Franky G on AllMovie

With a varied background that includes time spent as a semi-professional football player and a competitive bodybuilder -- not to mention a strip club bouncer -- Brooklyn-born tough-guy actor Franky G. may not seem anything more than a muscle-bound meathead upon first inspection, but a closer look into his filmography reveals a notable onscreen talent who just may have the potential to become more than just the next Vin Diesel. From his screen debut as a troubled ex-con struggling to setting a new course for is life in Manitou to his turn as a rookie cop in the fact-based 2003 drama Wonderland, G. seems to have the kind of drive and range that could easily propel him beyond that of the stereotypical action icon. In addition to maintaining a normal existence and not letting success go to his head, G (the actor was born Frankie Gonzalez) is also determined not to let his ethnicity dictate his film roles. By eschewing typical Diesel-reject scripts for challenging roles that push him to expand his repertoire, the former college football player hopes to keep his career fresh and give audiences what they might least expect from an actor with such a physical background. In 2005, G made an impression on television viewers with a role as an ex-con whose attempts to go straight are complicated by local police who insist that he infiltrate his former partners in crime in the Fox drama Jonny Calvo.