# Frank Whaley

Frank Joseph Whaley (born July 20, 1963) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, musician and comedian. His roles include Brett in Pulp Fiction, Robby Krieger in The Doors, Jim Dodge in Career Opportunities, young Archie "Moonlight" Graham in Field of Dreams, and Guy in Swimming with Sharks. He has also appeared in films and TV series such as Born on the Fourth of July, The Freshman, A Midnight Clear, Swing Kids, Broken Arrow, Luke Cage, Red Dragon and World Trade Center.

## Early life

Whaley was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, the son of Robert W. Whaley Sr. and Josephine (née Timilione). 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, JFK, which was released the same year, in which he played a conspirator in the JFK assassination and 2006's World Trade Center, where he played Chuck Sereika, a former drug addict who helped in the rescue efforts. 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 also appeared in episodes of The Dead Zone, Law & Order, and its spinoff Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Whaley made his writing-directorial debut in his independent film Joe the King in 1999, featuring his Doors co-star 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 Red Dragon, Rob the Mob, School of Rock, Broken Arrow, Little Monsters, A Midnight Clear, Janie Jones and I.Q. among others.
His television credits include Gotham, The Blacklist, CSI, 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 New York City. 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 Whaley, an actress and writer, and the author of Eat Your Feelings: Recipes for Self-Loathing. They have two children: Buster Whaley and Tallulah Whaley.

## Filmography
### As director

| Year | Title |
| 1999 | Joe the King |
| 2001 | The Jimmy Show |
| 2007 | New York City Serenade |
| 2014 | Like Sunday, Like Rain |

### Film roles

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Ironweed | Young Francis Phelan | |
| 1989 | Field of Dreams | Archie "Moonlight" Graham | |
| 1989 | Little Monsters | Boy | |
| 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July | Timmy Burns | |
| 1990 | The Freshman | Steve Bushak | |
| 1990 | Cold Dog Soup | Michael Latchmer | |
| 1991 | The Doors | Robby Krieger | |
| 1991 | Career Opportunities | Jim Dodge | |
| 1991 | JFK | Oswald Imposter | Credited in director's cut |
| 1992 | Back in the U.S.S.R. | Archer Sloan | |
| 1992 | A Midnight Clear | Paul Mundy | |
| 1992 | Hoffa | Young Trucker / Hitman | |
| 1993 | Swing Kids | Arvid | |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Brett | |
| 1994 | Swimming with Sharks | Guy | |
| 1994 | The Desperate Trail | Walter Cooper | Direct-to-video |
| 1994 | I.Q. | Frank | |
| 1995 | Homage | Karchie | |
| 1995 | Cafe Society | Mickey Jelke | |
| 1996 | Broken Arrow | Giles Prentice | |
| 1996 | The Winner | Joey | |
| 1997 | Retroactive | Brian | |
| 1997 | Glam | Franky Syde | |
| 1997 | Bombshell | Malcolm Garvey | Direct-to-video |
| 1998 | Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five | Skee-Ball Weasel | |
| 1998 | It All Came True | Brett Conway | |
| 1999 | Joe the King | Angry Man Bob Owes | Uncredited |
| 2000 | Two Family House | The Narrator | Uncredited |
| 2001 | Pursuit of Happiness | Alan | |
| 2001 | The Jimmy Show | Jimmy O'Brien | |
| 2001 | Chelsea Walls | Lynny Barnum | |
| 2002 | Red Dragon | Ralph Mandy | Uncredited |
| 2003 | A Good Night to Die | Chad | |
| 2003 | School of Rock | Battle of Bands Director | Uncredited |
| 2006 | World Trade Center | Chuck Sereika | |
| 2006 | The Hottest State | Harris | |
| 2006 | Crazy Eights | Brent Sykes | |
| 2006 | The System Within | Prison Guard | |
| 2007 | Cherry Crush | Wade Chandling | |
| 2007 | Vacancy | Mason | |
| 2007 | New York City Serenade | Les | |
| 2008 | Drillbit Taylor | Interviewed Bodyguards | |
| 2009 | The Cell 2 | Duncan | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | As Good as Dead | Aaron | |
| 2010 | Janie Jones | Chuck | |
| 2013 | Aftermath | Eric | Filmed in 2005 |
| 2014 | Rob the Mob | FBI Agent Frank Hurd | |
| 2016 | Cold Moon | Sheriff Ted Hale | |
| 2016 | Monster Trucks | Wade Coley | |
| 2017 | The Outcasts | Herb | |
| 2017 | Against the Night | Detective Ramsey | |
| 2018 | Warning Shot | David | |
| 2019 | Hustlers | Reese | |
| 2019 | Wish Man | Officer Tom Wells | |
| 2019 | The Shed | Bane | |
| 2023 | Death on the Border | Detective John Watson | |
| 2024 | Saint Clare | Mailman Bob | |

