Famous People Named Fran
Who knew there were so many famous people named Fran in the world? Our list of celebrities named Fran includes pictures and information about each person when available, so you can get to know them a little better if you don't know them. The famous Frans below come from all walks of life, but all ended up achieving fame or notoriety in one way or another. This list includes singers named Fran, actors named Fran, and much more. Fran Tarkenton, Fran Drescher, and Fran Kranz are only a few of the well-known people named Fran on this list.
- American football playerFrancis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. After retiring from football, he became a television personality and computer software executive. Tarkenton's tenure with the Vikings spanned thirteen non-consecutive seasons, playing with the team for six seasons from 1961 to 1966, then for seven seasons from 1972 to 1978. In between his years in Minnesota, Tarkenton was a member of the New York Giants for five seasons. At the time of his retirement, Tarkenton owned every major quarterback record. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. In addition to his football career, Tarkenton served as a commentator on Monday Night Football and a co-host of That's Incredible!. He also founded Tarkenton Software, a computer-program generator company, and he toured the U.S. promoting CASE (computer-aided software engineering) with Albert F. Case Jr. of Nastec Corporation. Tarkenton Software later merged with KnowledgeWare (with Tarkenton as president), until selling the company to Sterling Software in 1994.More Fran Tarkenton
- #2 of 69 onThe Best NFL Quarterbacks of the 1970s
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- Television director, Comedian, Television producerFran Drescher, an acclaimed American actress, comedian, writer, and activist, has left a distinctive imprint in the entertainment industry with her comedic flair and distinctive voice. Born on September 30th, 1957, in Flushing, Queens, New York, Drescher's first steps into the world of entertainment were in the realm of theater. Her transition from stage to screen began with small roles in films such as Saturday Night Fever and American Hot Wax, but it wasn't until the 1990s that she found her breakout role. Drescher's portrayal of Fran Fine in the hit CBS sitcom The Nanny catapulted her into stardom. Her performance of the flashy girl from Flushing, who ended up working for a Broadway producer as his children's nanny, was both critically acclaimed and adored by audiences. Drescher's character was beloved not only for her humorous antics but also for her distinctive nasal voice. Her work on The Nanny, which she also co-created and executive produced, earned her two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations. Beyond her successful acting career, Drescher is known for her advocacy work. After surviving a battle with uterine cancer, she turned her experience into a force for good by establishing the Cancer Schmancer Movement. From her early days in theater to her influential roles in television and her tireless activism, Fran Drescher has proved herself to be a versatile and dedicated figure in entertainment and beyond.More Fran Drescher
- Dig Deeper...21 Hilarious Moments From 'The Nanny' That Prove It's Criminally Underrated
- #64 of 140 onThe Funniest Jewish Comedians Of All Time
- #517 of 1,285 onThe Most Beautiful Women Of All Time
- ActorFrancis Elliott "Fran" Kranz (born July 13, 1981) is an American film, television and Broadway actor. He is known for his portrayal of Topher Brink in the science fiction drama series Dollhouse. He had prominent roles in the films The Cabin in the Woods and Much Ado About Nothing. In 2012, he played Bernard in Death of a Salesman beginning a career on Broadway that continued with 2014's You Can't Take It with You.
Fran Gerard
Pornographic actor, Nude Glamour Model- Film Producer, Screenwriter, LyricistDame Frances Rosemary Walsh (born 10 January 1959) is a New Zealand screenwriter, film producer and lyricist. She has won BAFTA and Oscars for her music, film producing, and script writing. The partner of filmmaker Peter Jackson, Walsh has contributed to all of his films since 1989: as co-writer since Meet the Feebles, and as producer since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
- Character actor, Actor, Voice actingFran Mary Ryan (November 29, 1916 – January 15, 2000) was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California.
