Frank Theodore Levine (born May 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Jame Gumb, the serial killer "Buffalo Bill" in the film The Silence of the Lambs (1991). He was in the main cast of the television series Monk (2002–2009) as Leland Stottlemeyer.

Levine's other notable roles are in the films Nowhere to Run (1993), Heat (1995), Bullet (1996), The Fast and the Furious (2001), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), American Gangster (2007), Shutter Island (2010), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), and The Report (2019).

Early life Levine was born in Bellaire, Ohio, the son of Charlotte Virginia (Clark) and Milton Dmitri Levine, who were both doctors and members of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Levine's father was of Russian-Jewish descent and his mother had Welsh and Native American ancestry. He describes himself as a "hillbilly Jew". He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. In 1975, he enrolled at Marlboro College.

Career He became a fixture in the Chicago theatre scene and joined the Remains Theatre which was co-founded by Gary Cole and William Petersen. After his stage experience, Levine began to devote most of his energy during the 1980s toward finding roles in film and television. One of his most prominent roles in the 1980s was that of mob enforcer Frank Holman in the NBC drama Crime Story (1986–88).

After his breakout role in The Silence of the Lambs as primary antagonist Jame Gumb, there was a period where he was typecast in villainous roles. He was gradually able to branch out into other types of roles, such as a member of Al Pacino's police unit in Heat, and astronaut Alan Shepard in the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. In the drama Georgia, he played Mare Winningham's husband, one of his most sympathetic roles.

In 2001, Levine performed as Paul Walker's police superior Sergeant Tanner in The Fast and the Furious. He also had an uncredited role as the voice of sociopathic trucker "Rusty Nail" in Joy Ride, also starring Walker.

He played Detective Sam Nico in the 2003 film Wonderland, based on the gruesome murders in the Hollywood Hills. He also appeared as a psychiatrist at a mental institution in Wonderland, an unrelated 2000 TV series of the same name that aired briefly on ABC.

From 2002 to 2009, he co-starred as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer on USA Network's detective series Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub.

Levine provided the voice of the supervillain Sinestro in Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited, all part of the DC Animated Universe.

Levine also appeared as a patriarch whose family takes a turn for the worse in the remake of The Hills Have Eyes (2006).

In 2007, he portrayed Sheriff James Timberlake in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and appeared in Ridley Scott's American Gangster, alongside Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

In 2010, he appeared as the warden of the island prison in Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

In 2012, he appeared as Sheriff Bloom Towne in Deep Dark Canyon, alongside Spencer Treat Clark and Nick Eversman, who portrayed Sheriff Towne's sons, Nate and Skylar, respectively.

In 2013, he had a major supporting role in the FX murder mystery series The Bridge as Lieutenant Hank Wade, commander of a police homicide unit in a Texas border city.

In 2014, he portrayed General Underwood in the British-Finnish action film Big Game.

In 2018, Levine co-starred in the sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, as hunter Ken Wheatley.

From 2018 to 2020, he played Thomas F. Byrnes on the TNT series The Alienist.

In 2021, he joined the cast of the ABC drama Big Sky, playing the role of Horst Kleinsasser.

Personal life Levine has two children with girlfriend Kim Phillips; a son and a daughter.

