James Frain
James Frain | |
---|---|
Born | Leeds,West Riding of Yorkshire,England | 14 March 1968
Education | Newport Free Grammar School |
Alma mater | University of East Anglia Central School of Speech and Drama |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1993–present |
Spouse |
Marta Cunningham
(m.2004;sep.2023) |
Children | 2 |
James Frain(born 14 March 1968) is an English actor. His best known television roles includeThomas Cromwellin theShowtime/CBChistorical dramaThe Tudors(2007–2009),Franklin Mottin theHBOdramaTrue Blood(2010),Warwick the Kingmakerin theBBCdrama serialThe White Queen(2013), John Sumner in theSky/Canal+crime dramaThe Tunnel(2013), Ferdinand Chevalier in the BBC/Spacesci-fi thrillerOrphan Black(2015–2017),Theo Galavan/AzraelinFox'sGotham(2015–2016), andSarekinStar Trek: Discovery(2017–2019). He also played leading roles in the BBC dramasArmadillo(2001),The Buccaneers(1995) andThe Mill on the Floss(1997).
In film, he is best known for playingDaniel BarenboimandÁlvaro de la Quadrain the biographical dramasHilary and JackieandElizabeth,respectively (both 1998), Bassianus in theShakespeareadaptationTitus(1999), andGérard de Villefortin the historical dramaThe Count of Monte Cristo(2002).
Early life
[edit]Frain was born inLeeds,West Riding of Yorkshire,[1]and brought up inStansted Mountfitchet,nearBishop's Stortford,Essex,[1]the eldest of eight children of a teacher mother and a stockbroker father.[1]He was educated atNewport Free Grammar School,[1]studied Drama and Film at theUniversity of East Anglia[1]and trained as an actor at theCentral School of Speech and Dramain London.[1]
Career
[edit]In 1993, while in his final year of drama school, he made his film debut inShadowlands,after being spotted by the film directorRichard Attenborough.[1]In 1995, He starred as aNorthern Irishterrorist in theThaddeus O'Sullivandirected film,Nothing Personal.[2]
In 2000, Frain was nominated forCanadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actorat theAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television's20th Genie AwardsinToronto,for his performance as Gustave Sonnenschein in theIstván Szabódirected filmSunshine.[3]
He has been a regular on the stage in the United Kingdom, appearing with theRoyal Shakespeare CompanyandRoyal Court Theatre,as well as on the West End. He has also appeared onBroadwayand was a recipient of the 2008Drama Desk Awardfor Outstanding Ensemble Performances along with the rest of the cast ofThe Homecoming(2007).[1][3]
He has appeared in a number of television series, such asSoldier Soldier(1993);Armadillo(2001);24(2005);Invasion(2006); andThe Closer(2006). His more recent roles includeThomas CromwellinShowtime'sThe Tudors;the villainous billionaire 'Chess' in the NBC superhero/crime drama seriesThe Cape;heroic Templar Sir Gregory in theSyfyoriginal filmDark Relic(2010); and vampireFranklin Mottin theHBOdramaTrue Blood.In season 2 ofGrimm,Frain joined the cast as a mysterious recurring character named Eric Renard.[1][3]
He appeared in the second season ofGothamasAzrael,and portrayedSarek,the father ofSpock,onStar Trek: Discovery,the secondprequelTV series in theStar Trekfranchise.[3]
Personal life
[edit]In 2004, Frain married director Marta Cunningham; they have two children.[4]The couple announced their separation in February 2023.[5]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Shadowlands | Peter Whistler | |
1995 | An Awfully Big Adventure | John Harbour | |
Nothing Personal | Kenny | ||
Bruised Fruit | Dan | Short film | |
1996 | Loch Ness | Adrian Foote | |
1997 | Red Meat | Victor | |
Robinson Crusoe | Robert | ||
1998 | What Rats Won't Do | Jack | |
Hilary and Jackie | Daniel Barenboim | ||
Elizabeth | Álvaro de la Quadra | ||
