Frank Grillo | |
|---|---|
 Grillo in 2025 | |
| Born | Frank Anthony Grillo (1965-06-08)June 8, 1965 (age 60) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Frank Anthony Grillo (born June 8, 1965)[2][3] is an American actor. He is known for playingBrock Rumlow / Crossbones in the superhero franchiseMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sergeant Leo Barnes inThe Purge franchise, andRick Flag Sr. in theDC Universe (DCU). He has also appeared inWarrior (2011),The Grey (2012),End of Watch (2012),Zero Dark Thirty (2012),Wolf Warrior 2 andWheelman (both 2017), andBoss Level (2021).
Grillo's television work includes the lead role inKingdom (2014–2017) as well as recurring roles inBattery Park (2000),For the People (2002–2003),The Shield (2002–2003),Prison Break (2005–2006),Blind Justice (2005),The Kill Point (2007),Billions (2020),Tulsa King (2024), andPeacemaker season 2 (2025)
Grillo was born in New York City to a working-class Italian-American family ofCalabrian origin.[4] He was raised inthe Bronx and inRockland County, New York. Grillo beganwrestling at eight years old, and took up boxing at eighteen.[5][6] In 1991, he started practicingBrazilian jiu-jitsu, which he studied underRickson Gracie; he currently holds a brown belt.[7] Grillo graduated fromNew York University with a business degree and spent a year onWall Street before being asked to do aMiller Genuine Draft beer commercial.[8][9] On the podcastThe Fighter and the Kid, he stated that he holds Italian citizenship.[1]
Grillo started his acting career by appearing in commercials, for companies such asAmerican Express andSure deodorant. His first film role was in 1992'sThe Mambo Kings, and he went on to appear in the filmsMinority Report (2002),April's Shower (2006), and bothiMurders and New Line Cinema'sPride and Glory in 2008.[10][11][12]
Grillo was in the 2010 horror filmMother's Day in the role of Daniel Sohapi and the following year, had a supporting role in the 2011 filmWarrior as MMA trainer Frank Campana.[11] In 2012, he played Diaz in the survival thrillerThe Grey withLiam Neeson and as Sarge inEnd of Watch withJake Gyllenhaal.[11] In 2013, he starred withJaimie Alexander in the romantic thriller filmCollision and had a bit role in the action filmHomefront withJason Statham.[13]
In 2014, Grillo was cast asHYDRA agentBrock Rumlow in the 2014 filmCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.[14] The same year, he starred as Sergeant Leo Barnes in the sequelThe Purge: Anarchy, and reprised his role in 2016'sThe Purge: Election Year.[15][16] He also reprised the role ofBrock Rumlow/Crossbones in the third installment of theCaptain America film series,Civil War, which was released on May 6, 2016.[17]
In October 2013, Grillo started filming forThe Crash, starring alongsideAcademy Award nomineeMinnie Driver,Ed Westwick,AnnaSophia Robb,Dianna Agron,John Leguizamo,Mary McCormack,Christopher McDonald andMaggie Q.[18] The film is directed by Aram Rappaport and produced by Hilary Shor, Atit Shah, and Aaron Becker.The Crash was released on January 31, 2017.[19]
In 2015, Grillo starred in the filmsDemonic andBig Sky.[20][19][21][22] Another film in which he stars,Beyond Skyline, was originally set for release in 2015, and was ultimately released on Netflix in December 2017.[23]
In 2018, Grillo starred oppositeBruce Willis andJohnathon Schaech in the action film Reprisal. Years after its release, the film made it on Netflix's U.S. top five in October 2021.[24]
In 2019,Variety announced that Grillo has signed withCreative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation.[25]
Grillo produced and starred inBoss Level, which was announced in November 2017 and was originally scheduled to be released byEntertainment Studios Motion Pictures on August 16, 2019, but was delayed. It was subsequently bought byHulu, which released it on March 5, 2021.[26] He also appeared in the sequelHitman's Wife's Bodyguard withRyan Reynolds andSamuel L. Jackson.[27]
More recently, he has appeared in the filmsThis Is the Night withNaomi Watts,Copshop withGerard Butler,Ida Red withMelissa Leo,The Yacht withRuby Rose andA Day to Die withBruce Willis.[28][29][30][31][32]
Grillo playsFerruccio Lamborghini in the 2022 biographical dramaLamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend. The film is directed by Oscar-winning writerBobby Moresco. The film also stars Oscar winnerMira Sorvino and Emmy nomineeGabriel Byrne.[33]
