Carl Franklin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carl Franklin
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Franklin in 1977
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Born |
Carl Michael Franklin
April 11, 1949 Richmond, California, United States
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Education | University of California, Berkeley AFI Conservatory |
Occupation | Film director, television director, actor, screenwriter, producer |
Years active | 1973–present |
Carl Franklin (born April 11, 1949) is an American filmmaker. Franklin is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, and continued his education at the AFI Conservatory, where he graduated with an M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986.
Contents
Early life
Franklin grew up in Richmond, California.
He never had the opportunity to know his biological father, who had died before Carl was born. Franklin was raised by his mother and stepfather. Problems at home combined with life in a tough neighborhood fueled Franklin's ambition to be the first in his family to attend college. He was awarded a scholarship to University of California, Berkeley. Franklin's initial desires to become a teacher or lawyer led him to study history upon his arrival at the university. However, after two years, Franklin changed his major to theater arts. Franklin did not actively participate in the many demonstrations at Berkeley in the period. Describing the scene, Franklin told the LA Times: "It was like a dream to me, I wasn't really sophisticated enough to join a particular movement."
Acting career
After graduation, Franklin made his theater debut as a slave in The Public Theater's production of Timon of Athens. He would go on to act in Mark Taper Forum's production of In the Belly of the Beast.
One of his first jobs was acting in the New York Shakespeare Festival, where he appeared in the Twelfth Night and Cymbeline.
Franklin began his on-screen career in the film Five on the Black Hand Side in 1973. From there, he acted in a string of guest roles on television shows such as Barnaby Jones; episode titled "Focus on Fear" (January 31, 1980). The Rockford Files, Good Times, The Incredible Hulk and The Streets of San Francisco. Over the years, Franklin's looks have typically landed him roles portraying men of power, such as members of the police force or military officials.
Between 1975 and 1985 Franklin was a regular cast member in four TV series. The first, ABC's Caribe in 1975, was a law enforcement drama that aired 13 episodes and cast him as police sergeant Mark Walters. Two years later, NBC's fantasy-science fiction series The Fantastic Journey lasted for 10 episodes, with Franklin as athletic young physician Dr. Fred Walters. After four more years, a two-hour television film, McClain's Law, led to Franklin's second police series titled, per the telefilm, McClain's Law, a modern-day NBC vehicle for Gunsmoke star James Arness, with Franklin fifth-billed as police detective Jerry Cross, but the 1981–82 series only lasted 14 episodes. Franklin's longest lasting and most recognizable acting role was his 1983–85 portrayal of Captain Crane on the popular action-adventure series The A-Team.
Film career
Inspired by the low-budget films of the 1980s, such as Chan Is Missing (1982), Franklin enrolled at the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles in 1986.
His 30-min AFI thesis film Punk is about an African-American boy in South-central Los Angeles.
Straight out of his Master's program, Franklin landed a job with movie producer-director Roger Corman in 1989.
While working at Concord Films, Franklin gained experience working on low-budget films, helping to crank out six films in just two years' time. From 1989 to 1990, Franklin worked on Nowhere to Run, Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy, and Full Fathom Five, respectively, under Concord Films.
At the end of the 80s, producer Jesse Beaton was looking for a director for a film called One False Move. Remembering Franklin's short film Punk, Beaton met Carl to discuss the film's vision.
Franklin's approach to the screenplay produced a thriller of the film noir genre. Far from his low-budget past, Franklin's budget of $2 million gave him a bit of room to be creative, and achieve his entire vision for the film. However, the original version of the film, which was released in 1991, was thought to be overly violent. In response to such claims, Franklin told the Observer, "I didn't want people getting excited seeing how neat someone can be killed... I want the audience to feel the emotional loss of life--the real violence is the loss, the violation of humanity. They've taken from us someone who had dreams, hopes, the same set of emotions we have."
Despite the film's lack of professional publicity, One False Move was largely promoted by word of mouth and earned itself mixed reviews. However, the reviews that were positive were very positive, gaining the project more attention. The film was named Best Film of the Year by Gene Siskel, and one of the 10 Best Films of 1992 by the National Review Board.
