James Frain

2025-07-29T23:23:58Z

2804:7F0:8459:F650:7125:5DAC:6A53:34F2: added source for birthday.

{{short description|English stage and screen actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = James Frain
| image = James Frain 2010 (cropped 2).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Frain at the 2010 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|3|13|df=y}}<ref name="empire"/>
| birth_place = [[Leeds]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| education = [[Joyce Frankland Academy|Newport Free Grammar School]]
| alma_mater = [[University of East Anglia]]<br/>[[Royal Central School of Speech and Drama|Central School of Speech and Drama]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1993–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Marta Cunningham|2004|2023|end=separated}}
| children = 2
}}
'''James Frain''' is an English actor. His best known television roles include [[Thomas Cromwell]] in the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]/[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] historical drama ''[[The Tudors]]'' (2007–2009), [[Franklin Mott]] in the [[HBO]] drama ''[[True Blood]]'' (2010), [[Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick|Warwick the Kingmaker]] in the [[BBC]] drama serial ''[[The White Queen (miniseries)|The White Queen]]'' (2013), John Sumner in the [[Sky UK|Sky]]/[[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal+]] crime drama ''[[The Tunnel (TV series)|The Tunnel]]'' (2013), Ferdinand Chevalier in the BBC/[[CTV Sci-Fi Channel|Space]] sci-fi thriller ''[[Orphan Black (TV series)|Orphan Black]]'' (2015–2017), [[Azrael (comics)|Theo Galavan/Azrael]] in [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s ''[[Gotham (TV series)|Gotham]]'' (2015–2016), and [[Sarek]] in ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]'' (2017–2019).

In film, he is best known for playing [[Daniel Barenboim]] and [[Álvaro de la Quadra]] in the biographical dramas ''[[Hilary and Jackie]]'' and ''[[Elizabeth (film)|Elizabeth]]'', respectively (both 1998), Bassianus in the [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] adaptation ''[[Titus (film)|Titus]]'' (1999), and [[Morrel|Gérard de Villefort]] in the historical drama ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film)|The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' (2002).

==Early life and education ==
James Frain was born in [[Leeds]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], and brought up in [[Stansted Mountfitchet]], near [[Bishop's Stortford]], [[Essex]], the eldest of eight children of a teacher mother and a stockbroker father.<ref name="empire"/>

He was educated at [[Newport Free Grammar School]], studied Drama and Film at the [[University of East Anglia]], and trained as an actor at the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]] in London.<ref name="empire">{{cite web |url= https://www.empireonline.com/people/james-frain/ |title=James Frain |work=Empire |access-date=18 October 2020}}</ref>

==Career==
=== Screen ===
In 1993, while in his final year of drama school, Frain made his film debut in ''[[Shadowlands (1993 film)|Shadowlands]]'', after being spotted by the film director [[Richard Attenborough]].<ref name="empire"/> In 1995, He starred as a [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] terrorist in the [[Thaddeus O'Sullivan]] directed film, ''[[Nothing Personal (1995 film)|Nothing Personal]]''.<ref name="tv">{{cite web |url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/nothing-personal/2030009461/ |title=Nothing Personal |publisher=TV Guide |access-date=5 November 2022}}</ref>

In 2000, he was nominated for [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor]] at the [[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television]]'s [[20th Genie Awards]] in [[Toronto]], for his performance as Gustave Sonnenschein in the [[István Szabó]] directed film ''[[Sunshine (1999 film)|Sunshine]]''.<ref name="ham">{{cite web |url= https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/james-frain/ |title=James Frain |website=hamiltonhodell.co.uk|access-date=5 November 2022}}</ref>

Frain has also appeared in a number of television series, including ''[[Soldier Soldier]]'' (1993); ''[[Armadillo (miniseries)|Armadillo]]'' (2001); ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'' (2005); ''[[Invasion (2005 TV series)|Invasion]]'' (2006); and ''[[The Closer]]'' (2006). He played [[Thomas Cromwell]] in [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]'s ''[[The Tudors]]''; the villainous billionaire "Chess" in the NBC superhero/crime drama series ''[[The Cape (2011 TV series)|The Cape]]''; heroic Templar Sir Gregory in the [[Syfy]] original film ''[[Dark Relic]]'' (2010); and vampire [[Franklin Mott]] in the [[HBO]] drama ''[[True Blood]]''. In season 2 of ''[[Grimm (TV series)|Grimm]]'', Frain joined the cast as a mysterious recurring character named Eric Renard.<ref name="empire"/><ref name="ham"/>

He appeared in the second season of ''[[Gotham (TV series)|Gotham]]'' as [[Azrael (comics)|Azrael]], and portrayed [[Sarek]], the father of [[Spock]], on ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]'', the second [[prequel]] TV series in the [[Star Trek]] franchise.{{when|date=January 2025}}<ref name="ham"/>