Vigo: A Passion for Life | Jean Vigo | ||
1999 | Sunshine | Gustave Sonnenschein | |
Titus | Bassianus | ||
2000 | Zero Eight | Short film | |
Reindeer Games | Nick Cassidy | ||
The Miracle Maker | Thomas(voice) | ||
Where the Heart Is | Forney Hull | ||
2002 | The Count of Monte Cristo | J.F. Villefort | |
2005 | Into the Blue | Reyes | |
2006 | The Front Line | Eddie Gilroy | |
2008 | Quid Pro Quo | Father Dave | |
2009 | Everybody's Fine | Tom | |
2010 | Tron: Legacy | Jarvis | |
2011 | Water for Elephants | Rosie's Caretaker | |
2012 | Transit | Marek | |
Bert and Dickie | Jack Beresford | ||
2013 | All Things to All Men | Attorney General | |
The Lone Ranger | Barret | ||
Alpha Alert | Andrews | ||
2014 | Born of War | Simon | |
2015 | Olivia Martha Ilse | William Bailey | Short film |
2016 | The Architect | Miles Moss | |
2019 | Against the Clock | Dr. A | |
2021 | Escape Room: Tournament of Champions | Henry | Extended cut version |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Soldier Soldier | Lt. Giles Chapman | Episode: "Disintegration" |
Prime Suspect 3 | Jason Baldwin | Miniseries | |
1995 | Devil's Advocate | Doctor Vesti | TV movie |
The Buccaneers | Julius Folyat | Miniseries | |
1996 | Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny | PrinceFelix Yusupov | TV movie |
Tales from the Crypt | Elliot | Episode: "Report from the Grave" | |
Strangers | Dirk | Episode: "Ceremony" | |
1997 | The Mill on the Floss | Philip Wakem | TV movie |
Macbeth on the Estate | Macbeth | TV movie | |
2000 | Arabian Nights | Schahzenan/Harun al-Rashid | Miniseries |
2001 | Armadillo | Lorimer Black | Miniseries |
2001 | The Vice | Gordon Ellis | Episode: "Trade" |
2002 | Path to War | Richard N. Goodwin | TV movie |
The Project | Harvey | TV movie | |
2003 | Leonardo | Cesare Borgia | Miniseries |
2004 | Spartacus | David | Miniseries |
Pilot Season | Jeremy Pilodes | Miniseries | |
2005 | 24 | Paul Raines | 10 episodes |
Strong Medicine | Art Gallery Painter | Episode: "Clinical Risk" | |
Empire | Marcus Junius Brutus | Miniseries | |
Medium | Calley | Episode: "Light Sleeper" | |
Threshold | Reverend Lavory | Episode: "Revelations" | |
2006 | Invasion | Eli Szura | Recurring |
The Closer | Paul Andrews | Episode: "Critical Missing" | |
2007 | Numbers | Allister McClair | Episode: "The Janus List" |
2007–2009 | The Tudors | Thomas Cromwell | Main role; 24 episodes |
2008 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dean Holiday | Episode: "Vanishing Act" |
2008–2009 | Fringe | Salman Kohl | 2 episodes |
2009 | In Plain Sight | Phillip Ashmore/Phillip Andrews | Episode: "Once a Ponzi Time" |
Grey's Anatomy | Tom Crowley | Episode: "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me" | |
Lie to Me | Lance McClellan | Episode: "Grievous Bodily Harm" | |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Martin Gold | Episode: "Users" | |
Californication | Paul Rider | Episode: "Mia Culpa" | |
2009–2010 | FlashForward | Dr. Gordon Myhill | 2 episodes |
2010 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Jeffrey Hughes | Episode: "Sin City Blue" |
Dark Relic | Sir Gregory | TV movie | |
Miami Medical | Brian | Episode: "Man on the Road" | |
Leverage | John Douglas Keller | Episode: "The King George Job" | |
True Blood | Franklin Mott[6] | 8 episodes | |
CSI: Miami | Richard Ellison | Episode: "Sudden Death" | |
2011 | The Cape | Peter Fleming/Chess | Main cast |
Burn Notice | James Forte | Episode: "Eye for an Eye" | |
2012 | The Mentalist | Terry Murphy | Episode: "At First Blush" |
2012–2013 | Grimm | Eric Renard | 8 episodes |
2013 | The White Queen | Warwick the Kingmaker | Miniseries |
Sleepy Hollow | Rutelidge | Episode: "The Sin Eater"[7] | |
The Tunnel | John Sumner | Main role; 4 episodes | |
