Frank Langella Biography

(Stage and Film Actor)

Birthday: January 1, 1938 (Capricorn)

Born In: Bayonne, New Jersey, United States

Frank A. Langella Jr. is a noted American actor. He is renowned for his remarkable portrayal of ‘President Richard Nixon’ in both the stage and the film production of ‘Frost/Nixon.’ He is also known for playing ‘Count Dracula’ in both the stage and the movie versions of ‘Dracula.’ With a career spanning several decades, he is one of the most versatile stage and film actors of Hollywood. After graduating from ‘Syracuse University’ with a degree in drama, he worked in theater, TV, and films. He has played a wide range of memorable characters, such as ‘Shakespeare,’ ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘Dracula,’ Superman’s boss ‘Perry White,’ He-Man’s arch-enemy ‘Skeletor.’ However, his most-admired role to date has been that of ‘President Nixon.’ At 6’3” (1.91m), he is an imposing figure, not only by virtue of his height, but also because of his theatrical talent. He has won a number of eminent awards and nominations for his theater and screen performances. Langella was married to Ruth Weil for nearly 20 years before their divorce. They have two children. He was in a relationship with actor Whoopi Goldberg for around 5 years.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Frank A. Langella Jr.

Age: 86 Years, 86 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Ruth Weil (m. 1977–1996)

father: Frank A. Langella

mother: Angelina Langella

Partner: Whoopi Goldberg (1996–2001)

Actors American Men

Height: 6'5" (196 cm), 6'5" Males

Ancestry: Italian American

City: Bayonne, New Jersey

U.S. State: New Jersey

More Facts

education: Syracuse University

  • 1

    What movies has Frank Langella starred in?

    Frank Langella has starred in movies such as "Frost/Nixon," "Superman Returns," "Robot & Frank," "The Box," and "Good Night, and Good Luck."

  • 2

    Has Frank Langella ever appeared on Broadway?

    Yes, Frank Langella has had a successful career on Broadway, with notable performances in plays like "Frost/Nixon," "Dracula," "Man and Boy," and "The Father."

  • 3

    Is Frank Langella known for any iconic TV roles?

    Frank Langella is known for his role as Gabriel in "The Americans," as well as appearances in TV shows like "Kidding," "The Americans," and "The Trial of the Chicago 7."

  • 4

    Does Frank Langella have any interesting hobbies or talents?

    Frank Langella is known to have a passion for painting and has showcased his artwork in various galleries. He also enjoys writing and has authored a memoir titled "Dropped Names."

  • 5

    What are some of the notable theater awards Frank Langella has received?

    Frank Langella has received several prestigious awards for his work in theater, including Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play for his performances in "Seascape," "Fortune's Fool," and "Frost/Nixon."

