Gregory Itzin

**Gregory Martin Itzin** is an American film and television actor.

## Early life

Itzin was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Evelyn Loretta (née Smith) and Martin Joseph Itzin. When he was in sixth grade, his family moved to Burlington, Wisconsin, where his father was mayor. Itzin originally intended to become a theater actor, receiving training at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He has appeared on many stages across the country.

## Career

Itzin has appeared in guest starring roles on various television shows like in "MacGyver" Final Approach (TV Episode 1986). He received a Tony Award nomination for his role in the Pulitzer Prize–winning play *The Kentucky Cycle*. In the movie *Airplane!*, Itzin plays Religious Zealot #1, and has the first lines in the movie, but disappears after the first scene. He had a short role in *The A-Team* episode 'Wheel of Fortune', as accountant Howard for a casino-owner.

In 2005, Itzin joined the cast of *24*, halfway through its fourth season, in the recurring role as Vice President Charles Logan. By the following season the character had become President and was expanded to become one of the leading figures in the storyline. Itzin received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for this performance. He didn't have to audition for the role, since he had previously auditioned for a role during the second season of the show, and knew one of the producers. Itzin returned for four episodes in season six. Itzin returned for a story arc during the eighth season of the show to help President Allison Taylor keep the Peace Treaty alive. This resulted in an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Somewhat coincidentally, before this role, Itzin played a Presidential Candidate in a commercial for cheese products, who was deemed a "doofus" for not liking cheese.

In 2007, he made a guest appearance as William Adama, Dick Tracy, and a police officer at Randy's Halloween night in an episode of *Robot Chicken*.

Itzin has held recurring roles on popular TV series such as *Friends* as Theodore Hannigan, father of Mike Hannigan, *Murder One*, *NCIS*, and *The Mentalist*. He played the head of the unit in the latter for 13 episodes, before leaving to return to *24* for its final season. Itzin also appeared on *Night Court*, *[Matlock*, *Diagnosis: Murder*, *Jake and the Fatman*, *The O.C.*, *Beverly Hills, 90210*, *Judging Amy*, *Boston Legal*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, *The Practice*, *The Pretender* and the short-lived science fiction series, *Firefly*. He also portrayed John Ashcroft in the 2003 television movie *DC 9/11: Time of Crisis*. He had a recurring role on *Covert Affairs*.

He is also a frequent *Star Trek* actor, having played five different roles in the various series over the years; his most recent *Trek* role was Admiral Black in *Star Trek: Enterprise*. He made his first *Star Trek* appearance in 1993, in the *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* episode "Dax". He later guest starred on *DS9* again, in the sixth-season episode "Who Mourns for Morn?". He also appeared as Doctor Dysek in the episode "Critical Care" in the 7th season of *Star Trek: Voyager*.

He also starred in *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas* as a Mint Hotel clerk, who looked and sounded a lot like actor McLean Stevenson on *M\*A\*S\*H*. He played a psychiatrist in the Lindsay Lohan thriller *I Know Who Killed Me* and, most recently, as a prison warden in *Law Abiding Citizen*.

On stage, he has appeared in numerous theatrical venues across the country, and is a member of the Matrix Theatre Company in Los Angeles, where he has acted in award-winning productions of *Waiting for Godot*, *The Homecoming*, and *The Birthday Party* (each earning him an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for performance). For his work in the Pulitzer Prize-winning *The Kentucky Cycle* (which he performed in the world premiere at the Intiman Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, the Kennedy Center, and on Broadway), he received Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations.

He recently appeared on stage as Louis de Rougemont in the world premiere of Donald Margulies' *Shipwrecked! An Entertainment* at South Coast Repertory, and subsequently revived at the Geffen Playhouse.

Itzin was a special guest star on the Disney Channel hit show *Hannah Montana* in the season two episode "Test Of My Love" as a billionaire whose son becomes a romantic interest of Miley's.

He hosted *ACME: This Week!* at the ACME Comedy Theatre on February 23, 2008 appearing in several sketches as well as a short film, "Law and Order: Really Special Victims Unit".

He has played in several radio plays with The L.A. Theatre Works, and most recently played the Archbishop in the Hollywood Theater of the Ear's 2010 audio production of *Saint Joan*.

He had a recurring role in seasons 1–4 of USA Network's series, *Covert Affairs*.

In 2010, he appeared as the Earl of Kent in the Antaeus Company's production of *King Lear.* He won the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for this performance.

## Trivia

* His original plans were changed from being an actor in theater to an actor on the big screen.
* He used to play on a softball team called Ten Guys From Italy.
* He has two children named Wilke and Julia with wife, Judie.
* He made a guest appearance on Miley Cyrus' show Hannah Montana.