=== Stage ===
Frain has been a regular on the stage in the United Kingdom, appearing with the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] and [[Royal Court Theatre]], as well as on the West End. He has also appeared on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in New York. He was a recipient of the 2008 [[Drama Desk Award]] for Outstanding Ensemble Performances along with the rest of the cast of ''[[The Homecoming]]'' (2007).<ref name="empire"/><ref name="ham"/>

==Personal life==
In 2004, Frain married director Marta Cunningham; they have two children.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://hitberry.com/true-blood-star-james-frain-reveals-what-he-likes-to-do-on-date-nights-with-his-wife-marta |title=True Blood star James Frain reveals what he likes to do on date nights with his wife Marta. Read on for the full scoop |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227153421/https://hitberry.com/true-blood-star-james-frain-reveals-what-he-likes-to-do-on-date-nights-with-his-wife-marta |archive-date=27 February 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The couple announced their separation in February 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title='Star Trek' Star James Frain & Marta Cunningham Split |url=https://extratv.com/2023/02/21/star-trek-star-james-frain-and-marta-cunningham-split/ |website=Extra |language=en}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1993
|''[[Shadowlands (1993 film)|Shadowlands]]''
|Peter Whistler
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|1995
|''[[An Awfully Big Adventure]]''
|John Harbour
|
|-
|''[[Nothing Personal (1995 film)|Nothing Personal]]''
|Kenny
|
|-
|''Bruised Fruit''
|Dan
|Short film
|-
|1996
|''[[Loch Ness (film)|Loch Ness]]''
|Adrian Foote
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1997
|''[[Red Meat (film)|Red Meat]]''
|Victor
|
|-
|''[[Robinson Crusoe (1997 film)|Robinson Crusoe]]''
|Robert
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1998
|''[[What Rats Won't Do]]''
|Jack
|
|-
|''[[Hilary and Jackie]]''
|[[Daniel Barenboim]]
|
|-
|''[[Elizabeth (film)|Elizabeth]]''
|[[Álvaro de la Quadra]]
|
|-
|''Vigo: A Passion for Life ''
|Jean Vigo
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1999
|''[[Sunshine (1999 film)|Sunshine]]''
|Gustave Sonnenschein
|
|-
|''[[Titus (film)|Titus]]''
|Bassianus
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|2000
|''Zero Eight''
|
|Short film
|-
|''[[Reindeer Games]]''
|Nick Cassidy
|
|-
|''[[The Miracle Maker (2000 film)|The Miracle Maker]]''
|[[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]] (voice)
|
|-
|''[[Where the Heart Is (2000 film)|Where the Heart Is]]''
|Forney Hull
|
|-
|2002
|''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 movie)|The Count of Monte Cristo]]''
|J.F. Villefort
|
|-
|2005
|''[[Into the Blue (2005 film)|Into the Blue]]''
|Reyes
|
|-
|2006
|''[[The Front Line (2006 film)|The Front Line]]''
|Eddie Gilroy
|
|-
|2008
|''[[Quid Pro Quo (film)|Quid Pro Quo]]''
|Father Dave
|
|-
|2009
|''[[Everybody's Fine (2009 film)|Everybody's Fine]]''
|Tom
|
|-
|2010
|''[[Tron: Legacy]]''
|Jarvis
|
|-
|2011
|''[[Water for Elephants (film)|Water for Elephants]]''
|Rosie's Caretaker
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|2012
|''[[Transit (2012 film)|Transit]]''
|Marek
|
|-
|''[[Bert and Dickie]]''
|Jack Beresford
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|2013
|''[[All Things to All Men (film)|All Things to All Men]]''
|Attorney General
|
|-
|''[[The Lone Ranger (2013 film)|The Lone Ranger]]''
|Barret
|
|-
|''Alpha Alert''
|Andrews
|
|-
|2014
|''Born of War''
|Simon
|
|-
|2015
|''Olivia Martha Ilse''
|William Bailey
|Short film
|-
|2016
|''[[The Architect (2016 film)|The Architect]]''
|Miles Moss
|
|-
|2019
|''[[Against the Clock]]''
|Dr. A
|
|-
|2021
| ''[[Escape Room: Tournament of Champions]]''
|Henry
|Extended cut version
|}

