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John Zderko, an actor known for his roles on shows like Criminal Minds and 9-1-1: Lone Star, has died. He was 60. The actor’s friend, Charley Koontz, confirmed Zderko’s death to The Hollywood Reporter. According to Koontz, Zderko died of complications caused by cancer on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Koontz also mourned Zderko’s death on Twitter, where he wrote, “A great friend and an excellent actor gone way too soon. Thank you so much to @THR and @MikeBarnes4 for giving our friend a true Hollywood sendoff. And to @captainblackusa for the great idea. Your name in lights one more time, John. Love you pal. RIP.”
Zderko was grew up in Ohio, Colorado and New Jersey, according to THR, and was high school basketball teammates with the late Sopranos star James Gandolfini. He later attended UC Irvine and studied acting at UCLA after graduating.
His acting career began with performances at Santa Monica’s West of Broadway, where he worked with writer and director Dianne Name, per THR. Zderko’s first onscreen credit came in 2005, when he appeared as Dad in the short Twilight. He went on to act in the TV series North Mission Road and LA Forensics and in shorts like First Sight, A.S.K. and Voicemail.
Years later, Zderko appeared in hit shows like The Mentalist, in which he played an inner circle member on a 2012 episode, and Criminal Minds, where he was cast as Dominic Maguire in a 2012 episode.
That same year, Zderko starred in the action-comedy TV series Dark Forrest as Gary. His later roles include stints on The Player, Dirty John, Casting the Net, 9-1-1: Lone Star and Bosch: Legacy. He will appear posthumously in the short Everything in its Place.
He is survived by his sister, Karen, brother-in-law, Steve, and his nephews, Jason and Jeff, per THR.