### TV roles

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Spenser: For Hire | Tommy | Episode: "The Road Back" |
| 1987 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Scott McNichol | Episode: "Soldier Boys" |
| 1987 | ABC Afterschool Special | Jeff Dillon | Episode: "Seasonal Differences" |
| 1988 | The Equalizer | Press | Episode: "The Child Broker" |
| 1988 | Life on the Flipside | Sonny Day | TV pilot |
| 1989 | Unconquered | Arnie Woods | TV movie |
| 1989 | Flying Blind | Joey | TV movie |
| 1993 | Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald | Lee Harvey Oswald | TV movie |
| 1993 | To Dance with the White Dog | James | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Henry Marshall | Episode: "The Conversion" |
| 1997 | Dead Man's Gun | Cole Ballard | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper |
| 1997 | Oddville, MTV | Unknown | 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Wall | Bishop | TV movie |
| 1998 | When Trumpets Fade | Medic Chamberlain | TV movie |
| 1998–2000 | Buddy Faro | Bob Jones | Main cast |
| 1999 | Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story | Allen Kogan | TV movie |
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Zig Fowler / Cliff Unger | Episode: "Zig Zag" |
| 2001 | Strange Frequency | Unknown | Episode: "Time Is on My Side" |
| 2001 | Bad News Mr. Swanson | Unknown | TV pilot |
| 2002 | Law & Order | John McDowell | Episode: "Access Nation" |
| 2002 | The Twilight Zone | Martin Donnor | Episode: "Future Trade" |
| 2002 | Sun Gods | Unknown | TV pilot |
| 2003–2004 | The Dead Zone | Christopher Wey / Future Guy | Recurring |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Mitch Godel | Episode: "Eosphoros" |
| 2004 | NCIS | Jeffrey White | Episode: "Chained" |
| 2005 | Detective | Brewmaster | TV movie |
| 2005 | Mrs. Harris | George Bolen | TV movie |
| 2005 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Peter Hagen | Episode: "Lewis Needs a Kidney" |
| 2006 | Where There's a Will | Richie Greene | TV movie |
| 2006 | Psych | Robert Dunn | Episode: "Who Ya Gonna Call?" |
| 2007 | Boston Legal | Frankie Cox | Episode: "Brotherly Love" |
| 2007 | Ruffian | Bill Nack | TV movie |
| 2007 | House | Robert Elliot | Episode: "Mirror Mirror" |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Navy Commander Grant Marcus | Episode: "PTSD" |
| 2009 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Miles | Episode: "Disarmed and Dangerous" |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Mr. Sparks | Episode: "Blackout!" |
| 2010 | Burn Notice | Josh Wagner | Episode: "Breach of Faith" |
| 2010 | Medium | Gabe Helling | Episode: "Means and Ends" |
| 2012 | Alcatraz | Officer Donovan | Episode: "The Ames Brothers" |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Larry Giles | Episode: "Firebomb" |
| 2012–2013 | Blue Bloods | Gary Heller | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Ray Donovan | FBI Agent Van Miller | Recurring |
| 2014 | The Blacklist | Karl Hoffman | Episode: "The Good Samaritan" |
| 2014 | Gotham | Doug | Episode: "Selina Kyle" |
| 2015 | Under the Dome | Dr. Marston | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Unforgettable | Jim Garrett | Episode: "We Can Be Heroes" |
| 2016 | Madoff | Harry Markopolos | Main cast |
| 2016 | Chicago Med | Chuck Gleason | Episode: "Withdrawal" |
| 2016–2018 | Marvel's Luke Cage | Detective Rafael Scarfe | Recurring (season 1) Guest (season 2) |
| 2016 | Elementary | Winston Utz | Episode: "To Catch a Predator Predator" |
| 2016 | Divorce | Carson Hodges | Episode: "Gustav" |
| 2016 | Empire | Edison Cruz | Episode: "A Furnace for Your Foe" |
| 2017 | MacGyver | Douglas Bishop | Episode: "Fish Scaler" |
| 2017 | Bull | Max Hyland | Episode: "Free Fall" |
| 2018 | Gone | Ted | Episode: "Secuestrado" |
| 2018 | Sneaky Pete | Duane Harding | Episode: "Inside Out" |
| 2018 | Deception | Charles Quaid | Episode: "The Unseen Hand" |
| 2019 | Jack Ryan | Carl Estes | Episode: "Cargo" |
| 2020 | Bull | Ray Peterman | Episode: "Off the Rails" |