===Television===
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1993
|''[[Soldier Soldier]]''
|Lt. Giles Chapman
|Episode: "Disintegration"
|-
|''[[Prime Suspect|Prime Suspect 3]]''
|Jason Baldwin
|Miniseries
|-
|rowspan="2"|1995
|''[[Devil's Advocate (British TV series)|Devil's Advocate]]''
|Doctor Vesti
|TV movie
|-
|''[[The Buccaneers]]''
|Julius Folyat
|Miniseries
|-
|rowspan="3"|1996
|''[[Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny]]''
|Prince [[Felix Yusupov]]
|TV movie
|-
|''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]''
|Elliot
|Episode: "Report from the Grave"
|-
|''Strangers''
|Dirk
|Episode: "Ceremony"
|-
|rowspan="2"|1997
|''[[The Mill on the Floss#Adaptations|The Mill on the Floss]]''
|Philip Wakem
|TV movie
|-
|''Macbeth on the Estate''
|Macbeth
|TV movie
|-
|2000
|''[[Arabian Nights (TV miniseries)|Arabian Nights]]''
|[[Schahzenan]]/[[Harun al-Rashid]]
|Miniseries
|-
|2001
|''[[Armadillo (miniseries)|Armadillo]]''
|Lorimer Black
|Miniseries
|-
|2001
|''[[The Vice (TV series)|The Vice]]''
|Gordon Ellis
|Episode: "Trade"
|-
|rowspan="2"|2002
|''[[Path to War]]''
|[[Richard N. Goodwin]]
|TV movie
|-
|''[[The Project (film)|The Project]]''
|Harvey
|TV movie
|-
|2003
|''Leonardo''
|[[Cesare Borgia]]
|Miniseries
|-
|rowspan="2"|2004
|''[[Spartacus (miniseries)|Spartacus]]''
|David
|Miniseries
|-
|''[[Pilot Season (TV series)|Pilot Season]]''
|Jeremy Pilodes
|Miniseries
|-
|rowspan="5"|2005
|''[[24 (TV series)|24]]''
|[[List of 24 characters#Department of Defense / Heller's family|Paul Raines]]
|10 episodes
|-
|''[[Strong Medicine]]''
|Art Gallery Painter
|Episode: "Clinical Risk"
|-
|''[[Empire (2005 TV series)|Empire]]''
|[[Marcus Junius Brutus]]
|Miniseries
|-
|''[[Medium (TV series)|Medium]]''
|Calley
|Episode: "Light Sleeper"
|-
|''[[Threshold (TV series)|Threshold]]''
|Reverend Lavory
|Episode: "Revelations"
|-
|rowspan="2"|2006
|''[[Invasion (2005 TV series)|Invasion]]''
|Eli Szura
|Recurring
|-
|''[[The Closer]]''
|Paul Andrews
|Episode: "Critical Missing"
|-
|2007
|''[[Numbers (TV series)|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 (TV series)|Fringe]]''
|Salman Kohl
|2 episodes
|-
|rowspan="5"|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 (TV series)|Californication]]''
|Paul Rider
|Episode: "Mia Culpa"
|-
|2009–2010
|''[[FlashForward]]''
|Dr. Gordon Myhill
|2 episodes
|-
|rowspan="6"|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 (American TV series)|Leverage]]''
|John Douglas Keller
|Episode: "The King George Job"
|-
|''[[True Blood]]''
|Franklin Mott<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/34981/the-tudors-james-frain-joins-true-blood-recurring-role|title=The Tudors James Frain joins True Blood recurring Role|publisher=DreadCentral|access-date=2011-10-17}}</ref>
|8 episodes
|-
|''[[CSI: Miami]]''
|Richard Ellison
|Episode: "Sudden Death"
|-
|rowspan="2"|2011
|''[[The Cape (2011 TV series)|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 (TV series)|Grimm]]''
|Eric Renard
|8 episodes
|-
|rowspan="3"|2013
|''[[The White Queen (miniseries)|The White Queen]]''
|[[Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick|Warwick the Kingmaker]]
|Miniseries
|-
|''[[Sleepy Hollow (TV series)|Sleepy Hollow]]''
|Rutelidge
|Episode: "The Sin Eater"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2013/09/18/sleepy-hollow-cast-james-frain-nobleman|title=Sleepy Hollow Exclusive: True Blood Baddie to Butt Heads With Ichabod|date=18 September 2013|publisher=tvline.com}}</ref>
|-
|''[[The Tunnel (TV series)|The Tunnel]]''
|John Sumner
|Main role; 4 episodes
|-
|rowspan="2"|2014
|''[[Reckless (TV series)|Reckless]]''
|Stanford Ashby
|Episode: "When the Smoke Clears"
|-
|''[[Intruders (TV series)|Intruders]]''
|Richard Shepherd
|Main cast
|-
|rowspan="2"|2015
|''[[Agent Carter (TV series)|Agent Carter]]''
|[[Leet Brannis (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Leet Brannis]]
|2 episodes
|-
|''[[True Detective]]''
|Kevin Burris
|Main role; 7 episodes
|-
|2015–2016
|''[[Gotham (TV series)|Gotham]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.yibada.com/articles/103973/20160213/don-t-watch-gotham-season-2-episode-12-mr-freeze.htm|title = Don't watch 'Gotham' Season 2 Episode 12 'Mr. Freeze' while eating; 'Law & Order: SVU' alum BD Wong plays Professor Strange|date = 13 February 2016}}</ref>
|[[Azrael (comics)|Theo Galavan/Azrael]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/gotham-james-frain-cast-villain-tigress-brother-1201454198/|title='Gotham' Casts James Frain As Regular, Will Play New Villain & Tigress' Brother|author=Nellie Andreeva|publisher=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=24 June 2015|access-date=23 July 2015}}</ref>
|Main role; 16 episodes
|-
| 2015–2017
|''[[Orphan Black]]''
| Ferdinand Chevalier<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/oprhan-black-justin-chatwin-james-frain-season-3-1201364651|title='Orphan Black' Adds 'Shameless' Alum Justin Chatwin, James Frain For Season 3|date=25 November 2014|work=Variety}}</ref>
|8 episodes
|-
|2017
|''[[Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series)|Hawaii Five-0]]''
|Sebastian Wake
|Episode: "Kama' oma' o ka 'aina huli hana"
|-
|2017–2019
|''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]''
|[[Sarek]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.startrek.com/article/james-frain-joins-discovery-as-sarek |title=James Frain Joins Discovery As Sarek |date=2017-01-18 |access-date=2017-01-18 |work=Startrek.com}}</ref>
|Recurring role
|-
|rowspan="2"|2019
|''[[The Twilight Zone (2019 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''
|Agent Allendale
|Episode: "Point of Origin"<ref>{{cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|title='The Twilight Zone': Ginnifer Goodwin To Star in Episode of CBS All Access Reboot|url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/the-twilight-zone-ginnifer-goodwin-star-episode-cbs-all-access-reboot-1202551972/|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=9 February 2019 |date=7 February 2019}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Elementary (TV series)|Elementary]]''
|Odin Reichenbach<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tvinsider.com/787898/james-frain-elementary-season-6-odin-reichenbach | title='Elementary' Sneak Peek: Is James Frain's Odin the Newest Foe to Holmes & Watson? (VIDEO) | first=Ileane | last=Rudolph | publisher=TVInsider | date=20 June 2019 | accessdate=5 May 2021 }}</ref>
|7 episodes
|-
|2020
|''[[What We Do in the Shadows (TV series)|What We Do in the Shadows]]''
|Black Peter
|Episode: "Witches"
|-
|2021
|''[[Showtrial (TV series)|Showtrial]]''
|Sir Damian Campbell
| Mini-Series
|-
|2023
|[[Quantum Leap (2022 TV series)|''Quantum Leap'']]
|Gideon Rydge
|
|-
|}