Franklin collaborated with producers Jonathan Demme and Jesse Beaton on adapting Walter Mosley's novel Devil in a Blue Dress after Demme acquired its film rights. Franklin directed and wrote the screenplay for the film on a US$21,000,000 budget. The film starred Denzel Washington as Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins.
Switching to television, Franklin directed Laurel Avenue, a two-part miniseries focused on an African-American family in Minnesota for HBO in 1993.
Following Laurel Avenue, Franklin found himself maintaining A-list status, which allowed him to work on bigger and more visible projects, such as 1998's One True Thing. The film is an adaptation of an autobiographical story by New York journalist Anna Quindlen, following a woman (Renée Zellweger) with no option but to leave Manhattan for the small town where she was raised when her mother (Meryl Streep) is diagnosed with cancer.
Franklin went on to direct High Crimes, starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, and Out of Time, which reunited him with Devil in a Blue Dress star Denzel Washington. Since then, Franklin has largely transitioned to high-profile television work. He has worked on two series produced by Steven Spielberg, directing the pilot of science fiction drama Falling Skies and an episode of the World War II drama The Pacific. He has also collaborated on two series with David Fincher, directing four episodes each of House of Cards and Mindhunter. Franklin directed multiple critically acclaimed episodes of the HBO series The Leftovers, across all three of its seasons. His prolific television credits also include Rome, The Newsroom, Homeland, Ray Donovan, and Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Race and film
Franklin says "I am interested in the universal values of the black experience."
Discussing the realities for African Americans in the television and film industry, Franklin said: "When I came up, the only legitimate dramatic actor was Sidney Poitier, the bankable star was Richard Pryor and the other choice roles were action parts that went to Jim Brown. Even someone as good as Billy Dee Williams had a couple of great moments and then couldn't get a decent part."
Personal life
Franklin married film producer Jesse Beaton, who produced One False Move (1992).
Filmography
As actor
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1973 | Five on the Black Hand Side | Marvin | Credited as Carl Mikal Franklin |
1974 | The Streets of San Francisco | Dallam | Episode: "Flags of Terror" |
It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy | Hovey | ||
1974–1975 | Cannon | Various Roles | 2 episodes |
1975 | Caribe | Mark Walters | 13 episodes |
1975–1976 | Good Times | Larry Walters | 2 episodes |
1975–1980 | Barnaby Jones | Various Roles | 2 episodes |
1976 | Visions | David Burrell | Episode: "Scenes from the Middle Class" |
Most Wanted | Tannehill | Episode: "The Torch" | |
1977 | The Fantastic Journey | Dr. Fred Walters | 10 episodes |
1978 | Loose Change | Ed Thomas | 3 episodes |
The Incredible Hulk | Dr. Crosby | Episode: "Life and Death" | |
Centennial | Beckworth | Episode: "The Yellow Apron" | |
The Rockford Files | Roger Orloff | Episode: "Black Mirror" | |
1979 | The Legend of the Golden Gun | Joshua Brown | |
Trapper John, M.D. | Steve | Episode: "Deadly Exposure" | |
1980 | The White Shadow | Lonie | Episode: "A Few Good Men" |
Joshua's World | Unknown | Uncredited | |
Lou Grant | Milt Carmichael | Episode: "Streets" | |
1981–1982 | McClain's Law | Detective Jerry Cross | 15 episodes |
1982 | Quincy, M.E. | Gary Rediford | Episode: "Deadly Protection" |
The Devlin Connection | Unknown | Uncredited; 2 episodes | |
1983 | One Cooks, the Other Doesn't | Officer Lloyd Green | |
1983–1985 | The A-Team | Captain Crane | 17 episodes |
1985 | Cover Up | Paul Cooper | Episode: "Murder Offshore" |
MacGyver | Andrew T. Wiley | Episode: "The Prodigal" | |
Riptide | Ray | Episode: "Requiem for Icarus" | |
1986 | Hill Street Blues | Lucious | Episode: "Das Blues" |
