--- name: "Frank Harper" canonical: "https://film.one/person/frank-harper" fi1m_id: "frank-harper" imdb_id: "nm0363857" tmdb_id: 990 wikidata_id: "Q1139433" roles: ["Actor"] born: "1 January 1962" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 80 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-10-07T11:38:36.798077+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Frank Harper ## Identity Frank Harper - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/frank-harper - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** frank-harper - **IMDb ID:** nm0363857 - **TMDB ID:** 990 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1139433 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Harper, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1139433, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363857/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/990 Actor. Born 1 January 1962 in London, England, UK. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 1 January 1962, London, England, UK - **Active:** 1993–2007 - **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 80 (2), 2000s 80 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 74 across 4 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Romance 1, Sport 1 - **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $179m across 4 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Harper, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1139433, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363857/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/990 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*Bend It Like Beckham*](https://film.one/film/bend-it-like-beckham.md) (76) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Frank Harper > Frank Harper gives British screen hard men a convincing weight, with enough vulnerability and gallows humour to make them more than obstacles. We value that grounding, though repeated tough-guy casting has narrowed what we get to see. Frank Harper gives screen toughness a convincing physical weight. The more useful quality, though, is his willingness to let an unpleasant man look vulnerable or find something bleakly funny. We rate him as a supporting actor who can make these familiar parts feel like people with lives beyond the confrontation. The reservation is the casting: British crime and hooligan films have kept asking him to prove much the same thing. An early substantial credit, *In the Name of the Father* (1993), offers a useful place to begin. Harper plays Ronnie Smalls in Jim Sheridan's drama, whose chief strength is the difficult father-son relationship carried by Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite. The emotional prompting can be heavy, but the performances give the suffering enough human detail to earn our recommendation. Harper's presence here is worth remembering alongside the more narrowly defined parts that followed, without pretending he is the principal attraction. His breakthrough came as Dog in Guy Ritchie's *Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels* (1998). Billy Bright in *The Football Factory* (2004) continued the association with men whose toughness is central to the part. Harper's strength in this territory is his ability to give an unlikeable figure some vulnerability without making him harmless. The difficulty is finding enough different things for that strength to do across successive films. *This Is England* (2007), with Harper as Lenny, gives us another strong reason to look beyond the hard-man label when choosing what to watch. Shane Meadows makes Shaun's skinhead gang appealing through warmth and humour, with Thomas Turgoose's performance at the centre. The frightening performances matter because the companionship has been made convincing. Its lessons can be too neatly arranged, but this is an ensemble worth watching, rather than a film to approach for Harper alone. Writing, directing and starring in *St George's Day* (2012) gave Harper responsibility beyond his performance, while keeping him within British crime cinema. Taking on those jobs does not itself answer the question of what else he might do on screen. We would welcome a part that had no use for his toughness. ## Biography Frank Harper is an English actor and film producer, born in 1962 in London. He began acting while at school and later worked at Smithfield meat market before securing his first film role in 1988. Harper is known for supporting roles in British films including Ronnie Smalls in *In the Name of the Father* (1993), Dog in *Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels* (1998), Alan Paxton in *Bend It Like Beckham* (2002) and Billy Bright in *The Football Factory* (2004). He wrote, directed and starred in *St George's Day* (2012). His father, Dave Harper, played professionally for Millwall F.C. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, watch.plex.tv.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *This Is England* (2007), Fi1m 85, as Lenny — [page](https://film.one/film/this-is-england.md) - *Bend It Like Beckham* (2002), Fi1m 76, as Alan Paxton — [page](https://film.one/film/bend-it-like-beckham.md) - *Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels* (1998), Fi1m 78, as Dog — [page](https://film.one/film/lock-stock-and-two-smoking-barrels.md) - *In the Name of the Father* (1993), Fi1m 83, as Ronnie Smalls — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-name-of-the-father.md) ## Complete filmography (52) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Remember Us* (2024), as Steve - *One for the Road* (2024), as Booth - *Rita Goes Viral* (2024), as Pete Fairbrass - *Bermondsey Tales: Fall of the Roman Empire* (2024), as George - *Bury the Dogs* (2023), as Tosh - *The Bystanders* (2023), as Joe - *Nemesis* (2021), as Richard Morgan - *Silent Night* (2020), as Caddy - *Malcolm & the Magpies* (2020), as Cigar Sid - *Ripper Street* (2012), series, as Silas Duggan — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/ripper-street.md) - *St George's Day* (2012), as Mickey Mannock · Director, Writer - *Victim* (2011), as Colin - *Billy* (2011), as Colin - *Screwed* (2011), as Deano - *StreetDance 3D* (2010), as Fred - *Kung Fu Flid* (2009), as Barry - *Permanent Vacation* (2007), as Eric Bury - *Rise of the Footsoldier* (2007), as Jack Whomes - *Dolphins* (2007), as Legend - *This Is England* (2007), as Lenny — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/this-is-england.md) - *The Football Factory* (2004), as Billy Bright · Associate Producer - *The Calcium Kid* (2004), as Clive Connelly - *tlc* (2002), series, as Frank Briggs - *The Last Minute* (2002), as Cabbie - *Club Le Monde* (2002), as Danny - *Rose and Maloney* (2002), series, as DI Mike Glover - *Out of Control* (2002), as Sam's Dad - *Bend It Like Beckham* (2002), as Alan Paxton — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/bend-it-like-beckham.md) - *The Search for John Gissing* (2001), as Dexter - *South West 9* (2001), as Douser - *Lucky Break* (2001), as John Toombes - *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as John Tate - *Goodbye Charlie Bright* (2001), as Tommy's Dad - *Second Sight: Kingdom of the Blind* (2001), as DS Finch - *Shiner* (2000), as Jeff 'Stoney' Stone - *Other People's Children* (2000), series, as Matthew - *Kevin & Perry Go Large* (2000), as Armed Robber - *Second Sight* (2000), series, as DS Finch - *Tube Tales* (1999), as Station Guard (multiple segments) - *A Room for Romeo Brass* (1999), as Joe Brass - *Boyz Unlimited* (1999), series, as Nigel Gacey - *Sunburn* (1999), series, as Colin Daley - *Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels* (1998), as Dog — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/lock-stock-and-two-smoking-barrels.md) - *TwentyFourSeven* (1998), as Ronnie Marsh - *The Missing Postman* (1997), as BBC Security Man - *Pie in the Sky* (1994), series, as Security Guard - *In the Name of the Father* (1993), as Ronnie Smalls — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-name-of-the-father.md) - *Fool's Gold: The Story Of The Brink's Mat Robbery* (1992), as Brother's Minder - *Tight Trousers* (1990), as Gip - *Birds of a Feather* (1989), series, as Billy - *For Queen & Country* (1988), as Mickey - *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Harry Whymark --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/frank-harper