Frank Langella Biography (1940?-)

Born January 1, 1940 (some sources cite 1938), in Bayonne, NJ; son of Frank Langella (a business executive); married Ruth Weil (a magazine editor), June 14, 1977 (marriage ended, c. 1996); children: two. Addresses: Agent: Peter Strain and Associates, 5455 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1812, Los Angeles, CA 90036; Stone Manners Talent and Literary Agency, 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, director, producer
Birth Details: January 1, 1940?; Bayonne, New Jersey

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Appearances
Eugene Gant, Look Homeward, Angel, Erie Playhouse, Erie, PA, 1960
Heinzie, Pajama Game, Erie Playhouse, 1960
Malcolm, Macbeth, Erie Playhouse, 1960
Michel, The Immoralist, Bouwerie Lane Theatre, New York City, 1963
Title role, Benito Cereno (double-bill with The Old Glory),American Place Theatre at St. Clement's Church, New York City, 1964
Old Glory (double-bill with Benito Cereno), American PlaceTheatre at St. Clement's Church, 1964
Flamineo, The White Devil, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1965
Young man, Good Day, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, 1965
Jamie, Long Day's Journey into Night, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1966
The Cretan Woman, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA, 1966
The Skin of Our Teeth, Berkshire Theatre Festival, 1966
Juan, Yerma, Repertory Company of Lincoln Center, Lincoln Center,Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1966-1967
Achilles, Iphigenia at Aulis, Circle in the Square, 1967
Title role, Dracula, Berkshire Theatre Festival, 1967
Urbain Grandier, The Devils, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1967
The Prince of Homburg, Cleveland Playhouse Company, Cleveland, OH,1967-1968
Narrator, The Peloponnesian War (multimedia production), Daniel Nagrin Company, 1968
Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Long Island Festival Repertory Theatre,Mineola, NY, 1968
Will (William Shakespeare), A Cry of Players, Berkshire Theatre Festival, 1968, then Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 1968-1969
Title role, Cyrano de Bergerac, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 1971
Hoss, The Tooth of Crime, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, 1972
Loveless, The Relapse, Tyrone Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, 1972
Oberon, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tyrone Guthrie Theatre, 1972
Petruchio, The Taming of the Shrew, Studio Arena Theatre, Buffalo,NY, 1973
The Seagull, Williamstown Theatre Festival, 1974
Leslie, Seascape, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1974-1975, thenShubert Theatre, Los Angeles, 1975
Ring round the Moon, Williamstown Theatre Festival, 1975
Prince Friedrich Arthur of Homburg, The Prince of Homburg, ChelseaTheatre Center, Westwide Theatre Upstairs, New York City, 1976
Title role, Dracula, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1977-1980
Title role, Cyrano de Bergerac, Williamstown Theatre Festival, 1980
Antonio Salieri, Amadeus, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1982
Night of 100 Stars (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1982
Jim, Passion, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1983, also producedin London, 1983
Quentin, After the Fall, Playhouse 91, New York City, 1984
Otto, Design for Living, Circle in the Square, 1984-1985
Eddie, Hurlyburly, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1985
Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock's Last Case, Nederlander Theatre, New York City, 1987, then John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1987-1988
Le vicomte de Valmont, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Ahmanson Theatre,Los Angeles, c. 1988
Prospero, The Tempest, Roundabout Theatre Company, Union Square Theatre, New York City, 1989
Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady (musical), Houston Grand Opera, Houston, TX, 1991
Urgentiono, Scenes from an Execution, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1993
Junius, Booth, York Theatre Company, York Theatre at St. Peter's,New York City, 1994
The captain, The Father, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right Theatre, New York City, 1996
Garry Essedine, Present Laughter, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, 1996-1997
Title role, Cyrano de Bergerac, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City,1997-1998
The captain, The Father, Roundabout Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles, 1998
Benito Cereno (staged reading), Theatre at the 92nd Street Y, NewYork City, 1998
Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Theatre at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 2000
Moon over Buffalo (also known as Over the Moon), Old Vic Theatre, London, 2001
Flegont Alexandrovitch Tropatchov, Fortune's Fool, Truglia Theatre, Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford, CT, then Music Box Theatre, New York City, both 2002
Tobi Powell, Match, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 2004
The Stendhal Syndrome, Primary Stages Theatre, New York City, 2004
Appeared as a son (flier), The Good Woman of Setzuan, and as Iago,Othello, both Directors Workshop, Sheridan Square Playhouse, New YorkCity; as Cliff, Look Back in Anger, and as Satan and Cain, Man, both Key Playhouse, New York City; appeared as Choubert, Victims of Duty, as the title role, George Dandin, and as Mr. Martin, The BaldSoprano, all Syracuse Repertory Theatre, Syracuse, NY; as Paul Verrall,Born Yesterday, and as the first man, A Thurber Carnival, bothNew Playhouse, Syracuse, NY; as John Buchanan, Jr., Eccentricities of a Nightingale, as an old actor, The Fantastics, and as Richard Rich, A Man for All Seasons, all Williamstown Theatre Festival; as Tom, The Glass Menagerie, and as Donald Gresham, The Moon Is Blue, both Charles Playhouse, Boston, MA; as Joe Pond, Charm, and as a milkman, Under the Yum Yum Tree, both Cape Playhouse, Dennis, MA; as Jack, Jack; or, The Submission, and as a professor, The Lesson, both TuftsArena Theatre, Medford, MA. Also appeared as Valentine, Love for Love,Maidman Theatre, New York City; as the title role, Telemachus, New Dramatists Theatre, New York City; as Junius Brutus Booth, Booth Is Back, Long Wharf Theatre; as Caesar, Caesar and Cleopatra, Syracuse Repertory Theatre and Directors Workshop, Sheridan Square Playhouse; and as Rudolpho, A View from the Bridge, Charles Playhouse and Williamstown TheatreFestival.
Stage Director
John and Abigail, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA, 1969
Passione, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1980
Cyrano de Bergerac, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City, 1997-1998
Stage Producer
After the Fall, Playhouse 91, New York City, 1984
Sherlock's Last Case, Nederlander Theatre, New York City, 1987, then John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1987-1988
Film Appearances
George Prager, Diary of a Mad Housewife, Universal, 1970

