Frank Catton: Who Plays Him in Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen

Frank Catton is one of the specialists in Danny Ocean's crew, and the credited actor is Bernie Mac in every appearance. He debuts in Ocean's Eleven (2001), directed by Steven Soderbergh, where he is billed eleventh in a cast led by George Clooney as Danny Ocean and Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan.

Frank Catton returns in Ocean's Twelve (2004), billed ninth, and again in Ocean's Thirteen (2007), billed sixth. Soderbergh directed all three. The climb up the billing order across the trilogy is easy to see, even though the crew itself stays the same size.

If you are searching for Frank Catton in the 1960 original, he is not there. The 1960 Ocean's Eleven, directed by Lewis Milestone, has a different set of characters, such as Sam Harmon and Josh Howard. He is also not among the top fifteen billed cast of Ocean's Eight (2018), directed by Gary Ross, which follows Debbie Ocean's new team. So the full list of Frank Catton movies is three films long, and all three sit in the Clooney era of the saga. For the wider roster, see the Ocean's Eleven characters index.

Frank Catton's arc is the crew's arc, told in three jobs: a vault robbery against Terry Benedict in Ocean's Eleven (2001), a forced repayment in Ocean's Twelve (2004) and a revenge plot against Willy Bank in Ocean's Thirteen (2007). Each film gives the group a different problem, and Bernie Mac's character is part of the answer every time.

In Ocean's Eleven, Danny Ocean leaves a New Jersey prison and sets out to empty a vault shared by three Las Vegas casinos, all owned by Benedict. The team builds a replica of the vault and rehearses on it. On the night of a boxing match, an electromagnetic pulse takes out the power across the city, and a looped recording keeps Benedict's security staff watching a guarded vault while the cash leaves. Frank Catton, billed eleventh, is one of the crew who carries out that plan.

Ocean's Twelve reverses the pressure. Benedict locates all eleven members of the old crew and gives them two weeks to pay back what they took, with interest. They head to Europe, an Amsterdam heist goes wrong, and the thief known as the Night Fox, the baron François Toulour, bets Danny that he can reach a Fabergé egg first. Frank Catton, billed ninth, is among the crew Benedict pursues.

In Ocean's Thirteen, the target is Bank, who pushed Reuben Tishkoff out of a Las Vegas hotel deal. The crew sets out to rig the casino's tables and slot machines so that players win big, and to damage the hotel's bid for a top industry rating. Frank Catton is billed sixth here, his highest placement of the three films.

Frank Catton works alongside the full Ocean's Eleven ensemble, and the credits tie Bernie Mac's character to the same core group in all three films. At the top is Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, who assembles the team, and Rusty Ryan, played by Brad Pitt, who helps him recruit it.

The other crew members credited alongside Frank in all three films include Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison) and Yen (Shaobo Qin). Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck) and Turk Malloy (Scott Caan) are in the same trio of casts.

On the other side is Terry Benedict, played by Andy Garcia. He is the target of the first heist, the creditor in the second film, and an unwilling partner in the third. Frank's connection to Benedict is therefore the crew's connection, a long running contest between the same group of thieves and the same casino owner.

Who is Linus' dad in Ocean's 13? The credits of Ocean's Thirteen do not name a father for Linus Caldwell. They do list Bob Einstein as Agent Caldwell, a character who shares Linus's surname, but the cast listing does not state a family relationship between the two, so treat any link as unconfirmed.

Frank Catton's final appearance is Ocean's Thirteen (2007), which ends with the crew free and wealthy; the films give him no individual ending. Bank's opening is ruined, the rigged casino pays out heavily, Reuben is given a casino of his own, and Danny gives Benedict's share to charity in Benedict's name.

The earlier endings are equally friendly to the crew. Ocean's Eleven ends with the crew keeping the money and watching the Bellagio fountains. Ocean's Twelve ends with Toulour paying the debt, Benedict repaid, and the crew free.

Frank Catton has no on-screen appearance after Ocean's Thirteen (2007). Ocean's Eight (2018) follows Debbie Ocean, Danny's sister, and a new team, and Frank is not among its top billed cast.

Frank Catton's best moments are the ensemble set pieces: the vault rehearsal, the blackout and looped footage in Ocean's Eleven, and the rigged tables in Ocean's Thirteen. The trilogy rarely isolates one member for long, so here is where I would point you.

The vault rehearsal in Ocean's Eleven. The replica vault is the film's cleanest piece of heist logic: the crew rehearses on a copy so that the real night runs like a drill. For a character billed eleventh, being part of the machine is the point, since every part has a job.

The blackout and the looped footage. The electromagnetic pulse and the fake vault recording work as a pair. One removes the lights, the other makes Benedict's staff watch an empty room. That is the best test of an ensemble, because you cannot remove any one piece without the plan failing.

The rigged tables in Ocean's Thirteen. This is the version of the job that pays off in reverse: players win, the house loses, and Bank cannot retaliate. Frank Catton is billed sixth in Ocean's Thirteen, his highest billing of the three films, and it is the entry where I would start if you want to watch him.

That being said, the films rarely single Frank out, so if you want a solo showcase for Bernie Mac, the cast list is a better guide than any one scene. For the best order to see him, use the Ocean's movies in order guide.