Frank Grimes was born in 1947 in Dublin. He was just twenty when he gained prominence at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin for his performance as the young Brendan Behan in “The Borstal Boy”. He was nominated for a Tony in 1970 when the play transferred to Broadway. He was due to play the title part in “Francis of Assisi” for Franco Zefferelli but the part was finally played by Graham Faulkner. He has acted on the stage in London many times in plays directed by Lindsay Anderson. His films include “And No One Could Sace Her” with Lee Remick in 1973 , “A Bridge Too Far” and “The Old Crowd”. In 1980 he won widespread critical acclaim for his performance as the young priest Fr O’Connor in RTE’s “Strumpet City”. More recently he has been in “Coronation Street” as Barry Connor. Page on Wiki Coronation Street webpage here.
Frank Grimes. Wikipedia
Frank Grimes was born in 1947 is an Irish stage and screen actor.
Grimes was born in Dublin. He achieved his first major success as the young Brendan Behan in the 1967 stage adaptation of Behan’s autobiography, Borstal Boy, at the Abbey Theatre.[1] When the production moved to Broadway, Grimes was nominated for a Tony Awardfor best actor.
In 1970 the Italian director, Franco Zeffirelli, offered Grimes the lead role of Francis of Assisi in his biopic, Brother Sun, Sister Moon. However, director and actor fell out over how the part should be played and Grimes was replaced by Graham Faulkner.
In the early 1970s, Grimes moved to London where he came to the attention of director Lindsay Anderson. Anderson offered him a part in his production of David Storey‘s play The Farm, the success of which established Grimes’ reputation in British theatre.
Grimes’ most significant film role to date is the part of Major Fuller in Richard Attenborough‘s A Bridge Too Far (1977). However, he is probably best known, in his native Ireland at least, for his performance as Father O’Connor in RTÉ‘s drama series, Strumpet City. In 1981, Grimes received a Jacob’s Award “for his detailed and exceptionally convincing portrayal” of the young priest.
Frank Grimes continues to work in television, films and theatre. Recent TV appearances include the recurrent role of Barry Connor in Coronation Street. In 2013 he appeared as Mrs McCarthy’s husband in the Father Brown episode “The Mayor and the Magician”.