Ostap Bender, The Twelve Chairs, UMC, 1970
Philippe, The Deadly Trap (also known as Death Scream, House under the Trees, La maison sous les arbres, and Unico indizio: una sciarpa gialla), National General, 1972
Tomas de la Plata, The Wrath of God, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1972
Title role, Dracula, Universal, 1979
Harry Crystal, Those Lips, Those Eyes, United Artists, 1980
Ahmed Khazzan, Sphinx, Orion/Warner Bros., 1981
Harold Canterbury, The Men's Club, Atlantic Releasing, 1986
Skeletor, Masters of the Universe, Cannon, 1987
James Tiernan, And God Created Woman, Vestron, 1988
The Magic Balloon, Showscan Film, 1990
Frank Luchino/Leland Carver, True Identity, Buena Vista, 1991
Luis de Santangel, 1492: The Conquest of Paradise (also known as 1492: Christophe Colomb, 1492: La conquete du paradis, and 1492: La conquista del paraiso), Paramount, 1992
Bob Alexander, Dave, Warner Bros., 1993
Jeffrey Roston, Body of Evidence (also known as Deadly Evidence), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993
Detective Hayden, Brainscan, Triumph Releasing, 1994
Noah Banes, Junior, Universal, 1994
Dawg Brown, Cutthroat Island (also known as Cut Throat, Corsari, Die Piratenbraut, and L'ile aux pirates), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1995
Vic Grimes, Bad Company (also known as The Tool Shed), Buena Vista, 1995
Wild Bill Burgess, Eddie (also known as Edwina), Buena Vista, 1996
Clare Quilty, Lolita, Samuel Goldwyn, 1997
Fleur, Alegria, 1998
Voice of Archer, Small Soldiers (also known as The Commando Elite), DreamWorks SKG, 1998
(Uncredited) Father, Dark Summer (also known as Innocents),Santelmo Entertainment, 1999
Perry Needham Krohn, I'm Losing You, Sterling Home Entertainment,1999
Blaine de Castillon, Stardom (also known as 15 Minutes andStardom--Le culte de la celebrite), Alliance Atlantis Communications,2000
Boris Balkan, The Ninth Gate (also known as La neuvieme porte and La novena puerta), Artisan Entertainment, 2000
Edgar Price, Sweet November, Warner Bros., 2001
(Scenes deleted) Voice of the dragon, Red Dragon (also known as Roter Drache), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2002
Himself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway: The Golden Age and Broadway: The Movie), Dada Films, 2003
House of D, Lions Gate Films, 2004
Back in the Day, c. 2004
Television Appearances
Series
Jackson Burns, The Beast, ABC, 2001
Miniseries
Dumont, "The Ambassador," Benjamin Franklin, CBS, 1974
Memefta, Moses (also known as The Bible: Moses, Die Bibel--Moses, and Le Bible: Moise), TNT, 1996
Narrator, Stephen Hawking's Universe, PBS, 1997
Aertes, Jason and the Argonauts, NBC, 2000
Movies
Don Diego/Zorro, The Mark of Zorro, ABC, 1974
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, Liberty, NBC, 1986
Mr. Bennett, Cry Baby Lane, Nickelodeon, 2000
Specials
Jesus, CBS Easter Sunday Special, CBS, 1965
Benito Cereno, 1965
Konstantine Treplev, "The Seagull," Theatre in America, broadcaston Great Performances, PBS, 1975
John Buchanan, Jr., "Eccentricities of a Nightingale," Theatre in America, broadcast on Great Performances, PBS, 1976
Prince, "The Prince of Homburg," Theatre in America, broadcast onGreat Performances, PBS, 1977
Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes (also known as Sherlock Holmes: The Strange Case of Alice Faulkner), HBO, 1981
Night of 100 Stars (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), ABC, 1982
