Frank Gilhooley grew up in the mining town of Loanhead in central Scotland where he attended St Margaret’s Primary School and later St David’s Roman Catholic High School in Dalkeith.
Having never dreamed of becoming an actor, he trained as a Landscape contractor.
In the early nineties he started his own business, Leadburn Manor Fly Fishing Centre, outside Penicuik.
He Married childhood sweetheart Angela, who grew up just around the corner even went to the same primary and high school as Frank in 1993. They are now the proud parents of three young boys.
Frank stumbled into acting in 2001 by Getting involved in the Edinburgh Theatre Workshops community play, and was swiftly selected to play Frank Rowley in John Godber's 'Up'n Under' in the Edinburgh festival in the same year.
Allthough he signed with an agent from PLA Associates immediately after the festival, it took over a year to get his 1st part in 'One Last Chance', as 'Kev' one of James Cosmo's mobsters in the Scottish Higlands.
​In 2004 Frank had a role in the highly popular Scottish comedy Still Game as Mark the angry quizmaster screaming abuse in Tam Mullen’s face for failing to answer a question on time
In 2007 he worked with director Ken Loach for the 1st time, in his award-winning movie 'It's A Free World'.
He attended the first ever Scottish Masterclass, given by L.A.'s world famous acting teacher Bernard Hiller, in 2008.
He made such an impact on said Mr Hiller that he got invited to attend his Los Angeles masterclass later that year.
Mr Hiller has been working close with frank, as his mentor, ever since
Frank worked on Case Histories with Jason Isaacs and Victoria Wood.
His life was not always easy as after nearly 25 years, in 2014 Frank had his fishery declared bankrupt following a trebling of his mortgage payments on his fly fishing centre, this all out of the blue by a greedy bank.
Within a week of taking this tough decision, he was offered the part of a violent tattoo-sporting prisoner in the most infamous Galactic Penetentiary The Kyln. This role was ofcourse in Marvel's Hollywood blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy, which took more than £625 million at the box office. He played alongside Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan.
In the early part of 2015, Frank appeared as Torin in the global television serialization of the top selling Diana Gabaldon books... Outlander.
Still Game, which was away from the Scottish Tv for 10 years, has returned and Frank reprises his role as mark. Frank said: “Mark is not the friendliest of chaps – in fact he is a horrible character. He will rattle a few cages.
His latest project will see him playing a Hell’s Angel in Due Justice, an action-adventure-comedy film set to be filmed in LA.
“I have been on quite a journey. I have gone from community plays to being in a £100 million movie. It is such a huge leap forward. I’m unique because I’m not a thespian. I’m a working-class landscaper from a mining town.
It speaks for itself it is an honor and privilege to get those parts in such Holywood blockbusters, but I will always remain a Scot, Scottish comedy is where my heart is.”
Independence campaigner
Frank who is, as a passionate member of the SNP, an avid independence campaigner. In the same week after he had to let his beloved fishery go he wrote his own movie "Freedom for a Day" that follows three friends who feel betrayed by the referendum result.
He said: “It is a political movie designed to make people think, but we are definitely looking at the referendum with ‘Yes’-tinted spectacles.
“I feel there is a wrong that has to be righted. I believe this sets the record straight with regards to the underhanded scare tactics employed by Westminster. I owe it to my children to make this movie, and keep independence in everyone’s minds for years to come.”
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The movie will be directed By Mr Gilhooley himself and is currently seeking for more funding, so a lasting memento in the independence movement can be created, for generations to come
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