Frank Whaley

Frank Whaley

Frank Joseph Whaley (born July 20, 1963) is an American film and television actor known for his roles in independent films.

Personal life

Whaley was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Josephine (née Timilione) and Robert W. Whaley, Sr. He is half-Irish and half-Sicilian and grew up in Syracuse. He has two sisters and an older brother. His father died in the 1990s of health problems related to alcoholism. Whaley graduated from Anthony A. Henninger High School in 1981 and later from University at Albany.

In 2001, he married Heather Bucha, an actress and writer, with whom he has two children. They collaborated on the NBC pilot Lloyd of the House, and continue to write together.

Career

Whaley made his film debut in 1987's Ironweed, and performed mostly in made-for-TV movies until 1989, when he appeared in Field of Dreams alongside Burt Lancaster and Kevin Costner, and Born on the Fourth of July alongside Tom Cruise. This latter film began a long collaboration with director Oliver Stone, including 1991's The Doors, in which he played Robby Krieger, and, in the same year, JFK, in which he played a conspirator in the JFK assassination. In 1991, Whaley also starred in the John Hughes production Career Opportunities alongside Jennifer Connelly.

Over the next two years, he played supporting roles in movies such as Hoffa and Swing Kids. He appeared in his second leading film role in 1994's Swimming with Sharks, in which he starred opposite Kevin Spacey. During the same year, he played a supporting role as the doomed Brett, who was memorably killed by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta's characters in Pulp Fiction. Whaley also had a memorable cameo as himself in an episode of The State, singing "We Didn't Start the Fire".

In 1998, he started a regular role on the CBS series Buddy Faro. He has also appeared in episodes of The Dead Zone, Law & Order, and its spinoff Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He made his directorial debut, Joe the King, in 1999, featuring his Doors costar Val Kilmer and longtime friend and colleague Ethan Hawke in starring roles. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and earned Whaley the prestigious Waldo Salt Award for screenwriting. His second film as writer and director, The Jimmy Show, starred Whaley and Carla Gugino. This film also premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Whaley's third film as writer and director, New York City Serenade, starring Chris Klein and Freddie Prinze, Jr., premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received poor reviews and the New York Times said "the story is transparently banal." He starred as the villain in Screen Gems' 2007 horror film Vacancy alongside Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, and guest starred on the April 10, 2007 episode of Boston Legal where he plays a man who tried to alter the crime scene of a murder his brother committed.

Filmography

• Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Timmy
• Field of Dreams (1989), Archie Graham
• Little Monsters (1989), Boy
• Flying Blind (film) (1990)
• The Freshman (1990), Steve Bushak
• The Doors (1991), Robby Krieger
• JFK (1991), Oswald 2
• Career Opportunities (1991), Jim Dodge
• A Midnight Clear (1992), Paul Mundy
• Hoffa (1992), Young trucker
• Swing Kids (1993), Arvid
• Swimming with Sharks (1994), Guy
• Pulp Fiction (1994), Brett
• Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald (1994), Lee Harvey Oswald
• The Outer Limits (1995), Henry Marshall
• Broken Arrow (1996), Giles Prentice
• Glam (1997), Franky Syde
• Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five (1998), Skee-Ball Weasel
• When Trumpets Fade (1998), Medic Chamberlain
• Red Dragon (2002), Ralph Mandy (uncredited)
• School of Rock (2003), Battle of Bands Director (uncredited)
• The Twilight Zone (2002)
  • "Future Trade", Martin Donnor
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2004)
  • "Eosphoros" (2004), Mitch Godel
• Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2004)
  • "Chained", Jeffrey White
• World Trade Center (2006), Chuck Sereika
• Psych (2006)
  • "Who Ya Gonna Call?" (2006), Robert Dunn/Martin Brody/Regina Kane
• Vacancy (2007)
• Ruffian (2007) Bill Nack
• Boston Legal (2007)
• House (2007)
  • "Mirror Mirror", Robert Elliot
• Drillbit Taylor (2008), Interviewed Bodyguards
• The Cell 2 (2009), Duncan

External links

• Frank Whaley at IMDb