In June 2024, set photos revealed that Grillo was set to appear in theDC Universe (DCU) filmSuperman asRick Flag Sr., reprising the role in live-action after debuting as the character in the animated seriesCreature Commandos (2024–present).[34][35]
.jpg)
Grillo first appeared on television in episodes ofSilk Stalkings (1993), andPoltergeist: The Legacy (1996) before being cast as businessmanHart Jessup on the daytime soap operaGuiding Light in 1996 up until 1999.[36] In 2002, he was cast in the seriesFor the People as Det. J.C. Hunter and played Hunter until 2003. One of his more notable television roles was on the crime dramaPrison Break where he playedNick Savrinn from 2005 to 2006.[37] During that time, he also appeared on theBlind Justice as Marty Russo.[11]
He was in the first and only season ofThe Kill Point in 2007, and played the role of Jimmy in theCSI: NY episode "The Things About Heroes," which aired in November 2007.[2][38] In 2010, he starred in the sci-fi seriesThe Gates oppositeMarisol Nichols andRhona Mitra. The series only lasted one season.[39]
Between 2014 and 2017, Grillo starred in theDirecTV drama seriesKingdom as MMA coach Alvey Kulina alongsideNick Jonas andJonathan Tucker.[40]
Grillo was a season 5 regular on the drama seriesBillions, starring as artist Nico Tanner oppositeDamian Lewis andMaggie Siff.[41] He also reprised the role of Crossbones by voicing the character on theMarvel Cinematic Universe animated seriesWhat If...[42]
In 2024, Grillo voicedRick Flag Sr. in theMax animated seriesCreature Commandos, the first series and installment of the newDC Universe (DCU) franchise managed byJames Gunn andPeter Safran, and a successor to the previousDC Extended Universe (DCEU).[43] Grillo's character, who is the father of DCEU characterRick Flag Jr., is set to appear across all DCU media, and Grillo was announced in May 2024 to be reprising the role in live-action, appearing as a cast regular for thesecond season ofPeacemaker oppositeJohn Cena.[44][45]
Frank Grillo joined the cast ofTulsa King season 2, starring as Kansas City mob boss Bill Bevilaqua oppositeSylvester Stallone. Grillo has also filmed season 3 and is gearing up to film season 4 in late 2025.[46][47]
Grillo married his first wife, Kathy, in 1991. They had one son together, born in 1997, and divorced in 1998.[48][non-primary source needed]
Grillo met actressWendy Moniz in 1996 on the set ofGuiding Light. They were married on October 28, 2000[36] and had two sons together, born in 2004 and 2008.[15][49][non-primary source needed] They divorced in 2020.[50]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Mambo Kings | Machito | |
| 1993 | Deadly Rivals | Grogan | |
| 1996 | Deadly Charades | Vince Carlucci | |
| 2002 | Simplicity | General | Short film |
| The Sweetest Thing | Andy | ||
| Minority Report | Pre-Crime Cop | ||
| 2003 | April's Shower | Rocco | |
| 2007 | Raw Footage | Ben Chaffin | Short film |
| 2008 | iMurders | Joe Romano | |
| Pride and Glory | Eddie Carbone | ||
| 2009 | Blue Eyes | Bob Estevez | |
| 2010 | Edge of Darkness | Agent One | |
| Mother's Day | Daniel Sohapi | ||
| My Soul to Take | Paterson | ||
| 2011 | Warrior | Frank Campana | |
| The Grey | John Diaz | ||
| 2012 | Lay the Favorite | Frankie | |
| End of Watch | Sergeant "Sarge" Daniels | ||
| Disconnect | Mike | ||
| Zero Dark Thirty | Red Squadron Commanding Officer | ||
| 2013 | Gangster Squad | Russo | |
| Collision | Scott Dolan | ||
| Homefront | Cyrus Hanks | ||
| 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Brock Rumlow | |
| The Purge: Anarchy | Sgt. Leo Barnes | ||
| 2015 | Demonic | Mark Lewis | |
| Big Sky | Jesse | ||
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Brock Rumlow / Crossbones | |
| The Purge: Election Year | Sgt. Leo Barnes | ||
| 2017 | The Crash | Guy Clifton | |
| Stephanie | Eric | ||
| Wolf Warrior 2 | Big Daddy | ||
| Wheelman | Wheelman | ||
| Beyond Skyline | Mark Corley | ||
| 2018 | Reprisal | Jacob | Direct-to-video |
| Donnybrook | Chainsaw Angus | ||
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Brock Rumlow | |
| Point Blank | Abraham "Abe" Guevara | ||
| Into the Ashes | Sloan | ||
| Black and Blue | Terry Malone | ||
| Hell on the Border | Bob Dozier | ||