Childhood & Early Life
Frank Langella was born on January 1, 1938, into an Italian–American family in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father, Frank A. Langella Sr., was the president of the ‘Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company.’ His mother’s name was Angelina Langella. Initially he attended the ‘Washington Elementary School’ and then joined the ‘Bayonne High School’ in Bayonne.
At the age of 11, he participated in a school play based on the life of Abraham Lincoln and decided to pursue acting as a profession. Thereafter, he moved along with his family and joined the ‘Columbia High School’ in the South Orange–Maplewood School District. He completed school in 1955. In 1959, he obtained a ‘Bachelor of Arts’ degree in drama from ‘Syracuse University.’ He studied acting at the ‘Lincoln Center Repertory Company’ with Elia Kazan.
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Career
Initially, he worked with the regional theater companies in the East coast and the Mid-west. In 1963, he made his debut in the New York theater arena and played a lead role in an ‘Off-Broadway’ revival of ‘The Immoralist.’ His stage performances from 1964 to 1969 were acknowledged with noted theater awards.
He made his ‘Broadway’ debut in 1966, at the ‘Lincoln Center,’ New York, with Federico García Lorca’s ‘Yerma,’ and then, in 1968, he performed in ‘A Cry of Players’ by William Gibson. His performance in Edward Albee’s ‘Seascape’ (1974) fetched him both fame and awards.
In 1970, he made his film debut with a character role in ‘Diary of a Mad Housewife.’ In the same year, he received a bigger role in ‘The Twelve Chairs,’ written and directed by Mel Brooks.
For a major part of the 1970s, he remained occupied with theater and only intermittently appeared in TV and films. In 1972, he co-starred with Rita Hayworth in ‘The Wrath of God.’
Langella played the lead role of ‘Count Dracula’ in the 1977 ‘Broadway’ revival of the drama ‘Dracula.’ His portrayal of the ‘Count’ earned him a lot of appreciation, and the play received more accolades than expected. In 1979, he essayed the same role in the film ‘Dracula.’ However, he had to modulate his performance for the big-screen, and his work did not receive much appreciation. The film was not a commercial success.
In 1993, he was admired as the deceitful ‘Bob Alexander’ in the comedy ‘Dave.’ After this, he essayed character roles in the films ‘Junior’ (1994), ‘Lolita’ (1997), ‘The Ninth Gate’ (1999) among others.
He continued to be a well-admired figure in the New York theater scene. He played the title role in the 1987 ‘Broadway’ production ‘Sherlock’s Last Case.’ In 1987, he essayed the role of ‘Skeletor’ in the film ‘Masters of the Universe,’ and in 1988, he starred in the movie ‘And God Created Woman.’
During the 2000s, he portrayed diverse roles in films such as ‘Sweet November’ and ‘House of D.’ In 2005, he played the role of ‘William Paley’ in ‘Good Night, and Good Luck,’ George Clooney’s historical drama film about broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. Langella’s performance received rave reviews.
In ‘Superman Returns’ (2006), Langella essayed the role of ‘Perry White,’ the editor of the fictional newspaper ‘Daily Planet.’ He received immense critical acclaim and a lot of nominations for his performance in the 2007 movie ‘Starting Out in the Evening.’
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Langella portrayed the role of ‘President Richard Nixon’ in the drama ‘Frost/Nixon’ (2006) and earned both critical acclaim and awards for his performance. He reprised the same role in the film adaptation of ‘Frost/Nixon’ (2008), directed by Ron Howard. Langella earned excellent reviews and prominent award nominations for this movie too. He later worked in a variety of movies such as ‘All Good Things’ (2010), ‘The Time Being’ (2012 ), ‘Robot and Frank’ (2012 ) among others.
He worked in three episodes of ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993), only because he knew that it would make his children happy. Langella starred with Cameron Diaz in Richard Kelly’s 2009 film ‘The Box.’ In 2011, he worked in Jaume Collet-Serra’s thriller ‘Unknown.’
In a career spanning more than five decades, Frank has experienced many professional upheavals. He once stated in an interview that during the late 1980s, he was unemployed, with a family to provide for, and without any money.
In spite of working in more than 70 films, he is primarily known as a stage actor. In late 2013, he essayed the part of ‘King Lear’ in the play of the same name at the ‘Minerva,’ Chichester, UK.
His forthcoming projects include a comedy series, ‘Kidding,’ in which he features with Jim Carrey. He will also be seen in the sixth and final season of ‘The Americans,’ which is slated to return in March 2018.
Major Works
Langella has written two books. His first book, ‘Frank Langella’s Cyrano: An Adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac,’ was published in 1999. In the book, Frank has primarily ventured into writing about the genre of drama. His second book, ‘Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women as I Knew Them,’ was published in 2012. This memoir, with its 65 chapters, revealed a good deal about his interactions with many famous people, mostly from the entertainment industry.
Awards & Achievements
Langella won two ‘Obie Awards’ in the category of ‘Distinguished Performance by an Actor’ for his ‘Off-Broadway’ plays ‘Good Day’ (1965) and ‘White Devil’ (1965–1966). In 1969, he received a ‘Drama Desk Vernon Rice’ award for his performance in ‘A Cry of Players.’
He was nominated for the ‘Golden Globe Award’ for the ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ for his debut film ‘Diary of a Mad Housewife.’ In 1975, he won his first ‘Tony Award’ and his second ‘Drama Desk Award’ for his performance in Edward Albee’s ‘Seascape.’ He was nominated for the same two awards for his play ‘Dracula’ (1977–1979)
His work in Strindberg’s play ‘The Father’ (1996) and in the drama ‘Present Laughter’ (1996–1997) fetched him further nominations for the ‘Drama Desk Award.’ Thereafter, he won his second ‘Tony Award’ and ‘Drama Desk Award’ for the 2002 drama ‘Fortune’s Fool.’ He received further ‘Tony Award’ and ‘Drama Desk Award’ nominations for ‘Match,’ in 2004. His performance in Zeller’s version of ‘The Father’ (2016), earned him his third ‘Tony Award’ and ‘Drama Desk Award.’
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His portrayal of ‘President Richard Nixon’ in the film ‘Frost/Nixon’ earned him nominations for various awards, such as the ‘Academy Award,’ the ‘Golden Globe Award,’ the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award,’ and the ‘BAFTA.’ He received a ‘Tony Award’ and a ‘Drama Desk Award’ for the drama version of ‘Frost/Nixon’ (2006–2007). With four ‘Tony Awards,’ he has set a record of the most number of ‘Tony Awards’ received by any male actor.
In 2007, he received the ‘Boston Society of Film Critics Award’ for his much-admired portrayal of an elderly novelist in ‘Starting Out in the Evening.’ In 2002, he was inducted into ‘American Theater Hall of Fame.’
Personal Life
Langella married Ruth Weil on June 14, 1977. They had two children, but their marriage ended in a divorce in 1996.
During the filming of the basketball comedy show ‘Eddie’ (1996), he met actor Whoopi Goldberg. They lived together for almost five years, till March 2001.
Facts About Frank Langella

Frank Langella is an accomplished stage actor and has won multiple Tony Awards for his performances in various Broadway productions.

Langella is known for his deep, distinctive voice, which has been a key element of his powerful performances on stage and screen.

In addition to his acting talents, Langella is also a published author, having released a memoir titled "Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them."

Langella has a passion for vintage cars and has been spotted at various car shows and events showcasing his collection.
Despite his imposing presence on screen, Langella is known among friends and colleagues for his warm and friendly demeanor off-camera.

Frank Langella Movies

1. Captain Fantastic (2016)

  (Drama, Comedy)

2. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

  (Drama, History, Thriller)

3. Frost/Nixon (2008)

  (Drama, Biography, History)

4. Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

  (Drama, Comedy)

5. Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

  (Drama, Biography, History)

6. Red Dragon (2002)

  (Thriller, Crime, Drama)

7. Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980)

  (Romance, Comedy)

8. Dracula (1979)

  (Romance, Horror)

9. Robot & Frank (2012)

  (Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi, Comedy)

10. 5 to 7 (2014)

  (Romance, Comedy, Drama)

See the events in life of Frank Langella in Chronological Order

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