Early Career
Upon completion of a BA degree in Theater Arts, Franklin almost immediately moved to New York City with hopes of becoming an actor. One of his first jobs was acting in the New York Shakespeare Festival, where he appeared in the Twelfth Night, Timon of Athens, and Cymbeline. Perusing his love of acting with an on-stage career, Franklin performed off-Broadway with The Public Theater. He has performed at many well-known public arenas such as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York, as well as the Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.).
With experience under his belt on the off-Broadway circuit, Franklin began his on-screen career with a film called Five on the Black Hand Side in 1973. From there, he acted in a string of guest roles on television shows such as The Rockford Files, Good Times, Caribe, The Incredible Hulk, McClain’s Law, 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. Franklin’s most recognizable acting role was his 1983-1985 portrayal of Captain Crane on the popular action-adventure series The A-Team. After two seasons on the show, Franklin realized that acting became mundane and unsatisfying to him.
He began to experiment with filmmaking, getting his feet wet with writing and production. Franklin is quoted in L.A. Weekly, saying "Acting made a director out of me.” And so, at age 37, Franklin made an important decision to return to school in 1986. This time, he chose the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles, where he studied film directing, studying mostly the works of European and Japanese directors. He obtained his M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986.
His time at AFI culminated in a life-changing project. For his master’s thesis, Franklin produced a short film called Punk in 1989. The film follows the story of an African-American boy faced with the realities of familial stress, societal pressures, and the ever-daunting development of sexual discovery. Franklin’s 30-minute film can be attributed to both failure and success. The production of the film cost Franklin his home and left him in a state of financial crisis, however, the impactful final product gained him attention in an industry that is nearly impossible to infiltrate. From there, his vision carried him through a successful career.
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