---
name: "William Frankfather"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/william-frankfather"
fi1m_id: "william-frankfather"
imdb_id: "nm0291290"
tmdb_id: 77015
wikidata_id: "Q3568626"
roles: []
born: "4 August 1944"
died: "28 December 1998"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-04T22:08:15.137929+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# William Frankfather

## Identity

William Frankfather

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/william-frankfather
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** william-frankfather
- **IMDb ID:** nm0291290
- **TMDB ID:** 77015
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3568626
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Frankfather, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3568626, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0291290/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/77015

Actor. Born 4 August 1944 in Kermit, Texas, USA. Died 28 December 1998.

## Details

- **Born:** 4 August 1944, Kermit, Texas, USA
- **Died:** 28 December 1998
- **Active:** 1981–1992
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (2), 1990s 76 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 2, Crime 1, Drama 1, Fantasy 1, Horror 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $149m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Frankfather, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3568626, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0291290/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/77015

## Streaming the US now

- **Peacock:** [*Death Becomes Her*](https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

William Frankfather (4 August 1944 – 28 December 1998) was an American actor. Born in Kermit, Texas, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from New Mexico State University and an MFA in acting from Stanford University.

He was a long-time member and, for five years until 1998, artistic director of Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills, and appeared in the original Broadway cast of *Children of a Lesser God*. Frankfather received six Drama-Logue awards for acting and producing. His screen credits include the role of Whitey Jackson in *Foul Play* (1978), Mr. Franklin in *Death Becomes Her* (1992), Government Liaison in *The Rocketeer* (1991), Mr. Texas in *MouseHunt* (1997) and guest appearances in series such as *The A-Team* (1983), *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* (1993) and *Tales from the Crypt* (1989).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, variety.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Death Becomes Her* (1992), Fi1m 76, as Mr. Franklin — [page](https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her.md)
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), Fi1m 77, as Man in Bar — [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), Fi1m 86, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)

## Complete filmography (55)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Rough Draft* (1998), as Officer Joe
- *Amazing Stories: The Movie III* (1998), as Mayor
- *MouseHunt* (1997), as Mr. Texas
- *Trading Favors* (1997), as Gus
- *Dark Skies* (1996), series, Actor
- *Arli$$* (1996), series, as Client Rep
- *Where Are My Children?* (1994), as Local Judge
- *When a Man Loves a Woman* (1994), as Al-Anon Leader
- *The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.* (1993), series, as Sonny Red
- *Angel Falls* (1993), series, as Sheriff Bailey
- *Born Yesterday* (1993), as Senator Kelley
- *The Nightmare Begins Again* (1993), as Robert Deeks
- *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* (1993), series, as Male Shapeshifter — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-deep-space-nine.md)
- *Renegade* (1992), series, as Sheriff Harry Ames
- *Little Sister* (1992), as Dad
- *Death Becomes Her* (1992), as Mr. Franklin — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her.md)
- *Cool World* (1992), as Cop
- *Melrose Place* (1992), series, as David Johnson
- *Bodies of Evidence* (1992), series, Actor
- *Keep the Change* (1992), as Samuel Bowman
- *The Rocketeer* (1991), as Government Liaison
- *Wings* (1990), series, as Thurmon
- *Family of Spies* (1990), series, as Adm. Tully
- *Alien Nation* (1989), series, Actor
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Mr. Colbert
- *I Know My First Name Is Steven* (1989), series, as Judge Sabraw
- *The Women of Brewster Place* (1989), as Judge
- *The Women of Brewster Place* (1989), series, as Judge
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), series, as Man in Bar — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Freddy's Nightmares* (1988), series, as Deeks
- *War Party* (1988), as The Governor
- *Defense Play* (1988), Actor
- *Beverly Hills Buntz* (1987), series, as Albert Fairchild
- *Baby Boom* (1987), as Merle White
- *J.J. Starbuck* (1987), series, Actor
- *Harry and the Hendersons* (1987), as Schwarz
- *Amazing Stories* (1986), as Mayor
- *Invaders from Mars* (1986), as Ed, Heather's Father
- *Blue De Ville* (1986), as President Fryborg
- *MacGyver* (1985), series, as Barney
- *Amazing Stories* (1985), series, as Mayor
- *The Twilight Zone* (1985), series, as Rev. Bailey (segment "The Junction")
- *Alamo Bay* (1985), as Mac
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Ralph Bankson, Josh Sanders
- *Flashpoint* (1984), as Lacy
- *Why Me?* (1984), as Dental Corps Doctor
- *Night Court* (1984), series, as Tom Reader
- *The A-Team* (1983), series, as Neil Sullivan, Man at Water Pumping Station
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as Prison Official George Gauthier — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *Remington Steele* (1982), series, as Frank Willard
- *Pennies from Heaven* (1981), as Pool Player
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *Inside Moves* (1980), as Fryer
- *This Year's Blonde* (1980), as John Huston
- *Foul Play* (1978), as Whitey Jackson

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/william-frankfather