Frank Blake (actor)
Irish actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frank Blake is an Irish stage, television and film actor.
Frank Blake | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Television | Normal People Sanditon Blue Lights |
Early life and education
Frank Blake was born to Michael and Mary Blake and is the youngest of three children. He is from Tuamgraney, in County Clare.[1]
He attended the annual amateur drama festival circuit each year from the age of four in his home town, with plays staged in the school hall.[2] He was educated at Scariff Community College.[3] He made his stage debut aged 17, in the community musical performance of Jesus Christ Superstar.[2]
Blake spent a year at NUI Galway studying drama, German, and philosophy, and also appeared in eight plays in Dramsoc that year.[2] He moved to Dublin and graduated from The Lir Academy in 2016.[4]
Career
Stage
Blake's stage performances include a role with an all-star cast in Druid Theatre Company's Richard III which was also performed at venues including the Lincoln Center in New York.[5] He played Neoptolemus in a stage version of Hecuba by Rough Magic.[3][6]
He appeared in a stage adaptation of Louise O'Neill's novel Asking For It produced by Landmark Productions and the Everyman Theatre, Cork which was also seen at the Abbey Theatre.[1] He also appeared in Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie at the Gate Theatre, Dublin.[2]
Screen
On television, he played Constable Pip Bircher in The Frankenstein Chronicles before playing Alan Sheridan on the Lenny Abrahamson television adaptation of Sally Rooney's Normal People.[7][8] He had roles in Bridgerton, Game of Thrones, and the Tom Holland-led film Cherry. He had a recurring role in the second season of Sanditon, as Captain Declan Fraser, as well as in Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla.[9][10]
In 2024, he began to portray Shane Bradley in BBC One police drama Blue Lights, joining the show in the second series.[11][12] He portrayed Seamus Wright in Disney+ historical drama series Say Nothing (2024) .[13]
Personal life
His great aunt was the author Edna O'Brien.[3] He told The Irish Times in 2022 that his family run an equestrian centre.[14]
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Frankenstein Chronicles | Constable Pip Bircher | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Resistance | Conor | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Game of Thrones | Sentry | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Normal People | Alan | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Cherry | Seasoned Medic | |
| 2021 | Bridgerton | Harry | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Invasion | Madden | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Sanditon | Captain Declan Fraser | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Vikings: Valhalla | Birger | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Double Blind | Marcus | |
| 2024 | Blackshore | Sean | 4 episodes |
| 2024- | Blue Lights | Shane Bradley | Series 2 & 3; 12 episodes |
| 2024 | Say Nothing | Seamus Wright | 3 episodes |
| TBA | The Border† | Sean |
Video game
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Directive 8020 | Tomas Carter | Voice[15] |