Frank Darabont

Biography

Frank Árpád Darabont (born Ferenc Árpád Darabont, January 28, 1959) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. He was born in France to Hungarian parents who fled Budapest during the 1956 uprising, but the family moved to Los Angeles while he was still an infant. He has directed the films The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, all based on stories by Stephen King. In 2010 he developed and executive produced the first season of the AMC network television series The Walking Dead.

Career Overview

Frank Darabont has 82 screen credits in a career dating back to 1981. Their work spans 8 cinematic universes — most prominently Indiana Jones with 2 titles. Signature works include The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For

Directing

Gender

male

Known Credits

82

Birth Date

1959-01-28 00:00:00

Birth Place

Montbéliard, Doubs, France

Known For

• 

  The Shawshank Redemption
• 

  The Green Mile
• 

  The Mist
• 

  The Majestic
• 

  Buried Alive
• 

  Nightshift Collection

Associated Universes

Universe traveler — spans 8 universes

• Indiana Jones (2 titles)
• Vampires Collection (1 titles)
• Buried Alive Collection (1 titles)
• The Fly (1 titles)
• The Fly (1986) Collection (1 titles)
• The Blob (1 titles)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1 titles)
• Trancers Collection (1 titles)

Frequent Collaborators

• Brian Libby (6 collaborations)
• Jeffrey DeMunn (4 collaborations)
• William Sadler (3 collaborations)
• James Whitmore (2 collaborations)
• Mack Miles (2 collaborations)
• Ken Magee (2 collaborations)
• Brent Briscoe (2 collaborations)
• Scotty Leavenworth (2 collaborations)
• Bill Gratton (2 collaborations)
• Dee Croxton (2 collaborations)

Credits

• actors (33 credits)

  • The Thing Expanded

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5

    Self - Guest Director Chapter 3 And 5

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • King on Screen

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2023
  • Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2018
  • Walking the Mile

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2014
  • Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2013
  • Fear Himself: The Life and Crimes of Freddy Krueger

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2012
  • Nightmare Factory

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2011
  • Clint Eastwood's West

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2011
  • The United Monster Talent Agency

    Director #1

    actor

    actors
    2010
  • The Making of The Walking Dead

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2010
  • The Walking Dead

    - Days Gone Bye (2010) ... (uncredited) actor actors
    2010
  • Tales from the Script

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2009
  • RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • The Mist: Taming the Beast - The Making of Scene 35

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • The Horror of It All: The Visual F/X of The Mist

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • When Darkness Came: The Making of 'The Mist'

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • Monsters Among Us: The Creature FX of 'The Mist'

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2007
  • Recreating the Eighth Wonder: The Making of 'King Kong'

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2006
  • King Kong

    Biplane Gunner (uncredited)

    actor

    actors
    2005
  • Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2005
  • Made Men: The 'GoodFellas' Legacy

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • Entourage

    - Security Briefs (2009) ... Frank Darabont actor actors

    - First Class Jerk (2008) ... Frank Darabont actor actors
    2004
  • Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of the Looney Tunes

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    2003
  • Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2001
  • Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile

    Self - Writer / Director

    actor

    actors
    2000
  • Stephen King: Shining in the Dark

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1999
  • Vampires

    Man with Buick

    actor

    actors
    1998
  • Stephen King's World of Horror

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1989
  • Stephen King's World of Horror

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1986

• crew (6 credits)

  • Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead

    thanks

    crew
    2018
  • The Walking Dead

    - Always Accountable (2015) ... thanks crew

    - No Sanctuary (2014) ... creator crew
    2010
  • Monsters Among Us: The Creature FX of 'The Mist'

    thanks

    crew
    2008
  • When Darkness Came: The Making of 'The Mist'

    thanks

    crew
    2008
  • Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist

    thanks

    crew
    2008
  • The Seduction

    transportation captain

    crew
    1982

• production (11 credits)

  • Walking the Mile

    executive producer

    production
    2014
  • Mob City

    executive producer

    production

    - Stay Down (2013) ... executive producer production

    - Oxpecker (2013) ... executive producer production

    - His Banana Majesty (2013) ... executive producer production

    - Red Light (2013) ... executive producer production

    - Reason to Kill a Man (2013) ... executive producer production
    2013
  • The Walking Dead

    - A (2014) ... executive producer production

    - Us (2014) ... executive producer production

    - The Grove (2014) ... executive producer production

    - Alone (2014) ... executive producer production

    - Still (2014) ... executive producer production
    2010
  • The Mist

    producer

    production
    2007
  • Collateral

    executive producer

    production
    2004
  • The Salton Sea

    producer

    production
    2002
  • The Majestic

    producer

    production
    2001
  • Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile

    executive producer

    production
    2000
  • The Green Mile

    producer

    production
    1999
  • Black Cat Run

    executive producer

    production
    1998
  • Hell Night

    production assistant

    production
    1981

• creators (2 credits)

  • Mob City

    creator

    creators
    2013
  • The Walking Dead

    creator

    creators
    2010

• directing (10 credits)

  • Stranger Things

    - Chapter Five: Shock Jock (2025) ... director directing

    - Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap (2025) ... director directing
    2016
  • Mob City

    - Stay Down (2013) ... director directing

    - Red Light (2013) ... director directing

    - Reason to Kill a Man (2013) ... director directing

    - A Guy Walks Into a Bar (2013) ... director directing
    2013
  • The Walking Dead

    - Days Gone Bye (2010) ... director directing
    2010
  • The Mist

    director

    directing
    2007
  • The Shield

    - Chasing Ghosts (2007) ... director directing
    2002
  • The Majestic

    director

    directing
    2001
  • The Green Mile

    director

    directing
    1999
  • The Shawshank Redemption

    director

    directing
    1994
  • Nightshift Collection

    director

    directing
    1994
  • Buried Alive

    director

    directing
    1990

• writing (18 credits)

  • Mob City

    - Stay Down (2013) ... writer writing

    - Reason to Kill a Man (2013) ... writer writing

    - A Guy Walks Into a Bar (2013) ... writer writing
    2013
  • The Walking Dead

    - No Sanctuary (2014) ... author writing

    - A (2014) ... writer writing

    - What Lies Ahead (2011) ... writer writing

    - TS-19 (2010) ... writer writing

    - Tell It to the Frogs (2010) ... writer writing
    2010
  • The Mist

    screenplay

    writing
    2007
  • The Green Mile

    writer

    writing
    1999
  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert

    writer

    writing
    1999
  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret Service

    screenplay

    writing
    1999
  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life

    screenplay

    writing
    1999
  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Phantom Train of Doom

    screenplay

    writing
    1999
  • Black Cat Run

    writer

    writing
    1998
  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father

    writer

    writing
    1996
  • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    writer

    writing
    1994
  • The Shawshank Redemption

    screenplay

    writing
    1994
  • Two-Fisted Tales

    writer

    writing
    1992
  • The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

    - Austria, March 1917 (1992) ... writer writing
    1992
  • The Fly II

    screenplay

    writing
    1989
  • Tales from the Crypt

    - Showdown (1992) ... writer writing

    - The Ventriloquist's Dummy (1990) ... screenplay writing
    1989
  • The Blob

    screenplay

    writing
    1988
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

    screenplay

    writing
    1987

• art (2 credits)

  • Trancers

    art department assistant

    art
    1984
  • Crimes of Passion

    set dresser

    art
    1984