details about frank's past come few and far between. what's on public record shows a dead beat dad, a beloved mother, and a lot of drugs. the drugs began with dear old dad, who battled a heroin addiction that he only recovered after being locked up for criminal possession in the 1st degree when frank was thirteen. ten years later he was released, only to be thrown back in all over again. frank has never publicly talked about his father and has humiliated many a reporter who have tried to get a story out of him. what he will say about his childhood was that his mom did her best in a shit situation with a shit husband and a shit kid, and that one of them making it defies logic.

at eighteen, frank joined the marines. by twenty he received an other than honorable discharge. wild with rage about the way the events in his life had played out, frank went on a sojourn in thailand. he was able to turn the pennies he was left with into a year of living on the other side of the world. his main commentary on his time spent there was, "you don't exactly write the beach when you're in a healthy mental space."

frank reappeared back in the states with a novel in hand, young brando good looks, and a resourceful mind. within two months back in the states, he had an assistant to a publisher in more than one compromising position, and the book magically found itself in the right hands. and just like that, frank lotrek, son of trash, a dishonored marine, a guy who should've died six or seven times by age 21, was a motherfucking novelist.

while the beach was originally met with positive reviews, the popularity of the book wouldn't hit for a few more years. so frank still had to hustle. from his time overseas and from the regiment he learned in the marines, he began to get into amateur mma fighting while working as a bouncer at various clubs in new york. he began to be known as "frank the tank" for his ability to take a serious beating before getting knocked out (if someone even had the stamina to take him down). just around the time he started to flirt with the professional circuit, danny boyle gave him a call about optioning the beach.

what followed was just about as batshit as his time in thailand. frank the tank had a famous movie star getting beers with him so he could ask him about his dark ages. filming the movie was a mind fuck. thailand pt 2 but with cash and access. his book had been translated in over 25 countries. his publisher wanted another book. the assistant he used, got to use him for a promotion (but still thinks he's an asshole). danny fucking boyle told him to write a script idea he'd had. the zombie movie he'd always wanted became a reality. he met a woman. he got married. studios brought him in for meetings again, and again, and again. he wrote a third novel. he became a dad.

life stopped. he was a dad. what was that? he committed to learning. he could take his time with the next project. people would wait.

things were good until they were too good and frank had to destroy something. his sci-fi tanked. he got a divorce. he had his kid, but the divorce wasn't fast or easy.

his friend and favorite author wasn't lucking out with adaptations of his dystopian novel and asked frank to take a crack at it. the adapatation came fast and easy for him, and for the first time in awhile, everything worked out just like it was supposed. the right director was attached. the right cast. he spent promo with his friend, kazuo ishiguro, and never let me go was exactly what he needed in his life. the movie allowed him to slow down and enjoy the ride again. he laid off on drinking so much, he was a better father, he treated his ex better, and studios started taking meetings with him again. unfortunately, his foray into the studio superhero world with dredd wasn't the success everyone hoped it would be. the movie would go on to have it's own cult following, but there wouldn't be a sequel. no one wanted him to take over another property. his hits and misses were starting to suggest he wasn't a blockbuster guy. so he did the only thing he knew how to do, he buried himself in his writing. in a month he had a script to sell, except, he didn't like anyone's vision for it. upon the advice of his friend danny boyle, he decided the only person who could direct ex machina was him.

and he was fucking right. the movie went on to be a smash hit. the numbers for the indie sci-fi didn't align with anyone's predictions. the film just got bigger and bigger and suddenly they were at the academy awards. suddenly he could have whatever he wanted again. after ex-machina, he knew he no longer needed to work with directors, he was one.

+ ex-marine (other than honorable discharge) '93-'95
+ due to the amount of time/money/support frank has devoted to the marines since finding fame, the marine corp restored his name, and he is now considered "discharged."
+ amateur mma fighter '97-'99
+ married '04-'12 (met in '03 on his book tour)
+ son was born in 2008. + between '04-'12 split time living between london and new york.
+ works with his old high school where he funds a writing program and a boxing/mma fighting program. when he is in town/avail he pops in.
+ confused by fame, but enjoys it. vocally dismisses critics, studios, and will happily throw a diva actor under the bus. know largely for his absolute and brutal honesty. most people have no idea how he remains in the industry.
+ boozer persona isn't that far off. when his kid is staying with his mom, frank goes a little off the rails.
+ chain smoker
+ has two dogs - a bernard named ripley and a pit bull puppy named mcfly
+ 21 tattoos (a few are): left arm - renaissance-inspired portrait of the madonna and he added a portrait of his son being held by her a few years ago, us flag over his heart (received while a marine), marine corps number of a friend he lost while serving in rwanda in '04 (collarbone), stomach: "till i die alice" (for his ex-wife), right shoulder: "Figlio mio bellissimo" ("my beautiful son"), right triceps: a feather image (he has an obsession with icarus), back: portraits of his two dogs, and his ex-wife's face, he also has a dragon, a wolf with a bleeding heart on his arm (he wears his heart on his sleeve), tribal tattoos, a comedy/tragedy mask, the word "scribe" and at this point, he doesn't even remember half of them