Frank Hoyt Taylor

Frank was born in Norton in the coalfields of southwestern Virginia. After earning a degree in English from the University of Virginia at Wise he joined the newly formed Roadside Theatre, a part of Appalachian Film Workshop. For the next ten years, and over four hundred touring performances, he was part of a three actor ensemble in an original production based on Appalachian storytelling. Venues ranged from tents, prisons, and colleges to a run at the Manhattan Theatre Club. His film career began with two notable movies, John Sayle's, Matewan, and Mark Rydell's, The River. Soon, he was enlisted to play the character of Uncle Bogg in the television series Christy. His many film credits over the years include the role of Sheriff Guidry in Joseph Sargent's, A Lesson Before Dying, which gathered an Emmy for best picture and In 2005 director Phil Morrison brought Frank in to play the folk artist David Wark in the independent Junebug. It was a Sundance favorite and was on many of the year's ten best films lists. Diane Bell met Frank when she and Chris Byrne were visiting friends at his home at the River Farm in Virginia. They saw the bee hives, ate from the garden, and heard some great live music. Later, in conversation, she briefly mentioned a script called Obselidia she was completing. Several months later she contacted Frank to see if he had any more honey, he did, and to ask if he and bees would be in her movie. And they were. Though the bees that worked on location in the desert near Death Valley turned out not to be from the from the River Farm, but were their California cousins. Unfortunately, they could not accompany Frank to the premiere in the knee-deep snow at Sundance. They were returned to their home in the locust groves near the foot of Mount Whitney.