James Franciscus

Birth Name:

James Grover Franciscus

Birth Place:

Clayton, Mississippi, United States

Profession

Actor, Producer, Writer

Came in eighth place for Top Male New Face at the 1964 Laurel Awards
Graduated from Yae University magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and theatre arts
Died of emphysema at the Medical Center of North Hollywood at the age of 57
Got his first taste of acting at The Fessenden School, an all boy prep school, playing a girl in his first production
Worked briefly in summer stock theater in Massachusetts
Quote: "[on playing the Devil] "I loved that part! It was the first time they let me play the bad guy! Always before, because of my light blonde hair, I'd been cast as the hero․ I relished the chance to be evil!""
Best known for his television career, he starred in "Naked City," "Mr․ Novak" and "Longstreet․"
As a television producer, he specialized in small-screen adaptations of classics like "Jane Eyre" and "The Red Pony․"
As a child, he enjoyed fishing, trapping muskrats and skunks and building rafts with his brother
Loved dogs, and his favorite dog from childhood was a Dalmatian named Randolph who would wait for him to get out of school, sometimes jumping through the classroom window when school ran late

Fast Facts