Ned Eisenberg, a stage and screen actor who played defense attorney Roger Kressler on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and Detective Hauser in “Mare of Easttown,” has died. He was 65.
His agents at Nicolosi & Co. confirmed his death. Eisenberg’s wife Patricia said in a statement, “As Ned would say, he was attacked by two very rare assassins — cholangiocarcinoma and ocular melanoma. Over the course of two years, he bravely fought the cancers in private while continuing to work in show business to ensure that his medical coverage paid for himself and his family.”
Eisenberg also worked in feature films, playing Sally Mendoza in Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” and photographer Joe Rosenthal in “Flags of Our Fathers.”
Among his other feature roles were Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center,” “Limitless,” “Won’t Back Down,” “Experimenter,” “Asher,” “The Exterminator,” “The Burning,” “Moving Violations,” “Air America,” “Last Man Standing,” “Primary Colors” and Steven Zaillian’s “A Civil Action.”
On television, he starred in the comedy “The Fanelli Boys,” with co-stars Christopher Meloni and Joe Pantoliano.
He had recurring roles in HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” and “The Night Of,” “Little Voice,” “Person of Interest,” “The Black Donnellys” and “Law & Order.” He also guest starred on shows including “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Plot Against America,” “The Blacklist,” “Elementary,” “Bull,” “White Collar,” “The Good Wife,” “Madam Secretary,” “30 Rock,” “The Big C” and “New Amsterdam.”
Born in the Bronx, he started out in the theater in Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” after attending the High School of Music and Art. His other Broadway roles came in “The Green Bird,” directed by Julie Taymor, “Awake and Sing!.” “Golden Boy,” “Rocky” and most recently, the revival of “Six Degrees of Separation.”
Eisenberg had lead roles at theaters including Theatre for a New Audience, New York City Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Vineyard, Second Stage and Ensemble Studio Theatre.
He also co-founded New York’s Naked Angels Theatre Company in 1987.
Eisenberg is survived by his wife, actress Patricia Dunnock, and son, Lino Eisenberg.