Frank Whaley Biography

Fast Facts

• Won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting prize for his feature directorial debut at the Sundance Film Festival
• Studied at the University of New York, Albany and the Actors Studio, earning a B․A․ in theater
• Quote: "[on directing] "As an actor, I experienced great joy, but it's nothing․ You can't really take full credit or feel responsible for something․ You can only feel responsible for this little, tiny part․""
• Best known for his roles in independent films, especially "Swimming with Sharks․"
• His characters are often beleaguered and sometimes ill-fated
• Ethan Hawke listed him in the acknowledgement section of his novel "Ash Wednesday․"
• When he plays a musician, he does all of his own musical work