Elizabeth Franz | |
---|---|
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1981–present |
Elizabeth Franz is an American stage and television actress.
Life and career
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.
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.
Filmography
Film
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
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
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
Sources
- Isherwood, Charles (November 19, 2007). "In a Quiet Suburb, a Quiet Life Darkened", New York Times
External links
- Elizabeth Franz at the Internet Broadway Database
- Elizabeth Franz at IMDb
- The Piano Teacher (review), nytimes.com; accessed November 8, 2016.
- Elizabeth Franz at the Internet Off-Broadway Database