Overnight sensation! On target! BULLS EYE!  Stellar phrases, but not how I’d describe my career path!  I could pick and choose a few highlights, tie them together with a pretty bow, but if you want to get to know the real me, and I hope you do, then read on!

First off, this is me talking, really me, so I’ll write in first person, and invite you along.

According to my mom, I always wanted to be a (s)‘tar’. My first role, the ‘Cowardly Lion’ in The Wizard of Oz in grade school. Then I was both an Indian and a pilgrim in a Thanksgiving play (in the era this was culturally and socially accepted :-)), acted (hammed) out all 12 days of Christmas, and I’ll never forget “Ma Kettle” in the “Egg Song” in high school… Setting the stage!!

In my 20’s I found out I could take a decent photo, and started modeling, which led to commercials, training films (I’m great with an “ear”!) and flying between Chicago, Toronto and Montreal.

Then the financial market crashed, the ad industry took a dive, there was a Producers strike, a SAG strike was looming, so I left the industry and opted for the security of a regular paycheck. 

10 years later, watching movies like Facing the Giants and Remember the Titans with my son, I realized I really missed the business.  I was cast in several short films, had been nominated for best Supporting Actress twice and then won a few Best Actress Awards.  Now I really got busy!

I was offered the lead role in Stand your Ground, a feature filming in Georgia, a tremendous experience!  I fell in love with the warmth of Southerners, and my husband and I moved to the Atlanta area, which coincided with the boom in the film industry.

I’ve had some great experiences and booked some great shows. I loved being on Nashville as Sandra Barkley (Avery’s mom), and building a character on The Dream Factory, but the freakiness of The Passage now gets my number one ranking!

I’ve had tremendous film opportunities since Stand Your Ground;  Christmas Ranch, Mine 9, Charlies Christmas Wish, but as an actor, we wait to be hired, so I started ElFilm Productions. I’ve just completed our first feature film, MODERN PRODIGAL!   (SEEKING DISTRIBUTION!)

Is Francine all about acting? Not at all! I love to travel, have done my own remodeling (windows, floors, drywall-yuck), gutted and rebuilt a house, flipped a few (I love tools!), I’ve put in ponds, done extensive landscaping, and…. I’m a bee keeper!

Thankfully, my characters have better arcs than my career! But each day I learn something new, or get something accomplished, is a good day!

There you have it, not your typical bio, but then again, I’m not your typical actress! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you will stay in touch, follow me, and reach out!

Ciao, I’ve got to go feed the birds!