Personal info
Known for
Actor
Gender
Male
Date of Birth
1934-01-31
Location
Missouri, United States
Edit pageJames Franciscus
Biography
James Grover Franciscus graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 1957 with a B.A. in English and theater. His father, John Allen Franciscus, was a pilot killed in action during WWII.
His mother was named Loraine (nee Grover) and he had one sibling, a brother named John. Mr. Franciscus is best known for his work in television, including Naked City (1958), The Investigators (1961), Mr. Novak (1963), and Longstreet (1971).
He also made numerous guest appearances in other popular television programs, starred in numerous television movies, and appeared in numerous feature films.
In the mid-1980s, he became dissatisfied with the roles offered to him and turned his attention to screenwriting. As co-founder of Omnibus Productions, he produced many classic films, such as Heidi (1968), Jane Eyre (1970), David Copperfield (1970), Kidnapped (1971), and The Red Pony (1973).
An avid tennis player, he founded the James Franciscus Celebrity Tennis Tournament in the mid-1970s to raise money for multiple sclerosis research and victims (his mother suffered from this disease).
He also enjoyed skydiving and scuba diving. He married Kathleen 'Kitty' Wellman, daughter of director William A. Wellman, on March 28, 1960, and fathered four daughters (Jamie, Kellie, Corie, and Jolie).
A devoted family man, his contracts often stipulated that he not be required to work past 6:00 pm. After his divorce from Wellman, he married his second wife Carla in 1980 and continued to live on his two-acre North Hollywood estate until his death.
