Frederick Weller
Biography
Biography
Raised in New Orleans, actor Frederick Weller began his career in NYC as an understudy in the acclaimed stage production "Six Degrees of Separation" in 1991. Guest appearances in the pilot of "I'll Fly Away" (NBC, 1991) and "Law & Order" in 1993 followed before he was seen as an awkward Eliot Ness (supposed roommate to the title character) in a segment of ABC's "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" also in 1993. The dark-haired, boyishly handsome actor landed what he hoped would be a career break as Polish-American Chicago cop Johnny Sandowski in the ABC drama series "Missing Persons" (1993-94), but the police show never caught on with the general public.
Weller made his feature acting debut in the lead role of a 1960s activist for homosexual rights who finds himself an eyewitness to history in "Stonewall" (1995), a fictionalized account of the 1969 police raid on a Manhattan gay bar that sparked the modern gay rights movement. His subsequent film roles in the 90s were mostly small parts (i.e., "Basquiat" 1996; "Armageddon" 1998). The actor fared better on stage as he amassed an impressive resume, including sharing an OBIE award with the rest of the cast of the black comedy "Curtains" in 1996 and appearing opposite Stockard Channing in the 1997 Broadway revival of "The Little Foxes." On the small screen, Weller had a leading role in the 1997 Showtime production "Elmore Leonard's The Gold Coast" and played a Russian cab driver caught up in the action of "Aftershock: Earthquake in New York" (CBS, 1999).
Weller began the new millennium landing a part in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Coyote Ugly" (2000), but the actor was disappointed to learn his role ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor. He fared somewhat better as Brian Wilson in the ABC biographical miniseries "The Beach Boys: An American Family" (2000), although some critics felt the lanky actor lacked the required heft to completely capture the eccentric singer-songwriter. Weller next popped up as Jacob in the biblical miniseries "In the Beginning" (NBC, 2000) but was overshadowed by more colorful co-stars. The actor did enjoy good notices for his turn as an oleaginous headhunter who may not be quite as slimy as he appears in the Sundance-screened "The Business of Strangers" (2001). Weller also received critical kudos for his performance as a jockish somewhat abrasive college student in Neil LaBute's stage play "The Shape of Things" which was performed in both London and NYC. He continued in the collegiate vein, playing a frat boy in "The Pink House" (lensed 2001).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1991
Was an understudy for the Broadway production of "Six Degrees of Separation", starring Stockard Channing
1991
Acted in guest role in the pilot for the acclaimed NBC series "I'll Fly Away"
1993
Made guest appearance in "Law & Order" (NBC)
1993
Cast as Eliot Ness in an episode of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (ABC)
1993
TV series debut as regular, playing a Polish-American Chicago cop in the ABC police drama "Missing Persons"
1995
Film acting debut in "Stonewall"
1996
Featured in the ensemble of the black comedy "Curtains", about the mercy killing of an elderly woman by one of her eccentric children
1996
Acted in the stage revival of "The Rehearsal" at NYC's Roundabout Theater Company
1997
Co-starred in the Off-Broadway play "Plunge" as a younger man involved with an older woman
1997
Had leading role in "Elmore Leonard's The Gold Coast" (Showtime)
1997
Played Leo Hubbard in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of "The Little Foxes", starring Stockard Channing
1998
Featured in the South Coast Repertory staging of Richard Greenberg's "Hurrah at Last" as a successful playwright
1998
Had dual role as brothers (one dead, one still living) in the McCarter Theater staging of Richard Greenberg's play "Safe as Houses"
1998
Was briefly seen as a NASA technician in "Armageddon", produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
1999
Played a Russian cab driver in the CBS two-part movie "Aftershock: Earthquake in New York"
1999
Was featured in the Drama Dept. premiere of Douglas Carter Beane's play "The Country Club" as an alcoholic who brings an outsider into his WASP friends' gathering
2000
Cast as Jacob in the NBC biblical miniseries "In the Beginning"
2000
Portrayed Brian Wilson in the ABC miniseries "The Beach Boys: An American Family"
2000
Reteamed with Bruckheimer on "Coyote Ugly"; role cut from final version released in theaters
2001
Co-starred in Neil LaBute's play "The Shape of Things"; performed role in London and in NYC
2001
Had pivotal role in the independent film "The Business of Strangers", starring Stockard Channing and Julia Stiles; screened at Sundance
2003
Revised role in the feature adaptation of Neil LaBute's "The Shape of Things"
2004
Starred opposite Neve Campbell in "When Will I Be Loved?"
2007
Replaced the previously cast Jason Patric in the premiere of Neil LaBute's play, "In a Dark Dark House"