A Smoky Mountain Christmas | Lieutenant Danvers | ||
1987 | Frank's Place | Father Phil | Episode: "Disengaged" |
ALF | Dr. Willoughby | 2 episodes | |
1988 | Too Good to Be True | Unknown | Uncredited |
1989 | Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy | Colonel Rawlins | Also director and writer |
Last Stand at Lang Mei | Sergeant T. Deveraux | Also writer | |
1990 | Steel Magnolias | Nick Fontenot | Episode: "Pilot" |
Full Fathom Five | Fletcher | Also director | |
1991–1992 | Roseanne | Various Roles | 2 episodes |
1992 | In the Heat of Passion | Detective Rooker |
As himself
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1977 | Battle of the Network Stars II | Contestant | Team NBC |
1995 | Century of Cinema | Guest | Episode: "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" |
Charlie Rose | Guest | ||
1998 | Split Screen | Guest | Episode: "Carl Franklin Breaks It Down" |
1999 | The Directors | Guest | Episode: "The Films of Carl Franklin" |
2006 | Shooting the Police: Cops on Film | Guest | Documentary |
Hitchcocked! | Guest | Documentary | |
2014 | House of Cards: Politics for the Sake of Politics | Guest | Short documentary |
As director
Film
Year | Title | Notes |
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1986 | Punk | Short film, also writer |
1989 | Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy | Also writer and actor |
1989 | Nowhere to Run | |
1992 | One False Move | |
1995 | Devil in a Blue Dress | Also writer |
1998 | One True Thing | |
2002 | High Crimes | |
2003 | Out of Time | |
2012 | Bless Me, Ultima | Also writer |
Television
Year | Title | Notes |
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1993 | Laurel Avenue | 2 episodes |
1999 | Partners | 5 episodes |
2007 | Rome | Episode: "A Necessary Fiction" |
The Riches | Episode: "Pilot" | |
2009 | Last of the Ninth | Unsold HBO pilot |
2010 | The Pacific | Episode: "Peleliu Landing" |
2011 | Falling Skies | Episode: "Live and Learn" |
2012 | Magic City | Episode: "The Year of the Fin" |
2013 | The Newsroom | Episode: "Unintended Consequences" |
2013–2014 | House of Cards | 4 episodes |
Homeland | Episodes: "Gerontion" and "Redux" | |
2014 | The Affair | 2 episodes |
2014–2017 | The Leftovers | 4 episodes |
2015 | Bloodline | Episode: "Part 12" |
2016 | Vinyl | Episode: "Rock and Roll Queen" |
Good Behavior | Episode: "Only The Best For Mrs. Diaz" | |
2016–2017 | Chance | 2 episodes |
2017 | 13 Reasons Why | 2 episodes |
Ten Days in the Valley | Episode: "Day 1: Fade In" | |
Ray Donovan | Episode: "Michael" | |
2019 | I Am the Night | 2 episodes |
Mindhunter | 4 episodes | |
2022 | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Episode: "Episode One" |
TBA | Manhunt | Upcoming miniseries |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Result | Category | Film |
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1992 | Deauville Film Festival | Nominated | Critics Award | One False Move |
1992 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Won | New Generation Award | One False Move |
1992 | Mystfest | Nominated | Best Film | One False Move |
Won | Best Direction | One False Move | ||
1993 | Cognac Festival du Film Policier | Won | Grand Prix | One False Move |
Critics Award | One False Move | |||
1993 | Fantasporto | Nominated | Best Film | One False Move |
1993 | Independent Spirit Awards | Won | Best Director | One False Move |
1993 | MTV Movie Awards | Won | Best New Filmmaker | One False Move |
1995 | San Sebastián International Film Festival | Nominated | Golden Seashell | Devil in a Blue Dress |
1996 | American Film Institute | Won | Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal | "For Franklin's Outstanding Body of Work" |
1996 | Edgar Allan Poe Awards | Nominated | Best Motion Picture | Devil in a Blue Dress |
2004 | Black Reel Awards | Nominated | Film: Best Director | Out of Time |
2014 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | House of Cards (Episode: "Chapter 14") |