Leonardo da Vinci, I, Leonardo: A Journey of the Mind (also knownas I, Leonardo), CBS, 1983
Narrator, Balanchine, PBS, 1984
Narrator, Stella Adler: Awake and Dream, PBS, 1989
Rita Hayworth: Dancing into the Dream, Cinemax, 1991
Voice of John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln, ABC, 1992
Dr. Gerald Bull, Doomsday Gun, HBO, 1994
Narrator, "Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage," American Masters, PBS, 1994
Narrator, Mummies (also known as Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt and Mummies! Tales from the Egyptian Crypts), Arts andEntertainment, 1996
Narrator, The Greatest Pharaohs (also known as The Great Pharaohs of Egypt), History Channel, 1997
Himself, AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains (also knownas AFI's 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains: America's Greatest ScreenCharacters), CBS, 2003
Awards Presentations
The 40th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1986
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1999
Presenter, The 57th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2003
The 58th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2004
Episodic
Michael Romani, "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?," Trials of O'Brien, CBS, 1965
Harry Tass, "Silent Target," Mannix, CBS, 1973
"Friends in High Places," Marcus Welby, M.D., ABC, 1973
"When the Girls Came Out to Play," Love Story, NBC, 1973
Jean LaFitte, "Jean LaFitte: Parts 1 & 2," Swiss Family Robinson, ABC, 1975
Dr. Frankel, "Fortitude," Kurt Vonnegut's Monkey House (also knownas Kurt Vonnegut's Welcome to the Monkey House and Welcome to theMonkey House), Showtime, 1993
(Uncredited) Minister Jaro Essa, "The Circle," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (also known as Deep Space Nine, DS9, and Star Trek:DS9), syndicated, 1993
(Uncredited) Minister Jaro Essa, "The Homecoming," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (also known as Deep Space Nine, DS9, and Star Trek: DS9), syndicated, 1993
(Uncredited) Minister Jaro Essa, "The Siege," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (also known as Deep Space Nine, DS9, and Star Trek: DS9), syndicated, 1993
Guest, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997
Guest, Theatre Talk, PBS, 2002, 2004
Al Baker, "Dominance," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (alsoknown as Law & Order: SVU and Special Victims Unit), NBC,2003
Pilots
Title role, "Dr. Paradise," CBS Summer Playhouse, CBS, 1988
William, 111 Gramercy Park, ABC, 2003
Other
"Good Day," Experiment in Television, NBC, 1965
John Adams, The American Woman: Portraits of Courage, 1976
Goddard Fulton, Kilroy, 1999
RECORDINGS
Videos
On the Set of Lolita, 1997
WRITINGS
Stage Plays
Adaptor, Cyrano de Bergerac, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City, 1997-1998
Other
Contributor to periodicals, including the New York Times.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Hollywood Reporter, November 14, 1988
InTheater, November 28, 1997
Los Angeles Times, April 5, 1998
Newsday, January 16, 1994
New York, February 17, 1997, p. 40
New York Post, December 10, 1997
New York Times, September 17, 1989
Playbill, February 28, 1997, pp. 9-10; March 10, 1997
Playboy, August, 1979, pp. 156-57, 195

Electronic

Playbill.com, http://www.playbill.com, January 14, 1997

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