Don Francks

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Don Francks
Born February 28, 1932 (1932-02-28) (age 77)
Vancouver, British Columbia

Donald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo (born February 28, 1932) is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.

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[edit] Life and work

Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist. He is interested in Tibet and supports Greenpeace.

He performed in vaudeville, worked as a foundryman and was involved in summer stock before moving to Toronto. During his time in Hollywood he lived in Encino, California. After a time, he moved with his family to the Red Pheasant Indian Reserve, near North Battleford, Saskatchewan. He is an honorary Cree, who is known as Iron Buffalo. Since 1974, he has been living in Toronto with his wife Lili (Red Eagle), a member of the Plains Cree First Nation who was a dancer. Their children are Cree Summer and Rainbow Sun.

He appeared many times at George's Spaghetti House, a Toronto jazz club that was the equivalent of New York's Birdland. He was also known to sit in on drums at the Colonial Tavern and other Toronto afterhours clubs and jazz venues.

[edit] Career

Francks co-starred with Fred Astaire in the 1968 musical film Finian's Rainbow, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

He appeared as Walter in the La Femme Nikita television series from 1997-2001. His early television credits include: Mission: Impossible, Wild Wild West, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Little Men, Traders and several episodic television appearances. His film work includes The Big Town with Tommy Lee Jones, the cult slasher film My Bloody Valentine and Johnny Mnemonic.

Francks appeared on Broadway in the title role of the musical Kelly, as a daredevil planning to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. The show was the first on Broadway in a generation to close on its opening night.

He provides the voice of "Skunk" in Gene Simmons' animated television show My Dad the Rock Star.

As a voice-actor, Francks is the first person to portray Boba Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter. He played Fett in The Star Wars Holiday Special and reprised the role in an episodes of Star Wars: Droids. Francks voiced several characters in Inspector Gadget along with his daughter, Cree Summer.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Awards

  • 1980 and 1981 - Don Francks won ACTRA Awards for Best Dramatic Performance for his roles in Drying Up The Streets and The Phoenix Team.

[edit] Selected discography

  • At The Purple Onion, with Lenny Breau and Eon Henstridge, 2004, Art of Life Records. Recorded live at the coffeehouse Purple Onion in Toronto in August 1962.
  • No One In This World Is Like Don Francks, LP, 1963, Knapp Records. Don Francks, Lenny Breau and Eon Henstridge formed the trio Three.
  • Lost... and Alone, LP, 1964, Kapp Records.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Don Francks." Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. 100-105. ISBN 0-9787625-0-9. In-depth conversation with Don Francks about his role as Walter on La Femme Nikita, along with numerous stories from his lengthy acting and musical career.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Francks"