Early life
Frank A. Langella Jr. was born 1 January 1938 in Bayonne, New Jersey to an Italian American family. He was named after his father, Frank A Langella Sr, a business executive. After graduating high school he set his sights on a future in acting, and studied drama at university.
Career success
Frank has been a regular on both the small and big screen since 1965, starting his career with roles in several US TV series and a part in Mel Brooks film The Twelve Chairs. His first love, however, remains the theatre. He achieved widespread recognition for his title role performance in the Broadway production of Dracula in 1977, a part he later played on the big screen.
The actor rocketed into the spotlight again in 2009 when he was Academy Award shortlisted for his portrayal of US President Richard Nixon in the movie Frost/Nixon, another part which he'd originally held on stage. The Tony, Drama Desk and SAG award winning actor has more recently found success in TV roles again, such as his turns on FX's The Americans and Showtime's Kidding.
Personal life
In 1993 Frank made a three-episode appearance on sci-fi series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, largely because he knew it would delight his two kids, Frank III and Sara. He and the children's mum, Ruth Weil, were married from 1977 to 1995. That year, he met Whoopi Goldberg on the set of Eddie, and they dated until 2000.
