Frank Whaley


Frank Joseph Whaley is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and comedian. His roles include Brett in Pulp Fiction, Robbie Krieger in The Doors, young Archie "Moonlight" Graham in Field of Dreams, and Guy in Swimming With Sharks. He also appeared in the films Born on the Fourth of July, The Freshman, A Midnight Clear, Swing Kids, Broken Arrow, and World Trade Center.

Early life

Whaley was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, the son of Robert W. Whaley, Sr. and Josephine. Whaley graduated from Anthony A. Henninger High School in 1981 and left home at 18. He graduated from the University at Albany.

Career

Whaley made his film debut in 1987's Ironweed. In 1989 he appeared in Field of Dreams and Born on the Fourth of July. The 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 1990, Whaley appeared with Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick in The Freshman. In 1991, he starred in the John Hughes feature film Career Opportunities.
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. During the same year, he played a supporting role as the doomed Brett, who was memorably killed by Samuel L. Jackson's and John Travolta's characters in Pulp Fiction.
In 1998, he started a regular role on the short-lived CBS series Buddy Faro. He appears in episodes of The Dead Zone, Law & Order, and its spinoff .
Whaley made his writing-directorial debut in his independent film, 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 Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. His second film as writer and director, The Jimmy Show, stars 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. He stars as the villain in the 2007 horror film Vacancy. In 2014 he wrote and directed the film Like Sunday, Like Rain, starring Debra Messing, Leighton Meester and Billie Joe Armstrong. The film won six awards at the 2014 Williamsburg Independent Film Festival including Best Film, Best Director and acting nods for Armstrong, Meester, Messing and Julian Shatkin. It opened in March 2015.
In 2014, Whaley appeared as Van Miller in Season One of the Showtime series Ray Donovan. In 2016, Whaley had a role in Paramount Animation's first mostly live-action film, Monster Trucks, and in 2017, he appeared in the teen film The Outskirts.
Whaley's other film credits include World Trade Center, Red Dragon, Rob the Mob, School of Rock, Broken Arrow, Little Monsters, A Midnight Clear, Janie Jones, I.Q. among others.
His television credits include Gotham, The Blacklist,, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Psych, Burn Notice, Ugly Betty, Mrs. Harris, When Trumpets Fade, Boston Legal, Medium, Blue Bloods, Bull, House, MacGyver, Divorce, Elementary, Under the Dome, the TV mini-series Madoff, Alcatraz and many others.
Whaley has maintained his roots in the theater, working frequently with The New Group in NYC. In 2011, he appeared in the New Group's revival of Wallace Shawn's Marie And Bruce opposite Marisa Tomei.

Personal life

In 2001, Whaley married Heather Bucha, an actress and writer, and the author of Eat Your Feelings: Recipes for Self-Loathing. The couple collaborated on the NBC pilot Lloyd of the House. They have two children, Buster William, and Tallulah Josephine.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987'TommyEpisode: "The Road Back"
1987CBS Schoolbreak SpecialScott McNicholEpisode: "Soldier Boys"
1987ABC Afterschool SpecialJeff DillonEpisode: "Seasonal Differences"
1988The EqualizerPressEpisode: "The Child Broker"
1988Life on the FlipsideSonny DayTV Pilot
1989UnconqueredArnie WoodsTV Movie
1989Flying BlindJoeyTV Movie
1993'Lee Harvey OswaldTV Movie
1993To Dance with the White DogJamesTV Movie
1995The Outer LimitsHenry MarshallEpisode: "The Conversion"
1997Dead Man's GunCole BallardEpisode: "My Brother's Keeper
1997Oddville, MTV1 episode
1998The WallBishopTV Movie
1998When Trumpets FadeMedic ChamberlainTV Movie
1998-2000Buddy FaroBob JonesMain cast
1999'Allen KoganTV Movie
2000The Outer LimitsZig Fowler / Cliff UngerEpisode: "Zig Zag"
2001Strange FrequencyEpisode: "Time Is on My Side"
2001Bad News Mr. SwansonTV Pilot
2002Law & OrderJohn McDowellEpisode: "Access Nation"
2002The Twilight ZoneMartin DonnorEpisode: "Future Trade"
2002Sun GodsTV Pilot
2003-2004The Dead Zone'Christopher Wey / Future GuyRecurring
2004'Mitch GodelEpisode: "Eosphoros |Eosphoros"
2004NCISJeffrey WhiteEpisode: "Chained"
2005DetectiveBrewmasterTV Movie
2005Mrs. HarrisGeorge BolenTV Movie
2005Curb Your EnthusiasmPeter HagenEpisode: "Lewis Needs a Kidney"
2006Where There's a WillRichie GreeneTV Movie
2006PsychRobert DunnEpisode: "Who Ya Gonna Call?"
2007Boston LegalFrankie CoxEpisode: "Brotherly Love"
2007RuffianBill NackTV Movie
2007HouseRobert ElliotEpisode: "Mirror Mirror"
2008'Navy Commander Grant MarcusEpisode: "PTSD"
2009'MilesEpisode: "Disarmed and Dangerous"
2010Ugly BettyMr. SparksEpisode: "Blackout!"
2010Burn NoticeJosh WagnerEpisode: "Breach of Faith"
2010MediumGabe HellingEpisode: "Means and Ends"
2012AlcatrazOfficer DonovanEpisode: "The Ames Brothers"
2012NYC 22Larry GilesEpisode: "Firebomb"
2012-2013Blue BloodsGary Heller2 episodes
2013Ray DonovanVan MillerRecurring
2014The BlacklistKarl HoffmanEpisode: "The Good Samaritan"
2014GothamDougEpisode: "Selina Kyle"
2015Under the DomeDr. Marston3 episodes
2016UnforgettableJim GarrettEpisode: "We Can Be Heroes"
2016MadoffHarry MarkopolosMain cast
2016Chicago MedChuck GleasonEpisode: "Withdrawal"
2016-2018Marvel's Luke CageDetective Rafael ScarfeRecurring
Guest
2016ElementaryWinston UtzEpisode: "To Catch a Predator Predator"
2016DivorceCarson HodgesEpisode: "Gustav"
2016EmpireEdison CruzEpisode: "A Furnace for Your Foe"
2017MacGyverDouglas BishopEpisode: "Fish Scaler"
2017BullMax HylandEpisode: "Free Fall"
2018GoneTedEpisode: "Secuestrado"
2018Sneaky PeteDuane HardingEpisode: "Inside Out"
2018DeceptionCharles QuaidEpisode: "The Unseen Hand"
2019Jack Ryan''Carl EstesEpisode: “Cargo”