{{short description|American actor (active 1989–2018) (born 1965)}} {{Infobox person | birth_name = Ronald Jason Eldard | birth_date = | birth_place = Long Island, New York, U.S. | education = State University of New York, Purchase (BFA) | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1989–2018 }} '''Ronald Jason Eldard''' is an American former actor. {{As of|2026}}, his last television appearance was a recurring role in the 2013 season of ''Justified'', with his last film being the lead role in ''Higher Power'' (2018).
==Early life== Eldard was born on Long Island, New York. He is the sixth of seven children, and has four sisters and two brothers. He is of Irish and Scottish descent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-28-ca-11403-story.html |title=Versatile, Not Vain, That's Ron Eldard |first=Daryl H. |last=Miller |date=28 August 2000 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=17 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010214633/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/aug/28/entertainment/ca-11403 |archive-date=10 October 2016}}</ref> Eldard's mother died in a car accident when he was a child, and Eldard and his siblings were sent to live with various family members. He attended grade school in Utah while living with his aunt and uncle.
==Career== Eldard made his film debut in the comedy ''True Love'' (1989), written and directed by Nancy Savoca, and co-starring Annabella Sciorra. This film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Eldard has performed on Broadway in critically acclaimed productions of ''On the Waterfront'', ''Biloxi Blues'', ''Bash: Latterday Plays'', and ''Death of a Salesman.'' The latter two were filmed for Showtime productions.
Eldard is known for his film roles as Mickey Bunce in the cult comedy ''Drop Dead Fred'' (1991);<ref name="jrp">{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=John Ryan |title=Drop Dead Fred Lives Again |url=https://www.splicetoday.com/moving-pictures/drop-dead-fred-lives-again |access-date=11 May 2021 |work=Splice Today |language=en}}</ref> as street thug John Reilly in ''Sleepers'' (1996), and as Dodge, a Marine Salvage Expert, in the horror film ''Ghost Ship'' (2002).
Beginning January 11, 2006, he starred as Father Flynn in the Tony Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway production of ''Doubt'', opposite the British actress Dame Eileen Atkins. He was scheduled to assume the role for the January 10 performance, but was ill.<ref>{{cite news| title=After Flu Bug, 'Doubt' Newcomers Eldard and Malone Join Cast Jan. 11; Atkins Still Out| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/after-flu-bug-doubt-newcomers-eldard-and-malone-join-cast-jan-11-atkins-still-out-com-130194| first=Kenneth| last=Jones| date=11 January 2006| journal=Playbill| access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref> The production closed July 2, 2006. In 2014, he starred in the indie horror film ''Poker Night''.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.fangoria.com/new/poker-night-film-review/ |title="POKER NIGHT" (Film Review) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227142635/http://www.fangoria.com/new/poker-night-film-review/ |archive-date=27 December 2014 |access-date=17 February 2019 |date=19 December 2014 |first=Ken W. |last=Hanley |journal=Fangoria}}</ref>
==Personal life== Eldard was in a relationship with his ''ER'' co-star Julianna Margulies from 1991 to 2003.<ref name="dst">{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Danielle |title=Julianna Margulies |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/julianna-margulies |access-date=11 May 2021 |magazine=W |date=1 May 2010 |language=en}}</ref>
==Filmography== {|class = "wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | rowspan = "2" | 1989 | ''True Love'' | Michael | |- | ''One Life to Live'' | "Blade" | Television series |- | 1991 | ''Drop Dead Fred'' | Mickey Bunce | |- | rowspan = "3" | 1992 | ''Jumpin' Joe'' | Joe Dugan | Television film |- | ''Arresting Behavior'' | Officer Donny Walsh | Television series |- | ''Scent of a Woman'' | Officer Gore | |- | 1993 | ''TriBeCa'' | Phil | Television series |- | 1993–1994 | ''Bakersfield P.D.'' | Detective Wade Preston | Television series |- |rowspan = "2" | 1995 | ''Sex & the Other Man'' | Bill Jameson | |- | ''{{sortname|The|Last Supper|The Last Supper (1995 film)}}'' | Pete | |- | 1995–1996 | ''ER'' | Paramedic Ray "Shep" Shepard | Television series |- | rowspan = "2" | 1996 | ''Bastard Out of Carolina'' | Glen Waddell | |- | ''Sleepers'' | John Reilly | |- | 1996–1997 | ''Men Behaving Badly''<ref name="erd">{{cite news |title=To ER, divine |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/to-er-divine-1.119715 |access-date=11 May 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |location=Dublin |date=25 October 1997 |language=en}}</ref> | Kevin Murphy | Television series |- | rowspan = "2" | 1998 | ''Deep Impact'' | Oren Monash | |- | ''When Trumpets Fade'' | Private / Sergeant / Lieutenant David Manning | Television film |- | rowspan = "4" | 1999 | ''Homicide: Life on the Street'' | Emmet Carey | Television series |- | ''Delivered'' | Reed | aka ''Death by Pizza'' |- | ''{{sortname|The|Runner|The Runner (1999 film)}}'' | Edward Harrington | |- | ''Mystery, Alaska'' | Matt "Skank" Marden | |- | 2000 | ''Death of a Salesman'' | Biff Loman | Television film |- | rowspan = "2" | 2001 | ''Bash: Latter-Day Plays'' | | Television film |- | ''Black Hawk Down'' | Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant | |- | rowspan = "2" | 2002 | ''Just a Kiss'' | Dag | |- | ''Ghost Ship'' | Dodge | |- | 2003 | ''House of Sand and Fog'' | Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon | |- | rowspan = "2" | 2005 | ''Fathers and Sons'' | Tom | Television film |- | ''Blind Justice'' | Detective Jim Dunbar | Television series |- | rowspan = "2" | 2006 | ''Freedomland'' | Danny Martin | |- | ''Diggers'' | Jack | |- | rowspan = "2" | 2007 | ''Demons'' | Gus | Television film |- | ''Already Dead'' | Thomas Archer | |- | 2008 | ''{{sortname|The|Tenth Circle|The Tenth Circle (film)}}'' | Daniel Stone | Television film |- | 2009 | ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' | Geno Parnell | Television series |- | rowspan = "3" | 2011 | ''In Plain Sight'' | Carl Harris | Television series |- | ''Super 8'' | Louis Dainard | |- | ''Roadie'' | Jimmy Testagross | |- | rowspan = "2" | 2013 | ''Justified'' | Colton "Colt" Rhodes | Television series |- | ''Jobs''<ref name="jobs">{{cite news |last1=McClintock |first1=Pamela |title=Steve Jobs Biopic Adds Ron Eldard, James Woods to Cast |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/steve-jobs-ron-eldard-james-woods-ashton-kutcher-341725/ |access-date=11 May 2021 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=26 June 2012}}</ref> | Rod Holt | |-| | 2014 | ''Poker Night'' | Cunningham | |- | rowspan = "2" | 2018 | ''Odds Are...'' | The Homeowner | |- | ''Higher Power'' | Joe Steadman | |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eldard, Ron}} Category:1965 births Category:Boxers from New York (state) Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Ridgewood, Queens Category:Purchase College alumni Category:Male actors from New York (state) Category:People from Long Island Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male boxers Category:20th-century American sportsmen