Filmography

Film Year Title RoleNotes 1986 One More Saturday Night Cop in Station 1987 Ironweed Pocono Pete 1988 Betrayed Wes 1989 Next of Kin Willy 1990 Love at Large Frederick King / James McGraw 1991 The Silence of the Lambs Jame 'Buffalo Bill' Gumb 1992 The Paint Job Kenny the D.J. 1993 Nowhere to Run Mr. Dunston 1994 Todo cambia Vince 1995 The Mangler Officer John Hunton Georgia Jake Heat Detective Mike Bosko 1996 Bullet Louis Stein 1997 Mad City Lemke Switchback Deputy Nate Booker Flubber Wesson 1998 You Can Thank Me Later Eli Cooperberg 1999 Wild Wild West General 'Bloodbath' McGrath 2001 Evolution General Russell Woodman The Fast and the Furious Sergeant Tanner Joy Ride 'Rusty Nail' Voice Ali Joe Smiley 2002 The Truth About Charlie Emil Zadapec 2003 Wonderland Detective Sam Nico 2004 The Manchurian Candidate Colonel Howard Birth Mr. Conte 2005 The L.A. Riot Spectacular Tom Saltine Memoirs of a Geisha Colonel Derricks 2006 The Hills Have Eyes Bob 'Big Bob' Carter 2007 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Sheriff James Timberlake American Gangster Captain Lou Toback 2010 Shutter Island Warden 2012 Deep Dark Canyon Bloom Towne 2013 Jimmy James Lee Mitchell A Single Shot Cecile Banshee Chapter Thomas Blackburn 2014 Big Game General Underwood Dig Two Graves Sheriff Waterhouse Gutshot Straight Lewis 2015 Little Boy Sam 2016 Bleed for This Lou Duva 2017 Bottom of the World The Preacher Swing State Rouge Holmes A Midsummer Night's Dream Theseus 2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Ken Wheatley 2019 The Report John Brennan A Violent Separation Ed Quinn 2026 Starbright Bud Lear Rex Earl of Kent Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1983 Through Naked Eyes Patrolman Television film 1984 The Killing Floor Commander American Playhouse television film 1985 Two Fathers' Justice Bennett Television film 1986–1988 Crime Story Frank Holman Recurring role 1989 The Fulfillment of Mary Gray Jonathan Television film 1990 Midnight Caller Frank Brewer Episode: "With Malice Towards One" 1991 Murder in High Places Carson Russell Television film Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace Charles Rose Television film 1993 Death Train Alex Tierney Television film The Last Outlaw Potts Television film Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back Gary Ward Television film 1995 Nowhere Man Dave 'Eddie' Powers Episode: "Absolute Zero" 1996 Wiseguy Paul Callendar Television film 1997, 1999 Superman: The Animated Series Karkull, Sinestro Voice, 2 episodes A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 1997 Ellen Foster Bill Hammond Television film 1998 From the Earth to the Moon Alan Shepard 2 episodes; miniseries Moby Dick Starbuck Main cast; miniseries 2000 Harlan County War Silas Kincaid Television film Wonderland Dr. Robert Banger Main cast 2002 Third Watch Brian O’Malley Episode: "Falling" 2002–2003 Justice League Bulldozer, Sinestro Voice, 4 episodes 2002–2009 Monk Captain Leland Stottlemeyer Main cast 2004 Static Shock Sinestro Voice, episode: "Fallen Hero" 2006 Justice League Unlimited Sinestro Voice, episode: "The Great Brain Robbery" 2011 Hell on Wheels Captain Daniel Johnson Episode: "Pilot" 2012 Luck Isadore Cohen Recurring role 2013–2014 The Bridge Lt. Hank Wade Main cast 2014 Child of Grace Chief Edwards Television film 2015 The Spoils Before Dying Gerhart Moll Episode: "The Trip Trap"; miniseries 2016 Dr. Del Tanner Television film Mad Dogs Conrad Tull 2 episodes Ray Donovan Bill Primm 4 episodes Lethal Weapon Ned Brower Episode: "Best Buds" 2018–2020 The Alienist Thomas F. Byrnes Recurring role 2018 Here and Now Ike Bayer 2 episodes 2019 On Becoming a God in Central Florida Obie Garbeau II Main cast 2020 Peacock Presents: The At-Home Variety Show Featuring Seth MacFarlane Captain Leland Stottlemeyer Episode: "Monk In Quarantine" 2021 Big Sky Horst Kleinsasser Main cast (season 1) 2023 Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie Captain Leland Stottlemeyer TV movie 2025 Mayfair Witches Julien Mayfair Recurring guest star (season 2); 4 episodes2026Something Very Bad Is Going to HappenBoris8 episodes 2026 Cape Fear Brandon Devereaux 1 episode

Awards and nominations Year Award/Event Category Nominated work Result Ref 1991 Awards Circuit Community Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Silence of the Lambs 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture American Gangster 2012 20/20 Awards Best Supporting Actor The Silence of the Lambs 2015 Beaufort International Film Festival Best Actor Dig Two Graves

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