Carl Franklin
Biography
Carl Franklin is an American actor, screenwriter, and film and television director. He was born on April 11, 1949, in Richmond, California, USA. Franklin is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the AFI Conservatory, where he earned an M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986. He is known for directing the film Devil in a Blue Dress, which was based on the book by Walter Mosley and starred Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle. Franklin has directed 69 known credits, and his content score is 100.
Career overview
Carl Franklin is a film and television director. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and later attended the AFI Conservatory, where he earned an M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986. Franklin is known for directing the film Devil in a Blue Dress, which was based on a book by Walter Mosley and starred Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle.
As a director, Franklin has worked on numerous projects, with a total of 69 known credits. His career spans multiple genres and mediums, with a focus on film and television. Franklin's work has been recognized for its quality, with a content score of 100 on The Movie Database.
Franklin's directing career is marked by his ability to bring complex stories to life. His work on Devil in a Blue Dress is notable for its adaptation of Walter Mosley's book and its successful casting of Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle. With a career spanning over three decades, Franklin has established himself as a skilled and versatile director.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
80 titles- Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2025) Executive Producer
- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024) Director
- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024) Executive Producer
- American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez (2024) Executive Producer
- American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez (2024) Director
- Manhunt (2024) Executive Producer
- Manhunt (2024) Director
- DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) Director
- DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) Executive Producer
- Dancing with the Devil: Carl Franklin on 'Devil in a Blue Dress' (2020) as Self
- I Am the Night (2019) Director
- 13 Reasons Why (2017) Director
- MINDHUNTER (2017) Director
- Ten Days in the Valley (2017) Director
- Good Behavior (2016) Director
- Vinyl (2016) Director
- Bloodline (2015) Director
- The Leftovers (2014) Director
- The Affair (2014) Director
- House of Cards (2013) Director
- Ray Donovan (2013) Director
- Bless Me, Ultima (2013) Director
- Bless Me, Ultima (2013) Screenplay
- The Newsroom (2012) Director
- Magic City (2012) Director
- Homeland (2011) Director
- Falling Skies (2011) Director
- The Pacific (2010) Director
- The Riches (2007) Director
- Hitchcocked! (2006) as Self
- Shooting the Police: Cops on Film (2006) as Self
- Rome (2005) Director
- Out of Time (2003) Director
- High Crimes (2002) Director
- One True Thing (1998) Director
- Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) Director
- Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) Screenplay
- Dark and Deadly: Fifty Years of Film Noir (1995) as Self
- Laurel Avenue (1993) Director
- Laurel Avenue (1993) Creator
- One False Move (1992) Director
- In the Heat of Passion (1992) as Police Det. Rooker
- Capital News (1990) as Cop
- Full Fathom Five (1990) as Fletcher
- Full Fathom Five (1990) Director
- Last Stand at Lang Mei (1989) as Sergeant T. Deveraux
- Last Stand at Lang Mei (1989) Writer
- Nowhere to Run (1989) Director
- Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy (1989) as Col. Rawlins
- Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy (1989) Director
- Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy (1989) Writer
- Roseanne (1988)
- Too Good to Be True (1988) as Dr. Boyd
- ALF (1986) as Dr. Willoughby
- A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986) as Lt. Danvers
- Punk (1986) Director
- Punk (1986) Writer
- MacGyver (1985) as Andrew T. Wiley
- Cover Up (1984)
- The A-Team (1983) as Captain Crane
- One Cooks, the Other Doesn't (1983) as Officer Lloyd Green
- Hill Street Blues (1981)
- McClain's Law (1981) as Det. Jerry Cross
- Joshua's World (1980)
- Trapper John, M.D. (1979)
- The Legend of the Golden Gun (1979) as Joshua Brown
- Loose Change (1978) as Ed Thomas
- Lou Grant (1977)
- The Incredible Hulk (1977) as Crosby
- The Fantastic Journey (1977) as Dr. Fred Walters
- The Fantastic Journey (1977) as Dr. Fred Walters
- Quincy, M.E. (1976)
- Battle of the Network Stars (1976)
- Caribe (1975) as Sgt. Mark Walters
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Roger Orloff
- Good Times (1974)
- It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy (1974) as Hovey
- Five on the Black Hand Side (1973) as Marvin
- The Streets of San Francisco (1972)
- Cannon (1971)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Carl Franklin best known for?
Carl Franklin is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2025), Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024), Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024), American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez (2024).
When and where was Carl Franklin born?
Carl Franklin was born on April 11, 1949 in Richmond, California, USA.
How many credits does Carl Franklin have?
Carl Franklin has accumulated over 80 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1971 to 2025.
What is Carl Franklin's background in cinema and television?
Carl Franklin is an American actor, screenwriter, and film and television director. He was born on April 11, 1949, in Richmond, California, USA. Franklin is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the AFI Conservatory, where he earned an M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986. He is known for directing th...
Carl Franklin by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Good Times (1974) — aged about 25
- MacGyver (1985) as Andrew T. Wiley — aged about 36
- McClain's Law (1981) as Det. Jerry Cross — aged about 32
- ALF (1986) as Dr. Willoughby — aged about 37
- Hill Street Blues (1981) — aged about 32
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Roger Orloff — aged about 25
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