Actor and action star Frank Grillo recently turned 60, but he could convincingly pass for characters 20 years younger: square-jawed, 40-something Italian American dudes who might either kick your ass, charm you with their explosive gregariousness or possibly even bring you to tears — if he’s ever given such an opportunity.
Over the course of his 30-plus years in the business, Grillo has appeared in more than 100 films or series, spanning soaps, police and military procedurals (The Shield, CSI, Prison Break, End of Watch, Homefront and Zero Dark Thirty), sports dramas (Warrior, Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend) and endless action flicks (The Grey, The Purge, Hounds of War). He’s also become a mainstay of some of the biggest, most-watched tentpole franchises in the world, featured regularly in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as recurring character Brock Rumlow/Crossbones) and the latest DC Universe movies (as Rick Flag Sr. in James Gunn’s Superman and its upcoming sequel). He even co-starred in China’s highest-grossing action film ever, 2017’s Wolf Warrior 2, playing the colorful villain Big Daddy — helping the movie earn $874 million worldwide.
“I look at that, and it’s just crazy to me,” Grillo says. “Acting has given me and my kids a really great life. Considering where I came from, I look around and I can’t believe I got here.”
