The Tragic Death Of Law & Order: SVU Actor Ned Eisenberg
Hollywood mourns the loss of another hard-working character actor, Ned Eisenberg, who died on February 27, per The Hollywood Reporter. His wife Patricia — with whom he shares a son — confirmed his death from two forms of cancer. "As Ned would say, he was attacked by two very rare assassins — cholangiocarcinoma and ocular melanoma," Patricia said in a statement. "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." He was 65 years young.
Eisenberg is best known for playing defense attorney Roger Kressler on "Law & Order: SVU," a role he held for more than 10 years. He started in the "Law & Order" franchise by playing a different defense attorney, James Granick, on and off from seasons 7 through 20. The Bronx-born actor also played Detective Hauser in the breakout HBO hit "Mare of Easttown," per TMZ. His IMDb page features more than 70 credits, starting with his 1980 debut in "The Exterminator," and including the successful films "Limitless," "Million Dollar Baby," and "Last Man Standing." He appeared in television shows like "Miami Vice," "Person of Interest," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and in theatre productions including, "Awake and Sing!," the short-lived but critically appraised musical "Rocky," and the touring production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs." He even co-founded a theatre company in 1987 called the Naked Angels Theatre Company.
As news of Eisenberg's death spreads, fans took to Twitter to sing his praises.
Fans commemorate Ned Eisenberg's life
With the announcement of Ned Eisenberg's death, some of his acting colleagues took to Twitter to send their good wishes. "We worked together on one of the first films I ever did: 'Moving Violations,'" tweeted actor Jennifer Tilly. "Just a great all-around good guy. Always in good spirits, no matter how difficult the filming conditions were." One commenter noted how Tilly's other "Moving Violations" costar, Sally Kellerman, had died just three days earlier, on February 24. "Wow ... 2 moving violations cast members in less than a week...stay safe jennifer," wrote.
Broadway powerhouse Donna Murphy, perhaps best known as Mother Gothel in "Tangled," also tweeted her affection for Eisenberg. "So deeply saddened to hear that wonderful actor & human #NedEisenberg has passed," she wrote, with a series of star emojis. "He was a mensch...a true actor's actor. My condolences to his wife and son, & all who love him." Murphy and Eisenberg worked together in the Nicolas Cage-fronted "World Trade Center," as well as "The Blacklist." Other fans came forward to praise Eisenberg, another graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia high school for the arts in New York. "Extraordinary guy both off and on camera. Such sad news," tweeted one fan.
Eisenberg didn't appear to give many interviews, but he did once gush about his 2015 role in the Broadway play, "Rocket to the Moon," telling Broadway World, "I'm enjoying the whole ride." And what a ride it was.