Biography

Frank Messina is an award-winning poet, artist and actor who grew up in northern New Jersey. He's the author of four books of poetry including "Disorderly Conduct" and "Full Count: The Book of Mets Poetry". In 2025, he was named State of New Jersey Beat Poet Laureate.

Messina first gained notoriety as a spoken word artist and raconteur by performing on stage in the U.S. and Europe including at Newark Symphony Hall, The Crossing Border Festival and at Symphony Space in New York City. In 2007, the NY Times published a front-page feature on him and his baseball-related writing which garnered him international attention and a book contract.

Messina began making appearances as "The Mets Poet" on SNY, where his dramatic and comedic baseball verse were set to the visual backdrop of glorious (and not so glorious) moments in baseball history. Actor Jerry Stiller saw Messina performing in New York City and afterwards urged him to take up acting.

Messina first appeared as himself in the documentary Jack Kerouac Slept Here (2011). He was featured in the season 2 promo of HBO's Boardwalk Empire (2010) and in a recurring role as bodyguard to Chicago mob boss Al Capone in seasons 3, 4 and 5. Film credits include a starring role as "Ginger Lafferty" in the cult classic Toxic Avenger mockumentary, Toxic Tutu (2016) and the lead role of "Zach" in the Rowan Cinema production, Lawn of the Year.

His directorial debut came in 2015 with the production of Grunt, a short film based on Messina's poem of the same title which was produced by the Manhattan Film Institute. As a visual artist, Messina's abstract paintings hangs in private and public collections around the world.
- IMDb mini biography by: Danziger, Danziger & Muro

Scar on bridge of nose

Broad shoulders

The "all-knowing" grin

[2007 - on recognition] I remember signing my first autograph to a kid when I was 25 years old. As time went on, I came out with books and CDs, and I became used to that kind of thing. To me, the ultimate feeling of success as an artist, is to move somebody enough where they thank you.

[On being a spoken word artist] Being a spoken word artist is much like being an instrumentalist, a horn player or a pianist. The less you say, the better.

[on being a Mets fan - NY Times, 2007] Do you know what it's like To be chased by the Ghost of Failure While staring through Victory's door? Of course you do, you're a Mets fan