Don Francks Is Dead

ORIGIN
Donald Harvey Francks was a Canadian actor, jazz musician and peace activist. He was best known for his role in Kelly, Finian’s Rainbow, and La Femme Nikita. Francks was born on February 28, 1932 in Burnaby, British Columbia. He was very athletic as a child. He enjoyed various sports including soccer, lacrosse and rugby.

CAREER
Francks began his career at an early age. He worked in vaudeville, played music and worked in summer stock. He was featured on the Canadian radio station ‘CKMO’ at age eleven. Francks later moved to Toronto. He worked in Broadway and as a vocalist on the radio. Aside from vocals, he’s mastered the trombone, drums and flute. He’s performed at various jazz clubs including George’s Spaghetti House in Toronto and the Village Vanguard in New York City. Popular recordings include ‘Jackie Gleason Says: No One in This World is Like Don Francks’, and ‘Lost and Alone’.

Francks made his acting debut in 1954. He first television appearance was on the CBC television show, Burns Chuckwagon from the Stampede Corral. He starred in the drama series ‘R.C.M.P.’ from 1959-1960. Francks starred as “Franklin Shepphard” in the American espionage series, Jericho. The show ran for 16 episodes on CBS from 1966-1967. He co-starred with Fred Astaire in the 1968 musical film, Finian’s Rainbow. Other notable mentions include the films, The Big Town, My Bloody Valentine and the series Mission Impossible, and Wild Wild West. He won ACTRA Awards for his performance in Drying Up the Streets (1980) and The Phoenix Team (1981). Francks also did voice work in the 1980s. He’s known for popular shows like Inspector Gadget, My Dad the Rock Star, and Rock and Rule. He was the first person to portray the character “Boba Fett” from star wars.

PERSONAL
Don Francks died on April 3, 2016 at the age of 84. His reported cause of death was lung cancer. He’s survived by second wife, Lili Francks, and his four children Cree Summer, Rainbow Sun Francks, Trane and Tyler.

Don Francks Bio, Net Worth, Height