- Basketball Coach, CoachFrancis John McCaffery (born May 23, 1959) is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach at the University of Iowa. He has taken four Division I programs to postseason tournaments, including the Iowa Hawkeyes, who reached the finals of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament. He previously served as head coach of Lehigh University, UNC Greensboro, and Siena. McCaffery played college basketball for one season at Wake Forest before transferring to Penn. In his playing days, he acquired the nickname of "White Magic".He began his college coaching career with a stint at Penn as an assistant coach. McCaffery became an assistant coach at Lehigh in 1983. He was the youngest head coach in Division I when he was promoted to head coach in 1985. Following his career at Lehigh, McCaffery spent 11 years as an assistant at Notre Dame. In 1999, he became the head coach of the UNC Greensboro Spartans. McCaffery had a 90–87 record through six seasons. He led the Spartans to the Southern Conference Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2001. In his five seasons at Siena, McCaffery guided the Saints to four 20-win seasons, including three consecutive MAAC Regular-Season and Conference Tournament Championships. These resulted in three consecutive berths to the NCAA Tournament, in which they defeated both Vanderbilt and Ohio State in the first rounds. McCaffery's tenure at Siena is considered the greatest in program history as he revived a program that had a record of 6–24 prior to his arrival. He also maintained a 100% graduation rate for players completing their NCAA eligibility. McCaffery was introduced as the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 29, 2010.
- Author, Actor, WriterFrances Ann Lebowitz (born October 27, 1950) is an American author, public speaker, and occasional actor. Lebowitz is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York City sensibilities. Some reviewers have called her a modern-day Dorothy Parker.
- ActorFrances Helen Allison (November 20, 1907 – June 13, 1989) was an American television and radio comedian, personality and singer. She is best known for her starring role on the weekday NBC-TV puppet show Kukla, Fran and Ollie, which ran from 1947–57, occasionally returning to the air until the mid-1980s. The trio also hosted The CBS Children's Film Festival, introducing international children's films, from 1967-77.
- Baseball playerFrancis Xavier Healy (born September 6, 1946), is a former Major League Baseball catcher best known for his long tenure calling television broadcasts for the New York Mets on the MSG Network and Fox Sports Net New York.
- Model, Actor, SingerFran Jeffries (born Frances Ann Makris; May 18, 1937 – December 15, 2016) was an American singer, dancer, actress, and model.
- Actor, SingerFrancisco Manuel Perea Bilbao (born 20 November 1978 in Málaga, Andalucía, Spain), professionally known as Fran Perea, is a Spanish actor and singer.
- Actor, Voice acting, PuppeteerFrances Joan Brill (born September 30, 1946) is an American actress and puppeteer, best known for her roles on Sesame Street, as well as playing Sally Hayes in the Hal Ashby film Being There (1979), Dana Markudas in the Martin Brest film Midnight Run (1988) and Lily Marvin in the Frank Oz film What About Bob? (1991).
- SingerFrances Wolfe (March 4, 1926 – March 4, 2013), known by her stage name, Fran Warren, was an American popular singer.
- ActorFran Bennett (born August 14, 1937) is an American actress, known for her works in theater and on television. She is not to be confused with the 1950s actress of the same name (born Frances Eugenia Leonard, November 25, 1934, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.), who appeared as the daughter of Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson in the 1956 film Giant.
- Screenwriter, ActorFrances Myers (credited as Fran Myers) is an American television soap opera writer and actress. She has written for soaps for nearly 25 years. She also had a contract role on CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Peggy Scott Fletcher from 1965-1980. She is the widow of actor and writer Roger Newman. She also had a recurring role on The White Shadow in the latter half of Season 2 as Kathy Plunkett, a dating interest of Coach Ken Reeves (Ken Howard).
Theatrical producerFran Weissler is a theater producer.- Talent managerFran de Takats (born 6 February 1970) is an A&R executive, music manager, and talent scout for several major and independent record labels and is responsible for many hit records and notably two Brit Awards.
- Fran McKee (September 13, 1926 – March 3, 2002) was the first female line officer to hold the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. She was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral (Lower Half) on June 1, 1976 and earned her second star in November 1978. Rear Admiral McKee was one of the first two women selected to attend the Naval War College, and was the first woman to command an activity of the Naval Security Group Command. Rear Admiral McKee retired from the Navy in 1981, and died on March 3, 2002, aged 75, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage; she was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on April 8, 2002. A reception was held in the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington, Virginia. She was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Politician, TeacherFrances J. "Fran" Pavley (born November 11, 1948) is an American politician who served two terms in the California State Senate and three terms in the California State Assembly. A Democrat, she last represented the 27th Senate District, which encompasses the Conejo Valley, and portions of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. Before the 2010 redistricting, she represented the 23rd Senate District. Before being elected to the State Senate in 2008, Pavley served in the California State Assembly, representing the 41st Assembly District. She was also the first Mayor of Agoura Hills. She was a middle school teacher for 29 years before serving in elected office. Pavley is known for her pioneering work on environmental and climate change legislation. She was the author of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which created a cap-and-trade system to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions. In 2016, she cemented her legacy by authoring and passing SB 32, which extended California's emissions reduction goals to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
- PoliticianFrances Esther Bailey (born 21 May 1946) is a former Australian politician. She is a member of the Liberal Party and served in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993 and 1996 to 2010, representing the Division of McEwen in Victoria. She held ministerial office in the Howard Government as Minister for Employment Services (2004) and Small Business and Tourism (2004–2007).
