Dan Ziskie, an actor known for his roles in “House of Cards” and “Treme,” died on July 21. He was 80.
His family reported that Ziskie had died from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Born in Detroit, Ziskie attended the U. of Michigan where he received a B.A. in English. After working as a crewman for a Great Lakes freighter, Ziskie moved to Chicago and joined the Second City Comedy Troupe, where he worked and collaborated with comedians such as John Belushi, Brian Doyle-Murray and Joe Flaherty.
In the 1980s, Ziskie served as an understudy in the Broadway revival of Paul Osborn’s “Morning’s at Seven,” then worked as a replacement actor in the original production of Herb Gardner’s “I’m Not Rappaport.” Ziskie began working on shows such as “Remington Steele,” “The Equalizer” and “Quantum Leap.” He also appeared in films including “Adventures in Babysitting,” “O.C. and Stiggs,” “Synecdoche, N.Y.” and “Troop Beverly Hills.”
Throughout his career, Ziskie played recurring roles in shows such as “Treme” and “House of Cards,” where he played the role of the Vice President of the United States. He previously starred in the ABC series “Zero Hour” alongside Anthony Edwards. Throughout the 2000s, Ziskie made guest appearances in shows such as “Gossip Girl,” “ER,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Elementary,” “Bull,” and “Blue Bloods.” The actor was previously featured on Dave Chappelle’s “Chappelle’s Show” in 2004.
An avid photographer, Ziskie published a photo book titled “Cloud Chamber” in 2017, which highlighted New York street photography.
He is survived by his brother David and his wife Cynthia, his nephews Jesse, Brett, and Austin, and their six children.
