# Ned Eisenberg

Ned Eisenberg (January 13, 1957 – February 27, 2022) was an American actor known for his recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Roger Kressler.

## Early life and education

Eisenberg was born in The Bronx in 1957, where he grew up in the Riverdale neighborhood. He graduated from Riverdale Junior High School in 1972 and from there went on to the Performing Arts High School, a subsidiary of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. He described himself as a "street-style" actor, coming up through the ranks rather than academic programs, and his training included jazz-dance classes with Betsy Haug.

## Career

Eisenberg had a leading role in the film Key Exchange (1985), followed by a major tour of the Broadway play Brighton Beach Memoirs, and guest starred on various 1980s television series such as The Equalizer and Miami Vice. This led to a starring role in the television comedy The Fanelli Boys, which also starred Christopher Meloni and Joe Pantoliano. He also played supporting roles in films such as The Exterminator (1980), The Burning (1981), Slayground (1983), Moving Violations (1985), Air America (1990), Last Man Standing (1996), Primary Colors (1998), A Civil Action (1998), Woody Allen's Celebrity (1998), and Experimenter (2015).
In 1987, he cofounded the Naked Angels Theatre Company with longtime friend Fisher Stevens.
Beginning in 1997, Eisenberg appeared on the NBC series Law & Order, typically playing a defense attorney. He had a recurring role on spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as defense attorney Roger Kressler. In 1999, he appeared in the first season episode of The Sopranos ("Denial, Anger, Acceptance") as Ariel. He also continued his film career by appearing in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award–winning drama Million Dollar Baby (2004) and played the role of photographer Joe Rosenthal in the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, also directed by Eastwood.

## Personal life and death

Eisenberg was married to actress Patricia Dunnock, and had one son.
Eisenberg died from complications of cholangiocarcinoma and uveal melanoma at his home in Jackson Heights, Queens, on February 27, 2022, at the age of 65. In the last two years of his life, Eisenberg continued to work while fighting cancer in private, ensuring that he and his family still had medical coverage and financial stability due to his earnings.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | The Exterminator | Marty | |
| 1981 | The Burning | Eddy | |
| 1982 | The Soldier | Israeli Prisoner | |
| 1983 | Deadly Force | Rat Game Owner | |
| 1983 | Slayground | Lonzini | |
| 1984 | Firstborn | Learner Driver | Uncredited |
| 1985 | Moving Violations | Wink Barnes | |
| 1985 | Key Exchange | Piero | |
| 1987 | Hiding Out | Rodriguez | |
| 1990 | Air America | Pirelli | |
| 1996 | Last Man Standing | Fredo Strozzi | |
| 1998 | Primary Colors | Brad Lieberman | |
| 1998 | Celebrity | Elaine's Book Party Guest | |
| 1998 | A Civil Action | Uncle Pete | |
| 1999 | Let It Snow | Carl | |
| 2003 | Head of State | Mike Blake | |
| 2004 | Million Dollar Baby | Sally Mendoza | |
| 2006 | World Trade Center | Officer Polnicki | |
| 2006 | Flags of Our Fathers | Joe Rosenthal | |
| 2011 | Limitless | Morris Brandt | |
| 2012 | Won't Back Down | Arthur Gould | |
| 2015 | Experimenter | Solomon Asch | |
| 2015 | Meadowland | Principal Griffin | |
| 2018 | Asher | Abram | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | We're Fighting Back | Ace | Television film |
| 1985–1989 | Miami Vice | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1986 | Crime Story | Dr. Eisenberg | Episode: "Abrams for the Defense" |
| 1986, 1987 | The Equalizer | Josh / Frank Stevens | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Charlie | Al Hattman | Television film |
| 1990–1991 | The Fanelli Boys | Anthony Fanelli | 19 episodes |
| 1992 | Dear John | C.J. | Episode: "The Big Payday" |
| 1992 | A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story | Det. Richard Freedman | Television film |
| 1992 | Reasonable Doubts | Kyle Wynn | Episode: "Brother's Keeper" |
| 1993 | L.A. Law | Howard Bannister | Episode: "Leap of Faith" |
| 1994 | Time Trax | Mitch | Episode: "Missing" |
| 1994 | Star Struck | Mickey | Television film |
| 1996 | Public Morals | Llama Salesman | Episode: "The Purple Cover" |
| 1997 | Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing | Emad Salem | Television film |
| 1997–2009 | Law & Order | James Granick | 7 episodes |
| 1998 | Exiled | Jerry Kleinert | Television film |
| 1998 | The First Seven Years | Sobel | Television film |
| 1999 | The Sopranos | Ariel | Episode: "Denial, Anger, Acceptance" |
| 1999 | Dash and Lilly | Bob Constantine | Television film |
| 1999–2019 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Roger Kressler | 24 episodes |
| 2000 | Cheaters | Robert Clifford | Television film |
| 2002 | NYPD Blue | Vic Davis | Episode: "One in the Nuts" |
| 2002, 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Artie Ableson / Danny Sussman | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Queens Supreme | Lawyer | Episode: "The House Next Door" |
| 2003 | Whoopi | Judge | Episode: "Shout" |
| 2004 | Dragnet | Peter Radic / Vukov Regad | Episode: "Retribution" |
| 2004 | The Jury | Elliot Riis | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2004 | Rescue Me | Burt | Episode: "Orphans" |
| 2006 | 3 lbs | Brad Ellis | Episode: "Heart Stopping" |
| 2007 | The Black Donnellys | Detective Frankie Stein | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | New Amsterdam | Fiske | Episode: "Love Hurts" |
| 2011 | The Big C | Dr. Volimer | Episode: "Losing Patients" |
| 2011 | Blue Bloods | Sandy | Episode: "Lonely Hearts Club" |
| 2012 | 30 Rock | Marty | Episode: "Today You Are a Man" |
| 2012 | White Collar | Walt Furlong | Episode: "Vested Interest" |
| 2012 | Made in Jersey | ADA Diego Haas | 2 episodes |
| 2013, 2016 | Person of Interest | Detective Joseph Soriano | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Madam Secretary | Dan Pasternak | Episode: "The Call" |
| 2014 | The Mysteries of Laura | Julius Sarkissian | Episode: "The Mystery of the Art Ace" |
| 2015 | The Good Wife | Craig Hallman | Episode: "Driven" |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Lawrence Felder | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Bull | Christopher Franklin | Episode: "Too Perfect" |
| 2018 | Elementary | Marvin Hathaway | Episode: "The Geek Interpreter" |
| 2019-2022 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Lou Rabinowitz | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | The Plot Against America | Abe Steinheim | Episode: "Part 2" |
| 2020 | Little Voice | Al | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Mare of Easttown | Detective Hauser | 3 episodes |
| 2021 | The Blacklist | Vito Decanio | Episode: "Dr. Roberta Sand, Ph.D." |