Ned Eisenberg (January 13, 1957 – February 27, 2022) was an American actor known for his recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Roger Kressler.
Early life and education Eisenberg was born in The Bronx in 1957, where he grew up in the Riverdale neighborhood. He graduated from Riverdale Junior High School in 1972 and from there went on to the Performing Arts High School, a subsidiary of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. He described himself as a "street-style" actor, coming up through the ranks rather than academic programs, and his training included jazz-dance classes with Betsy Haug.
Career Eisenberg had a leading role in the film Key Exchange (1985), followed by a major tour of the Broadway play Brighton Beach Memoirs, and guest starred on various 1980s television series such as The Equalizer and Miami Vice. This led to a starring role in the television comedy The Fanelli Boys, which also starred Christopher Meloni and Joe Pantoliano. He also played supporting roles in films such as The Exterminator (1980), The Burning (1981), Slayground (1983), Moving Violations (1985), Air America (1990), Last Man Standing (1996), Primary Colors (1998), A Civil Action (1998), Woody Allen's Celebrity (1998), and Experimenter (2015).
In 1987, he cofounded the Naked Angels Theatre Company with longtime friend Fisher Stevens.
Beginning in 1997, Eisenberg appeared on the NBC series Law & Order, typically playing a defense attorney. He had a recurring role on spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as defense attorney Roger Kressler. In 1999, he appeared in the first season episode of The Sopranos ("Denial, Anger, Acceptance") as Ariel. He also continued his film career by appearing in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award–winning drama Million Dollar Baby (2004) and played the role of photographer Joe Rosenthal in the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, also directed by Eastwood.
Personal life and death Eisenberg was married to actress Patricia Dunnock, and had one son.
Eisenberg died from complications of cholangiocarcinoma and uveal melanoma at his home in Jackson Heights, Queens, on February 27, 2022, at the age of 65. In the last two years of his life, Eisenberg continued to work while fighting cancer in private, ensuring that he and his family still had medical coverage and financial stability due to his earnings.
Filmography Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1980The ExterminatorMarty1981The BurningEddy1982The SoldierIsraeli Prisoner1983Deadly ForceRat Game OwnerSlaygroundLonzini1984FirstbornLearner DriverUncredited1985Moving Violations"Wink" BarnesKey ExchangePiero1987Hiding OutRodriguez1990Air AmericaPirelli1996Last Man StandingFredo Strozzi1998Primary ColorsBrad LiebermanCelebrityElaine's Book Party GuestA Civil ActionPete "Uncle Pete"1999Let It SnowCarl2003Head of StateMike Blake2004Million Dollar BabySalvador "Sally" Mendoza2006World Trade CenterOfficer PolnickiFlags of Our FathersJoe Rosenthal2011LimitlessMorris Brandt2012Won't Back DownArthur Gould2015ExperimenterSolomon AschMeadowlandPrincipal Griffin2018AsherAbram
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1981We're Fighting Back"Ace"Television film1985–1989Miami ViceVarious Characters4 episodes1986Crime StoryDr. EisenbergEpisode: "Abrams for the Defense"The EqualizerTerrorist Episode: "Breakpoint"1987JoshEpisode: "The Rehearsal"1989CharlieAl HattmanTelevision film1990–1991The Fanelli BoysAnthony Fanelli19 episodes1992Dear JohnC.J.Episode: "The Big Payday"A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus StoryDetective Richard FreedmanTelevision filmReasonable DoubtsKyle WynnEpisode: "Brother's Keeper"1993L.A. LawHoward BannisterEpisode: "Leap of Faith"1994Time TraxMitchEpisode: "Missing"Star StruckMickeyTelevision film1996Public MoralsLlama SalesmanEpisode: "The Purple Cover"1997Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center BombingEmad SalemTelevision film1997–2009Law & OrderJames Granick7 episodes1998ExiledJerry KleinertTelevision filmThe First Seven YearsSobel1999The SopranosArielEpisode: "Denial, Anger, Acceptance"Dash and LillyBob ConstantineTelevision film1999–2006,2008–2011,2013, 2016,2018–2019Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDefense Attorney Roger Kressler / Defense Attorney Klein Rothberg / Jerry Kleinert24 episodes2000CheatersRobert CliffordTelevision film2002NYPD BlueVictor "Vic" DavisEpisode: "One in the Nuts"2002, 2007Law & Order: Criminal IntentArtie Ableson / Danny Sussman2 episodes2003Queens SupremeLawyerEpisode: "The House Next Door"WhoopiJudgeEpisode: "Shout"2004DragnetPeter Radic / Vukov RegadEpisode: "Retribution"The JuryElliot RiisEpisode: "Pilot"Rescue MeBurtEpisode: "Orphans"20063 lbsBrad EllisEpisode: "Heart Stopping"2007The Black DonnellysDetective Frankie Stein4 episodes2008New AmsterdamFiskeEpisode: "Love Hurts"2011The Big CDr. VolimerEpisode: "Losing Patients"Blue BloodsSandyEpisode: "Lonely Hearts Club"201230 RockMartyEpisode: "Today You Are a Man"White CollarWalt FurlongEpisode: "Vested Interest"Made in JerseyAssistant District Attorney Diego Haas2 episodes2013, 2016Person of InterestDetective Joseph Soriano2014Madam SecretaryDan PasternakEpisode: "The Call"The Mysteries of LauraJulius SarkissianEpisode: "The Mystery of the Art Ace"2015The Good WifeCraig HallmanEpisode: "Driven"2016The Night OfLawrence Felder2 episodesBullChristopher FranklinEpisode: "Too Perfect"2018ElementaryMarvin HathawayEpisode: "The Geek Interpreter"2019–2022The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselLou Rabinowitz2 episodes2020The Plot Against AmericaAbe SteinheimEpisode: "Part 2"Little VoiceAl6 episodes2021Mare of EasttownDetective Hauser3 episodesThe BlacklistVito DecanioEpisode: "Dr. Roberta Sand, Ph.D."
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