- Historian, Radio personality, ActorFrancesca Beauman (born 12 April 1977) is a writer, historian and television presenter, living in both London, United Kingdom and Los Angeles, California, United States.
- Political Activist, Writer, CriticFran Levstik (28 September 1831 – 16 November 1887) was a Slovene writer, political activist, playwright and critic. He was one of the most prominent exponents of the Young Slovene political movement.
- WriterFrancis Hamilton "Fran" Striker (August 19, 1903 – September 4, 1962) was an American writer for radio and comics, best known for creating the Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon characters.
- American football playerFrancis Stephen Rogel (December 12, 1927 in North Braddock, Pennsylvania – June 3, 2002 in Richland, Pennsylvania) was an American football fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
- Basketball playerFrancisco Vázquez González (born 1 May 1983), more commonly known as Fran Vázquez, is a retired Spanish professional basketball player. Originally drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2005, Vázquez decided to remain in the Spanish ACB League rather than enter the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the Spanish League's all-time leader in blocked shots.
- American football playerFrancis Charles Polsfoot (April 19, 1927 – April 5, 1985) was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as an end in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Cardinals from 1950 to 1952 and the Washington Redskins in 1953. Polsfoot played college football at Washington State University and was drafted in the third round of the 1950 NFL Draft. He caught 57 passes in the 1951 season for the Chicago Cardinals and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Polsfoot started his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. In 1962, he returned to the NFL as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Cardinals. Polsfoot later coached with the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos. His NFL coaching career lasted over 20 years and he was an assistant coach for the Broncos in Super Bowl XII. Polsfoot was also a high hurdle champion for Washington State. Polsfoot was married to Mary Hesterman and had two children, Sally Baldwin and Thomas Polsfoot. He had a brother, Curtis Frederic Polsfoot, and a sister, Bea Polsfoot. Both Francis and Curt served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. Polsfoot died on April 5, 1985 after suffering from brain cancer.
- SwimmerFrancis Crippen (April 17, 1984 – October 23, 2010) was an American long-distance swimmer. After being a pool swimmer for most of his career, Crippen made the transition to open water swimming in 2006. In international competitions, Crippen won seven medals, five of which were in the open water and two in the pool. Crippen died during an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates in 2010 at the age of 26.
- Rugby PlayerFrancis Edward Cotton (born 3 January 1947) is a former rugby union prop forward who played for England and the British Lions. His clubs included Coventry R.F.C. and Sale. After retiring, he remained in rugby administration and founded a clothing company. In July 2007, Cotton returned to his former club Sale as a member of the club's board.Cotton was born in Wigan, Lancashire and went to Loughborough University to study physical education. Cotton was ahead of his time in terms of physical preparation. It was during these years that Cotton would win the Glengarth Sevens at Davenport Rugby Club (Stockport Rugby Club) along with Steve Smith and Clive Rees. Cotton made his England debut against Scotland in 1971, and played for them 31 times. He also captained the English team three times. He represented the Lions on their tours to South Africa in 1974, New Zealand in 1977 and South Africa in 1980. It was during the game against the Junior All Blacks on the 1977 tour that the famous 'Mudman' image of Cotton, waiting for the ball at a lineout while caked head-to-toe in mud, was taken. Captured by Colorsport's Colin Elsey, it became one of the most iconic images of rugby union, and in 2009 was named the 5th best sporting photo by the Daily Mail's sports writers. He returned home early from the 1980 tour after leaving the field with chest pains in a tour match. Cotton was the Tour Manager for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa.With Steve Smith he founded the clothing company Cotton Traders in 1987. In 2008 Cotton Traders was forced to pull out of Burma after an investigation by the Burma Campaign UK uncovered the company was sourcing clothing from Burma. Clothing exports generate significant income for the Burmese dictatorship [1].
- ActorFran Fullenwider was an actress.
