Gregory Itzin, a prolific character actor best known for playing the oily President Charles Logan on Fox’s 24, has died.
Itzin died Friday at the age of 74 due to complications during an emergency surgery, his rep confirms to The Hollywood Reporter.
“He was one of the most talented actors I had the honor to work with, but more than that he was an all around great guy,” 24 executive producer Jon Cassar wrote on Twitter. “He’ll be missed by his 24 family who had nothing but love & respect for him.”
Itzin earned two Emmy nominations, in 2006 and 2010, for playing Logan on the Fox thriller. At first a seemingly spineless vice president, the character grew to become one of the longest-running antagonists for counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland).
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Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Wisconsin, Itzin studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He booked his first (uncredited) onscreen role in the 1979 miniseries Backstairs at the White House and had a brief role as “Religious Zealot #1” in 1980’s Airplane!, offering Julie Hagerty’s flight attendant a flower as she makes her way through the airport.
Itzin’s extensive list of TV credits ranges from Charlie’s Angels to Party of Five to Big Love. He worked on a number of shows from megaproducer Steven Bochco, including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Murder One and NYPD Blue, as well as three Star Trek series: Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. He also played Mike Hannigan’s (Paul Rudd) father on Friends and had recurring roles on Covert Affairs and The Mentalist.
Among his feature film credits are Lincoln, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Law Abiding Citizen. Onstage, Itzin earned a Tony Award nomination in 1994 for his role in Robert Schenkkan’s The Kentucky Cycle. He was a member of the Antaeus Theatre Company in Los Angeles and won three L.A. Drama Critics Circle awards for the Matrix Theatre Company’s productions of Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming and The Birthday Party and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.
Itzin suffered a heart attack onstage while playing Shakespeare’s Falstaff in 2015 but continued working after his recovery, both onstage and in front of cameras. His most recent TV role was a 2020 guest appearance on NCIS.
Itzin is survived by his wife, Judie, two children, and one grandchild.
