Quick Facts
Biography
Frank L. Ridley is an American film and television actor best known for his portrayal of satirical politician Honest Gil Fulbright. Born into a musical family in Michigan, he originally trained as an opera singer with Richard Conrad. After attending Boston Conservatory of Music, he started his career as a regular member of Sarah Caldwell's Opera Company of Boston.
Career
His television career started when he was cast as Terry Mulligan in the Showtime network series Brotherhood. His other TV work includes roles on House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Alpha House, Olive Kitteridge, The Night Of, The Leftovers, and 30 Rock.
He also can be seen in a variety of films including Inside Llewyn Davis, Birdman, and The Judge.
Honest Gil Fulbright
Honest Gil Fulbright is a satirical political candidate portrayed by Frank Ridley. Fulbright originally "ran" for the U.S. Senate in 2014 as an "honest politician for Kentucky" on behalf of RepresentUs.
Ridley has portrayed Fulbright on CNN, The Today Show, Fox & Friends, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post.
Fulbright's campaign got a powerful boost when noted artist Shepard Fairey reimagined his iconic Barack Obama "Hope" poster as a Gil Fulbright "SOLD" poster to help raise funds for the finance-reform-minded satirical campaign. His campaign message was "I'm only in this thing for the money, but at least I'm honest about it."
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Motive | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award | Best Ensemble | Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | Won |
| 2015 | San Diego Film Critics Society Award | Best Performance by an Ensemble | Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | Won |
