Gregory Itzin made men in authority worth watching by letting their human failings show. We rate that gift, though television's repeated use of him as an official could obscure the actor who also worked comfortably in comedy.
Fi1m perspective
Gregory Itzin arrives with a job title: Magistrate Higgins in Firefly (2002), CBI director Virgil Minelli in The Mentalist (2008), President Charles Logan in 24. He was repeatedly cast as the man in charge, and we rate him for making those men seem fallible.
The early comedy work matters, because those officials can make his screen career look narrower than it was. Small film parts and television guest appearances developed into more substantial recurring work during the 1990s and 2000s. Logan, whom he played from 2005 to 2010, became his signature part. His stated approach was to play a flawed human being rather than a simple villain, and that seems the right way to understand his appeal.
In Joss Whedon's Firefly, Higgins appears in 'Jaynestown', and the programme's chief attraction remains its warm ensemble. We laughed at the dialogue, then occasionally wished a serious moment could pass without another joke. Itzin's appearance is one small part of that larger pleasure: a science-fiction Western whose cast makes the company worth keeping. We recommend it more strongly than The Mentalist, though anyone watching chiefly for Itzin should remember that he is a guest rather than a regular.
The Mentalist gives him a recurring role as Minelli, but Simon Baker's mischievous intelligence is what makes the programme agreeable. Casting Itzin as a CBI director is another example of television returning him to authority. The familiar cases and deductions that arrive too easily remain reservations about the programme, not reasons to dismiss its supporting actors. Repeated disagreements can also wear down the pleasure of spending time with these people. Start with Logan for Itzin's defining role; choose Firefly for the stronger evening of ensemble television.
Biography
Gregory Itzin (1948–2022) was an American character actor of film and television. He was born in Washington, D.C., and trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Itzin appeared in numerous television series and films over four decades, with a background in stage acting that included a Tony Award nomination for The Kentucky Cycle.
He is best known for playing President Charles Logan in the series 24 (2005–2010). Other notable television roles include Theodore Hannigan in Friends (2002–2004), Virgil Minelli in The Mentalist (2008–2010) and Magistrate Higgins in Firefly (2002). Film credits include Airplane! (1980), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Adaptation. (2002), Lincoln (2012) and Law Abiding Citizen (2009). Itzin died on 8 July 2022.
