James Frain Biography
A swarthy, versatile performer possessed of a strong screen presence, British actor James Frain first made an impression on audiences with his portrayal of a rebellious young student opposite Anthony_Hopkins in Shadowlands (1993). A graduate of London's Central School of Speech and Drama, he then did strong work in Mike_Newell's An_Awfully_Big_Adventure (1994) and Thaddeus O' Sullivan's acclaimed Nothing_Personal (1995), the latter of which cast him as the leader of a militant anti-IRA group. Frain's international recognition increased in 1998, thanks to strong performances in two highly acclaimed films, Elizabeth and Hilary and Jackie. The first featured him in a supporting role as Spaniard Alvaro de la Quadra, while in the latter, he played pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, the husband of musical prodigy Jaqueline DuPre (Emily_Watson).
Frain's profile was given even greater exposure in 1999, when he appeared in a number of star-studded films. Titus, Julie_Taymor's lavish adaptation of Shakespeare's -Titus Andronicus cast Frain as Bassianus, while István_Szabó's equally lavish epic Sunshine -- a drama chronicling over a century of history in a family of Hungarian Jews -- saw him playing Ralph_Fiennes' hot-tempered brother. Vigo: Passion for Life, meanwhile, starred Frain as the title character, a French filmmaker whose movies were as influential as his life was brief. In 2000, John_Frankenheimer's Reindeer_Games thrust the actor into the more modern milieu of underworld crime alongside the likes of Ben_Affleck, Gary_Sinise, and Charlize_Theron. Later that same year, he displayed his softer side in Where the Heart Is, playing an awkward, kind-hearted small town librarian who falls in love with a young single mother (Natalie_Portman).
In addition to his screen work, Frain has performed in a number of stage productions. He has worked with such prestigious groups as the Peter Hall Company in London's West End and Stratford-Upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare Company. Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
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