2014 | Reckless | Stanford Ashby | Episode: "When the Smoke Clears" |
Intruders | Richard Shepherd | Main cast | |
2015 | Agent Carter | Leet Brannis | 2 episodes |
True Detective | Kevin Burris | Main role; 7 episodes | |
2015–2016 | Gotham[8] | Theo Galavan/Azrael[9] | Main role; 16 episodes |
2015–2017 | Orphan Black | Ferdinand Chevalier[10] | 8 episodes |
2017 | Hawaii Five-0 | Sebastian Wake | Episode: "Kama' oma' o ka 'aina huli hana" |
2017–2019 | Star Trek: Discovery | Sarek[11] | Recurring role |
2019 | The Twilight Zone | Agent Allendale | Episode: "Point of Origin"[12] |
Elementary | Odin Reichenbach[13] | 7 episodes | |
2020 | What We Do in the Shadows | Black Peter | Episode: "Witches" |
2021 | Showtrial | Sir Damian Campbell | Mini-Series |
2023 | Quantum Leap | Gideon Rydge |
Video games
[edit]Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2010 | Tron: Evolution | Zuse |
2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Major Henry Hamms |
Theatre
[edit]Year | Play | Role | Venue | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | All for Love | Myris | Almeida Theatre,London | |
1992 | The Rules of the Game | Giorgo | Almeida Theatre,London | |
1993 | She Stoops to Conquer | George Hastings | Queen's Theatre,London | withPeter Hall Company |
1995 | Zenobia | Wahballat | Young Vic,London | withRoyal Shakespeare Company |
2000 | Other People | Mark | Royal Court Theatre,London | |
2001 | King Lear | Edmund | Almeida Theatre,London | |
2007 | The Homecoming | Teddy | Cort Theatre,New York City | |
2019 | The King's Speech | Lionel Logue | Chicago Shakespeare Theater,Chicago |
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghi"James Frain".Empire.Retrieved18 October2020.
- ^"Nothing Personal".TV Guide.Retrieved5 November2022.
- ^abcd"James Frain".hamiltonhodell.co.uk.Retrieved5 November2022.
- ^"True Blood star James Frain reveals what he likes to do on date nights with his wife Marta. Read on for the full scoop".Archived fromthe originalon 27 February 2018.Retrieved9 February2019.
- ^"'Star Trek' Star James Frain & Marta Cunningham Split ".Extra.
- ^"The Tudors James Frain joins True Blood recurring Role".DreadCentral.Retrieved17 October2011.
- ^"Sleepy Hollow Exclusive: True Blood Baddie to Butt Heads With Ichabod".tvline. 18 September 2013.
- ^"Don't watch 'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 12 'Mr. Freeze' while eating; 'Law & Order: SVU' alum BD Wong plays Professor Strange".13 February 2016.
- ^Nellie Andreeva (24 June 2015)."'Gotham' Casts James Frain As Regular, Will Play New Villain & Tigress' Brother ".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved23 July2015.
- ^"'Orphan Black' Adds 'Shameless' Alum Justin Chatwin, James Frain For Season 3 ".Variety.25 November 2014.
- ^"James Frain Joins Discovery As Sarek".Startrek.18 January 2017.Retrieved18 January2017.
- ^Petski, Denise (7 February 2019)."'The Twilight Zone': Ginnifer Goodwin To Star in Episode of CBS All Access Reboot ".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved9 February2019.
- ^Rudolph, Ileane (20 June 2019)."'Elementary' Sneak Peek: Is James Frain's Odin the Newest Foe to Holmes & Watson? (VIDEO) ".TVInsider.Retrieved5 May2021.
External links
[edit]- 1968 births
- Alumni of the University of East Anglia
- Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- English male film actors
- English male stage actors
- English male television actors
- Living people
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- Male actors from Essex
- People educated at Hockerill Anglo-European College
- People educated at Newport Free Grammar School
- English male Shakespearean actors
- People from Stansted Mountfitchet
- Male actors from Leeds