| 2020 | Boss Level | Roy Pulver | Also producer |
| Jiu Jitsu | Harrigan | ||
| 2021 | No Man's Land | Bill Greer | |
| Cosmic Sin | Gen. Eron Ryle | Direct-to-video | |
| Body Brokers | Vin | ||
| Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard | Bobby O'Neill | ||
| Ida Red | Dallas Walker | ||
| The Gateway | Duke | ||
| Copshop | Teddy Murretto | Also producer | |
| This Is the Night | Vincent Dedea | ||
| 2022 | Stowaway | Meeser | [51] |
| Shattered | Sebastian | ||
| A Day to Die | Capt. Brice Mason | Direct-to-video | |
| Paradise Highway | Dennis | [52] | |
| Operation Seawolf | Cmdr. Race Ingram | [53] | |
| Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend | Ferruccio Lamborghini | [54] | |
| 2023 | Little Dixie | Doc Alexander | [55] |
| The Resurrection of Charles Manson | Robert | [56] | |
| One Day as a Lion | Pauly Russo | [57] | |
| Black Lotus | Saban | [58] | |
| Justice League: Warworld | Agent Faraday | Voice[59] | |
| MR-9: Do or Die | Roman Ross | [60] | |
| King of Killers | Jorg Drakos | [61] | |
| 2024 | Lights Out | Michael 'Duffy' Duffield | [62] |
| Die Alone | Kai | ||
| Long Gone Heroes | Gunner | ||
| Hounds of War | Ryder | ||
| Werewolves | Wesley Marshall | ||
| 2025 | Superman | Rick Flag Sr. | |
| Misdirection† | David Blume | ||
| 2027 | Man of Tomorrow† | Rick Flag Sr. | |
| TBA | Hard Matter† | Benjamin | Post-production |
| Override† | TBA | Filming |
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Silk Stalkings | Franco LaPuma | Episode: "Ladies Night Out" |
| 1996 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Jerry Tate | Episode: "Ghost in the Road" |
| 1996–1999 | Guiding Light | Hart Jessup | Main role |
| 1999 | Wasteland | Cliff Dobbs | Recurring role |
| 2000 | Battery Park | Anthony Stigliano | Main role |
| 2002 | Hunter: Return to Justice | Detective Terence Gillette | Television film |
| 2002–2003 | For the People | Det. J.C. Hunter | Main role |
| The Shield | Officer Paul Jackson | Recurring role (Season 1–2) | |
| 2002, 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Frank Barbarossa / Mark Van Kuren | Episode: "Deception", "Transitions" |
| 2003 | Karen Sisco | Garrison Kick | Episode: "Nostalgia" |
| Hunter: Back in Force | Detective Terence Gillette | Television film | |
| 2004 | The District | Vince Dymecki | Episode: "Breath of Life" |
| 2005 | Blind Justice | Detective Marty Russo | Main role |
| 2005–2006 | Prison Break | Nick Savrinn | Recurring role (Season 1) |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Gary Sinclair | Episode: "Happenstance" |
| Hollis & Rae | Henry Callaway | Television film | |
| 2007 | Without a Trace | Neil Rawlings | Episode: "Tail Spin" |
| Las Vegas | Jeremy Shapiro | Episode: "The Burning Bedouin" | |
| The Kill Point | Albert Roman / Mr. Pig | Main role | |
| CSI: NY | Jimmie Davis | Episode: "The Thing About Heroes..." | |
| 2008 | The Madness of Jane | Oliver Cornbluth | Television film |
| Blue Blood | Quarry | ||
| 2010 | The Gates | Nick Monohan | Main role |
| 2011 | Breakout Kings | Agent Stoltz | Episode: "Queen of Hearts" |
| 2013 | Mary and Martha | Peter | Television film |
| 2014–2017 | Kingdom | Alvey Kulina | Main role |
| 2018 | FightWorld | Himself / Host | Main host |
| 2020 | Billions | Nico Tanner | Recurring role (Season 5) |
| 2021, 2023 | What If...? | Brock Rumlow | Voice Recurring role (Season 1); guest (Season 2) |
| 2023 | Paul T. Goldman | Dan Hardwick | Recurring role[63] |
| 2024-present | Tulsa King | Bill Bevilaqua | Main role (Season 2-) |
| 2024–present | Creature Commandos | Rick Flag Sr. | Voice, main role |
| 2025 | Peacemaker | Main role (Season 2) |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Grey | Nominated | [64] |
| 2015 | BloodGuts UK Horror Awards | Best Actor | The Purge: Anarchy | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | Capri Italian-American Award | Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend | Won | [65] |
SC: You don't look 50. FG: I'm actually not really 50. SC: You aren't? FG: It's OK, I don't mind people saying that I'm 50. But, no, I was born in 1965 and IMDb has 1963. Whatever. I'm still old. I just had a birthday.
Yes, I am Italian and that is where my family is from also. In fact many of my relatives still live there. Maybe we are related.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