===Video games===
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
|-
|2010
|''[[Tron: Evolution]]''
|Zuse
|-
|2021
|''[[Call of Duty: Vanguard]]''
|Major Henry Hamms
|-
|}

===Theatre===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year
! Play
! Role
! Venue
! Notes
|-
| 1991
| ''[[All for Love (play)|All for Love]]''
| Myris
| [[Almeida Theatre]], [[London]]
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[The Rules of the Game (play)|The Rules of the Game]]''
| Giorgo
| [[Almeida Theatre]], [[London]]
|
|-
| 1993
| ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]''
| George Hastings
| [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]], [[London]]
| with [[Peter Hall Company]]
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Nick Dear|Zenobia]]''
| Wahballat
| [[Young Vic]], [[London]]
| with [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Christopher Shinn|Other People]]''
| Mark
| [[Royal Court Theatre]], [[London]]
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[[King Lear]]''
| [[Edmund (King Lear)|Edmund]]
| [[Almeida Theatre]], [[London]]
|
|-
| 2007
| ''[[The Homecoming]]''
| Teddy
| [[James Earl Jones Theatre|Cort Theatre]], [[New York City]]
|
|-
| 2019
| ''[[The King's Speech (play)|The King's Speech]]''
| [[Lionel Logue]]
| [[Chicago Shakespeare Theater]], [[Chicago]]
|
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0289656}}
*[https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/james-frain/ Hamilton Hodell Profile]
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frain, James}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of East Anglia]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]
[[Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Essex]]
[[Category:People educated at Hockerill Anglo-European College]]
[[Category:People educated at Newport Free Grammar School]]
[[Category:English male Shakespearean actors]]
[[Category:People from Stansted Mountfitchet]]
[[Category:Male actors from Leeds]]
[[Category:Actors from Uttlesford]]

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James Frain