Biography
Character actor Gregory Itzin's tall and conservative appearance seemed to call for, even demand, sober and distinguished parts, such as those of corporate heavies, cutthroat attorneys, etc. It was with immense irony, then, that Itzin took his cinematic bow on a completely loony note -- as one of the proselytizing cultists karate-chopped by
Robert Stack at the airport in the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker classic Airplane! For a time, Itzin seemed to take this as a cue and placed a strong emphasis in his career on comedies, such as the 1982
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (as one of religious crusader Melvin P. Thorpe's minions) and episodes of
Murphy Brown and
Night Court. The late '80s, however, saw Itzin turn toward more straight-faced material; he tackled small roles in the Gary David Goldberg melodrama
Dad (1989) and
Steve Kloves' justly praised seriocomedy
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989).
In the 1990s, Itzin's diversity broadened further, with periodic contributions to the domestically themed prime-time dramas
ER,
Murder One, and (expanding into the fantasy realm) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. Itzin extended his heavy emphasis on television work into the 2000s, with a particularly high profile in
24, as Vice President (then President) Charles Logan. In 2007, the actor received renewed attention (not all of it positive) with his portrayal of Dr. Greg Jameson, the physician who treats psychopath victim
Lindsay Lohan, in the critically despised torture-fest
I Know Who Killed Me. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide