Who is Franklyn Ajaye?
American actor and comedian Franklyn Ajaye, was born in Brooklyn, New York City USA, on 13 May 1949, making his zodiac sign Taurus. He’s had roles in more than 30 movies and TV series, and is perhaps still best known for his portrayal of Detective in the 1989 mystery thriller comedy movie “The ‘Burbs”, which Joe Dante directed, and which starred Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern and Tom Hanks. It follows a group of people who all believe that their new neighbors are members of a satanic cult; the film was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture (Cory Danziger).
Franklyn’s still today active in the film industry, although he’s had only four roles since 2006.
Education and early life
Franklyn was raised in Los Angeles, California, by his father who was from Sierra Leone, and American mother Quetta; nothing else is known about Franklyn’s family, because he respects their privacy.
He fell in love with comedy while still attending a local elementary school, and enjoyed telling his peers jokes and pulling pranks. Franklyn started acting in plays only upon enrolling at high school in 1963, and it was during his four years there that he knew he wanted to pursue comedy and acting; he matriculated in 1967, and then enrolled at University of California, Los Angeles, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1971.
He then enrolled at Columbia Law School, but dropped out as he wanted to focus on acting and comedy.
Roles in movies
Franklyn’s debut film appearance was in the 1969 short comedy drama “Uncle Tom’s Fairy Tales”, and his following movie role came in 1976, when cast to play Edmund, one of the main characters in the crime comedy drama “Sweet Revenge”, directed by Jerry Schatzberg, and which also starred Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston. It follows a woman who earns a living by stealing cars; the film was nominated for a Palme d’Or award at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
A couple of Franklyn’s following roles were in the 1976 romantic comedy drama “Car Wash”, the 1978 action drama “Convoy”, and the comedy “The Cheap Detective”. In 1980, he portrayed Young Man in Hospital in the crime comedy “Stir Crazy”, which Sidney Poitier directed, and which starred Georg Stanford Brown, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder – it tells the story of two friends who are about to go to jail for a crime they didn’t commit, but the film was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress (Georg).
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Franklyn’s also known for his playing of Bubba in the evergreen 1980 romantic musical drama “The Jazz Singer”, directed by Richard Fleischer, and which starred Laurence Olivier, Neil Diamond and Lucie Arnaz. It follows a Jewish Cantor’s son who wants to become a jazz singer, and the film won three of its 13 award nominations. Franklyn could then have been seen appearing in the 1982 horror comedy “Hysterical”, the 1983 musical comedy “Get Crazy” and the 1985 comedy “Fraternity Vacation”.
The year 1987 saw him play Detective in the comedy “Hollywood Shuffle”, directed by Robert Townsend, who also starred in it alongside Craigus R. Johnson and Helen Martin. It follows the lives of African-American actors in the US; the movie won four of its seven award nominations.
Franklyn was then cast to appear in the 1993 action crime drama “American Yakuza”, the 2001 short comedy “Brown Shoe Polish”, and the 2002 fantasy horror drama “Queen of the Damned”.
He’s since appeared in only three movies: the 2011 romantic comedy “Bridesmaids”, the 2015 comedy drama “Too Hip for the Room”, and the 2019 western drama “Deadwood: The Movie”.
Roles in TV series
Franklyn’s debut TV series appearance was in the 1975 episode “You Dirty Rat” of the comedy drama “Barney Miller”, while he could then have been seen playing Benny in the 1978 episode “All for One” of the action adventure drama “The Bionic Woman”, and appearing in the 1978 episode “Della and Son” of the comedy “Chico and the Man”.
He played Henry in the 1983 episode “The Night Stalker” of the comedy “The New Odd Couple”, and then gained recognition in the following year, when cast to star as the highly respected Walter Conkrite in the comedy “Hot Flashes”; it also starred Mark King, Lois Robbins and Kevin Pollak, and follows a group of people employed at a broadcast TV station.
In 1989, Franklyn played Painter in the episode “Tenants, Anyone?” of the comedy “227”, and was then cast to play and voice characters in an episode of the comedy “The Sunday Comics”, another comedy “The New WKRP in Cincinnati”, and the animated adventure comedy “Goof Troop” (voice role).
With Richard Gant and Franklin Ajaye while shooting Deadwood . #FBF #Deadwood pic.twitter.com/kAmq7qsXvL
— Michael Harney (@MichaelHarney4) July 10, 2015
In 1997, he voiced Sporty the Cat in the episode “Pinocchio” of the animated adventure comedy “Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child”, and Franklyn was then cast to star as Five Spice in the 2003 adventure action drama “Pirate Islands”, which Jonathan M. Shiff directed, and which also starred Nicholas Donaldson and Brooke Harman. It follows three children who’ve somehow been teleported into a video game, and the series was nominated for a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children’s Program.
In 2005 and 2006, Franklyn played Samuel Fields in the hit historical crime drama “Deadwood”, which David Milch created, and which starred Molly Parker, Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant. It follows the people who are struggling to survive in their hometown of Deadwood, South Dakota and the series won 36 of its 121 award nominations.
Franklyn’s most recent TV series role has been his playing of Marvin Hudfield in the episode “Then We Can Build It” of the comedy “Utopia”.
Other credits
Franklyn’s released five comedy albums: his first “Franklyn Ajaye, Comedian” in 1973, and then “I’m a Comedian, Seriously” in the following year, “Don’t Smoke Dope, Fry Your Hair” in 1977, and “Plaid Pants and Psychopaths” in 1986; most recently, in 2004, he released “Vagabond Jazz & the Abstract Truth”.
He has two producing credits: the 1990 comedy movie “Franklyn Ajaye: Upside Downunder”, and 22 episodes of the comedy series “The Parent Hood” in 1995 and 1996.
Franklyn’s been featured in several documentaries, most recently in the 2010 movie “I Am Comic”, and the 2015 series “Total Agony” and “Unsung Hollywood”.
He’s made a guest appearance in talk-shows “Thank God You’re Here”, “The Wanda Sykes Show” and “The Green Room with Paul Provenza”, amongst others.
Awards and nominations
Franklyn was nominated for two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program: the first in 1990 for “In Living Color”, and the other in 1997 for “Politically Incorrect”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egxSHciZviM
Is he married?
Franklyn’s been secretive about his love life since the launch of his acting career, and hasn’t mentioned any women, or perhaps men whom he’s dated. This is one of the reasons why some of his fans believe that he’s gay, claiming that Franklyn wasn’t and still isn’t ready to come out of the closet.
There are also rumors on the internet today, claiming that Franklyn might be a married man, and that he hasn’t shared this with the public because he doesn’t want it to influence his marriage in any way; it’s also believed that he has children, but none of this has been confirmed, or addressed by Franklyn.
He thus seems to be unattached as of October 2022, doesn’t seem to have married, and has no children.
Interesting facts and hobbies
Franklyn is an avid clarinet player, and can also play other instruments, including the guitar, piano and drums.
He’s been nicknamed ‘The Jazz Comedian’.
Franklyn dislikes social media networks, and thus isn’t active on Instagram; he has a Twitter account which he launched back in June 2013, but has tweeted only three times.
He loves to listen to jazz and blues music, and some of his favorite jazz musicians are Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Franklyn’s donated money to several charities, while he mostly enjoys supporting underprivileged children.
His favorite actors are Morgan Freeman and Jim Carrey, while some of his favorite movies include “Driving Miss Daisy”, “Along Came a Spider” and “The Bucket List”.
Height, eyes and wealth
Franklyn’s age is 73. He has brown eyes and black and gray hair, his weight is about 150lbs (68kgs) and he’s 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall.
Franklyn’s net worth’s been estimated at over $3 million, as of October 2022.
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