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Elizabeth Franz

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This article is about the actress. For the neuroscientist, see Elizabeth Franz (scientist).

Elizabeth Franz
Born
Betty Frankovitch

1941 (age 82–83)
Akron, Ohio
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1983; died 1990)​

Elizabeth Franz (born Betty Frankovitch;[1] 1941[2]) is an American stage and television actress.

Early years

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Franz was born Betty Frankovitch in Akron, Ohio.[1] Her Serbo-Croatian father, Joe Frankovitch, worked at an Akron, tire factory. Her half Irish, half Native American mother, Harriet, had mental problems that sometimes frightened Franz when she was a child. In childhood she decided to becme an actress as a way of releasing emotions that she had to hold in while dealing with her parents.[3] She had two brothers and a sister, and she graduated from Copley High School in Copley Township, Ohio, in 1959.[4]

Although her mother never thought Franz would succeed as an actress, she wanted to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) and worked as a secretary at Ohio Edison to save enough money to enroll there.[5] An AADA teacher warned her that despite being a good actress, she might not get roles before she reached age 40.[3]

Life and career

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Billed as Betty Frankovitch, Franz acted at the Weathervane Theater in Akron.[4] She acted with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 1968-1970.[6]

In 2004–05, she appeared at the Royal National Theatre in London, in the Sam Shepard play Buried Child. She has starred in numerous Off-Broadway and regional theater productions, including the American premiere of Frank McGuinness's Bird Sanctuary. She also appeared in Long Day's Journey into Night, The Glass Menagerie, The Comedy of Errors, Madwoman of Chaillot, The Lion in Winter, A View from the Bridge, The Matchmaker, The Wizard of Oz, Great Expectations, The Model Apartment, and Woman in Mind.

Her "subtly layered performance" as Grandma Kurnitz in the 2017 Weston Playhouse Theatre Company production of Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers was duly noted by Rutland Herald critic Jim Lowe, who deemed Franz's portrayal the "dramatic backbone" of the production, "allowing only traces of the octogenarian's love and humanity to seep through."[7]

Franz's Tony-winning performance as Linda Loman in the 50th anniversary production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman proved a revelation to audiences and author alike, as evidenced by Miller's brief but pointed tribute.

She has discovered in the role the basic underlying powerful protectiveness, which comes out as fury, and that in the past, in every performance that I know of, was simply washed out.[8]

On television, Franz is most notably a character actor. She became best known for her role as the villainous Alma Rudder on Another World, which she portrayed from 1982–83, while she was performing Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway. She played Helen Wendall on As the World Turns from 1994–95, and appeared as free-spirited beauty salon owner Marsha in three episodes of Roseanne.

She appeared in the series Gilmore Girls, as the inn owner, Mia, and in Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Cold Case, Dear John and Judging Amy.

She has appeared in such feature films and motion pictures as Sabrina, Christmas with the Kranks, The Substance of Fire, The Pallbearer, Thinner, The Secret of My Success, School Ties and Jacknife.

Personal life

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Franz married actor Edward Binns in 1983, and they remained wed until his death in 1990.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 The House of Mirth Grace Stepney Television movie
1987 The Secret of My Success Grace Foster
1989 Jacknife Pru Buckman
1991 Face of a Stranger TV movie
1992 School Ties Jane Dillon
1993 It's Nothing Personal Unknown
Shameful Secrets Maryanne's Mother TV movie
1995 Sabrina Joanna
1996 The Pallbearer Aunt Lucille
The Substance of Fire Miss Barzakian
Thinner Leda Rossington
Twisted Mrs. Bundrass
1999 A Fish in the Bathtub Bea Greenberg
2000 Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Television movie
2001 A Girl Thing Josephine McCormack TV movie
2004 Christmas with the Kranks Bev Scheel
Loopy Doris Highsmith Short Film
2005 The Reader Sissel Short Film
2009 In Memoriam Woman Short Film
Alone Sarah Short Film
2015 Take Me to the River Evelyn

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 American Playhouse Doctor Episode: "Pilgrim, Farewell"
1982 Another World Alma Rudder Episode: "July 30, 1982"
1985 Spenser: For Hire Mrs. O'Rourke Episode: "Original Sin"
1986 American Playhouse Mrs. Rice Episode: "The Rise and Rise and Daniel Rocket"
1987 The Equalizer Mrs. Thomas Season 3: Episodes 1&2: Blood & Wine
1987 American Playhouse Dottie McCann Episode: "Dottie"
1989 ABC Afterschool Special Cecile Nelson Episode: "A Town's Revenge"
1989 American Playhouse Unknown Episode: "Love and Other Sorrows"
1990 Roseanne Marsha 3 episodes
1994–1995 Sisters Gladys Lear 2 episodes
1995 ABC Afterschool Special Alice Kelly Episode: "Notes for My Daughter"
2000–2001 Judging Amy Vivian Galloway 2 episodes
2001 Gilmore Girls Mia Episode: "The Ins and Outs of Inns"
2003 Cold Case Evelyn Shelby Season 1: Episode 1: "Look Again"
An Unexpected Love Dorothy Television movie
2004 Law & Order Alison Bishop Episode: "Married with Children"
2004 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jeannette Henley Season 6: Episode 4: "Scavenger"
2011 Homeland Isabel Samler Episode: "Marine One"
2012 Grey's Anatomy Emma Carroll Episode: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1982 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You Nominated
1983 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Brighton Beach Memoirs Nominated
1990 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special ABC Afterschool Special Nominated
1999 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play Death of a Salesman Nominated
1999 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Death of a Salesman Won
2000 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Death of a Salesman Nominated
2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Death of a Salesman Nominated
2002 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Morning's at Seven Nominated
2002 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Morning's at Seven Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b Greene, Alexis (February 7, 1999). "When Franz is onstage, 'attention must be paid'". The Sunday Star-Ledger. p. Section 4, page 3. Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Abbotson, Susan C. W. (2007). Critical Companion to Arthur Miller: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Facts on File. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-8160-6194-5.
  3. ^ a b c Smith, Dinitia (May 9, 1999). "American Academy of Dramatic Arts". The New York Times. p. 48. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Nichols, Kenneth (June 23, 1967). "Real-Life Drama, Too". Akron Beacon Journal. p. B 24. Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Josephson, Sanford (March 31, 1982). "'Sister Ignatius' explains it all; Ex-Akronite emerges from off-Broadway obscurity". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 11. Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Newmark, Judith (November 16, 2000). "Veteran of Rep's early days returns". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 30. Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Lowe, Jim (July 25, 2017). "'Lost in Yonkers' Deeply Satisfying ; Review (Continued from Page B1)". pp. B1, B2. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Haithman, Diane (October 11, 2000). "Best Attentions; Elizabeth Franz's new approach to Linda Loman in 'Death of a Salesman' has won her a Tony--and praise from playwright Arthur Miller.: [Home Edition]". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. ProQuest 421570814. Franz's creative choices took even playwright Miller by surprise [as revealed] in a 1999 interview. 'I don't think [Miller] thought of it as being done that way, ever,' Franz says in a quiet, almost tremulous voice during an interview backstage at the Ahmanson.

Sources

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  • Isherwood, Charles (November 19, 2007). "In a Quiet Suburb, a Quiet Life Darkened", New York Times
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