Dan Ziskie, the veteran character actor known for his roles in Netflix‘s “House of Cards” and HBO’s “Treme,” died July 21 in New York at age 80. His family announced that Ziskie died from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Born August 13, 1944, in Detroit, Ziskie built a prolific career spanning more than four decades in television, film and theater. His family described him as having remarkable talent and being as vibrant and multifaceted as the characters he portrayed on stage and screen.
Ziskie was perhaps best known for his recurring role as Vice President Jim Matthews in “House of Cards,” appearing in six episodes from 2013 to 2017 alongside stars Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and Michael Kelly. The Netflix political drama, which premiered in 2013 as the streaming service’s first scripted original series, won several Primetime Emmy Awards during its run.
On HBO’s “Treme,” which aired from 2010 to 2013, Ziskie portrayed C.J. Liguori, a New Orleans construction magnate and political fundraiser who frequently collaborated with Jon Seda’s character Nelson Hidalgo. His character was involved in the wheeling and dealing surrounding the city’s rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina. Ziskie appeared in 18 episodes across the final three seasons of the acclaimed drama.
The actor’s path to entertainment began after his college years at the University of Michigan, where he excelled in track and field, lettering in relay races, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. After briefly working as a crewman on a Great Lakes freighter, Ziskie moved to Chicago and joined the legendary Second City comedy troupe in the early 1970s.
At Second City, Ziskie worked alongside future comedy stars including John Belushi, Brian Doyle-Murray and Joe Flaherty. This experience provided the foundation for his later success in television and film, establishing connections and honing his performance skills in the competitive entertainment industry.
Ziskie made his Broadway debut in 1980 as an understudy in the revival of Paul Osborn’s “Morning’s at Seven.” He later appeared as a replacement actor in the original production of Herb Gardner’s “I’m Not Rappaport” from 1985 to 1988, and returned to Broadway in 2004 for Arthur Miller’s “After the Fall,” starring alongside Peter Krause, Carla Gugino and Jessica Hecht.
His television career began in the mid-1980s with roles on series including “Remington Steele,” “The Equalizer,” “Newhart,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Murphy Brown,” “L.A. Law” and “Quantum Leap.” Ziskie established himself as a reliable character actor, frequently cast as government officials and authority figures throughout his career.
Notable television appearances included recurring roles as U.S. senators on CBS’s “Person of Interest” in 2012 and NBC’s “The Blacklist” in 2014. He also portrayed the U.S. Attorney General who orders President Logan’s dismissal on the fifth-season finale of Fox’s “24” in 2006. Other series credits included “ER,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Gossip Girl,” “Elementary,” “Blue Bloods” and “Bull.”
Ziskie’s film work included roles in Robert Altman’s “O.C. and Stiggs” (1985), Chris Columbus’ “Adventures in Babysitting” (1987), Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York” (2008), and Peter Landesman’s “Concussion” (2015), where he portrayed NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. His final acting credit was a role in the 2021 Spectrum miniseries “The Bite.”
Beyond acting, Ziskie was an accomplished photographer who published a photo book titled “Cloud Chamber” in October 2017. The collection featured his New York street photography captured between 2013 and 2016. Ziskie expressed his attraction to photographing people, noting that walking the streets of New York City, faces and lives almost force you to pay attention to them.
His family remembered him as having interests extending beyond entertainment and photography, including travel and exploration of complex topics such as the nature of the cosmos and quantum physics. They noted that his colleagues and friends will remember him as a creative, thoughtful and interesting man whose presence enriched their lives.
Ziskie is survived by his brother David and his wife Cynthia, his nephews Jesse, Brett and Austin, and their six children. His family indicated that his legacy extends beyond his immediate family, as his life exemplified the beauty of pursuing one’s dreams and the importance of cherishing every moment. Memorial service details for the New York City ceremony will be announced at a later date.
