flaherty, and Brian Doyle-Murray. This experience provided the foundation for his decades-long career spanning stage, television, and film.
His Broadway debut came in 1980 as an understudy in the revival of Paul Osborn’s “Morning’s at Seven,” starring Nancy Marchand, Maureen O’Sullivan, and Elizabeth Wilson. He later joined the original production of Herb Gardner’s “I’m Not Rappaport” in 1985 as a replacement actor, working opposite Judd Hirsch. His third Broadway appearance was in the 2004 revival of Arthur Miller’s “After the Fall,” featuring Peter Krause, Carla Gugino, and Jessica Hecht.
Ziskie’s television career spanned more than four decades, beginning with episodes of “The Edge of Night” in 1980. He became a familiar face through recurring and guest appearances on numerous series including “Remington Steele,” “The Equalizer,” “Quantum Leap,” “Murphy Brown,” “L.A. Law,” “ER,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Good Wife,” “Blue Bloods” and “Bull.”
Among his notable television roles, Ziskie portrayed government officials across multiple series. He played U.S. senators on CBS’s “Person of Interest” in 2012 and NBC’s “The Blacklist” in 2014, and served as the U.S. attorney general who orders President Logan’s dismissal on the fifth-season finale of Fox’s “24” in 2006. He also appeared in a memorable 2004 sketch on “Chappelle’s Show” as a character named Frank Niggar in a 1950s-set black-and-white segment featuring Dave Chappelle.
In 2013, Ziskie starred as a regular cast member in ABC’s conspiracy thriller “Zero Hour” alongside Anthony Edwards, though the series lasted only 13 episodes. His most recent television credit was a role in the Spectrum miniseries “The Bite” in 2021.
Ziskie’s film career included roles in beloved 1980s comedies such as “Adventures in Babysitting” (1987), where he played the father, and “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989). He also appeared in Robert Altman’s “O.C. and Stiggs” (1985), Roger Donaldson’s “Thirteen Days” (2000), Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York” (2008), and Peter Landesman’s “Concussion” (2015), where he portrayed NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Beyond acting, Ziskie pursued photography with passion and skill. In October 2017, he published his first monograph titled “Cloud Chamber,” featuring New York street photography captured between 2013 and 2016. His work appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Guardian and the Financial Times.
Ziskie’s family noted his interests extended to travel and complex subjects such as quantum physics and cosmology. According to his obituary, “His was a life lived with passion, a life that exemplified the beauty of pursuing one’s dreams.”
Ziskie is survived by his brother David and sister-in-law Cynthia, his nephews Jesse, Brett, and Austin, and their six children. His family described him as a creative, thoughtful man whose presence enriched the lives of colleagues and friends throughout his career.