Parents: George Dunning

Occupation: Film director

Relationships: Suzanne Rogers

Appearances: Season 4

Who’d Play Him: John Pyper-Ferguson

An Obsession turned Dangerous: The son of legendary director George Dunning, Frank was also a film director and had a long and deeply personal connection to actress Suzanne Rogers. Years before her disappearance, Frank had fallen hopelessly in love with her and remained convinced that Jordan Rydell had been responsible for whatever happened to her. His unresolved obsession followed him for years, shaping both his career and his growing hatred of Jordan.

Frank later directed Angel Assassin 2: Halo and Goodbye for Sunset Studios, bringing him back into the orbit of the Rydells and Blackthornes. While the production placed him at the center of Hollywood’s most powerful families, his real focus remained on Suzanne. Convinced Jordan had killed her, Frank began sending him threatening blackmail notes and demanding answers about the night she vanished.

Jordan responded violently, beating Frank so badly that he was hospitalized with cracked ribs and a head injury. The attack only strengthened Frank’s belief that Jordan was hiding something. When Benji admitted that he also suspected his father, Frank revealed that he had witnessed Jordan burying a body on his property the night Suzanne disappeared. Eager to destroy Jordan, Benji passed the information to Alex, prompting her to leave him.

Jordan later broke into Frank’s home and discovered the full extent of his fixation. Frank had created a shrine to Suzanne filled with old answering-machine tapes, photographs, and rehearsal videos. Several recordings showed Suzanne with Troy Beauchamp, Jordan’s half brother, who had been close to her before she vanished. The collection suggested that Frank had spent years preserving every trace of Suzanne while trying to uncover the truth about her disappearance.

Their hostility erupted again at Stormy and Kelly’s wedding reception. Frank openly declared his devotion to Suzanne and struck Jordan unconscious during their confrontation. Before the conflict could go any further, an earthquake tore through the hotel. Frank was crushed to death beneath a collapsing ceiling in the lounge.

Frank died without learning the complete truth. Jordan had indeed buried a body, but it belonged to Troy, whom Suzanne had killed while acting under Victor Distefano’s hypnotic control. Jordan had concealed the crime and sent Suzanne to a clinic in Switzerland, allowing the world to believe she had abandoned her family.