Frankie Stone
Encyclopedia
Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone is a fictional character
from the American
daytime drama All My Children
. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson
.
Appearing from September 27, 2001 to November 28, 2001, the character was noted as popular, having gained "a huge following" after only three months on the series. When she was killed off, the popularity and loyal following the character had obtained resulted in her equally popular portrayer, Elizabeth Hendrickson, being brought back as the character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone
.
Actress Elizabeth Hendrickson
had been auditioning for All My Children
for over a year before acquiring the role of Frankie, and had originally auditioned for the role of Bianca Montgomery
. The producers, however, felt that she was better suited for the part of Frankie Stone, a new character head writer Richard Culliton
was scripting for an upcoming murder mystery storyline. Hendrickson approached the audition in a calm demeanor. "Going into this audition," she stated, "I was very relaxed, not only because I've been there like a dozen times, but I thought I had no shot at all. Frankie's character is nothing like me!! I was told she was tomboy
ish yet sexy. I thought to myself, how can I pull that off? So I threw on a tight little baseball shirt and just went in and did it." Hendrickson further relayed, "About two weeks later, my agent told me that it was between me and another girl and my tape was going to be tested. I for sure thought I didn't get the part. I always make my best impression in person. I feel that audition tapes are so impersonal. About a week later, I found out the news and believe me I was ecstatic."
Other aspects adding depth to Frankie were her "rough around the edges" personality and vulnerability, the character being a complex blend of both, something Hendrickson found challenging but admired: "I really wanted to get that across. Even though her intentions were not always good, she always yearned for love from unexpected places."
Frankie's debut on the series is what Hendrickson describes as her most memorable day as part of the All My Children cast. She was nervous about playing opposite legend
ary soap opera diva Susan Lucci
, and did not know how to introduce herself:
. She was not sure herself of her character's sexual orientation or true motives when interacting with most characters. "At first," she cited, "in the description of the character, they alluded to the fact that she was a lesbian
. Then when I started working, I went to Jean (Dadario Burke
), the executive producer, and I asked 'Is she?' She said, 'Well, she's a con artist. You read your script and make the decision yourself.'"
Hendrickson theorized that when the writers saw the chemistry between Bianca and Frankie, "that's when they started pushing the fact that she was a lesbian". When it came down to Frankie's true purpose on the show, however, she was merely a plot device, a soon-to-be victim in order to initiate a murder mystery storyline. At the time, Hendrickson found humor in her character's demise, citing that a character can always come back. Though the obstacle to resurrecting Frankie was the fact that Frankie's dead body was seen onscreen and on the floor for hours, this did not stop Hendrickson and her co-stars from speculating: "Frankie's body was found. We have this running joke that it wasn't Frankie, it was Maggie this whole time, posing as Frankie. Maggie knew that she was in trouble, so she called Frankie to come, and in reality Maggie was the one who was killed and Frankie is still alive."
When asked in an interview if she had any reservations about taking the part of Frankie due to the character's potential romance with Bianca, Hendrickson stated that she did not, and that she loves roles that are challenging. This one happened to be a type of role she had never portrayed before.
Frankie's death also had an impact; fans believed she was killed off due to the show's fear of portraying a homosexual
romance, since the character was already being developed as a romantic interest for Bianca. Head writer at the time, Richard Culliton
, however, stated that he had already planned for Frankie to die in his murder mystery storyline. Despite Culliton's explanation, viewers largely mourned the death of Frankie. Eventually, viewers got "the next best thing" with the character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone
. Brought back by popular demand, Hendrickson was excited about her return. Though Maggie was different from Frankie, viewers were elated to have Hendrickson back on the series.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
daytime drama All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson
Elizabeth Hendrickson
Elizabeth Hendrickson is an American actress. Her big break came when she was cast as character Frankie Stone on the daytime drama All My Children...
.
Appearing from September 27, 2001 to November 28, 2001, the character was noted as popular, having gained "a huge following" after only three months on the series. When she was killed off, the popularity and loyal following the character had obtained resulted in her equally popular portrayer, Elizabeth Hendrickson, being brought back as the character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone
Maggie Stone
Mary Margaret "Maggie" Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson, who also portrayed Maggie's identical twin sister, Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone. The character comes to Pine Valley in early 2002 after the...
.
Audition and character concept
The writers scripted Frankie's birth date to be on April 26, 1982, two years older than Bianca.Actress Elizabeth Hendrickson
Elizabeth Hendrickson
Elizabeth Hendrickson is an American actress. Her big break came when she was cast as character Frankie Stone on the daytime drama All My Children...
had been auditioning for All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
for over a year before acquiring the role of Frankie, and had originally auditioned for the role of Bianca Montgomery
Bianca Montgomery
Bianca Christine Montgomery is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. In June 2010, Christina Bennett Lind replaced Eden Riegel, who portrayed the role from July 2000 to January 2010. Until Riegel assumed the role, the character was portrayed solely by child...
. The producers, however, felt that she was better suited for the part of Frankie Stone, a new character head writer Richard Culliton
Richard Culliton
Richard Culliton is an American television writer known for his work on soap operas. He has won four Writers Guild of America Awards, including one as a Head Writer, and two Daytime Emmy Awards. He is an alumnus of Northwestern University...
was scripting for an upcoming murder mystery storyline. Hendrickson approached the audition in a calm demeanor. "Going into this audition," she stated, "I was very relaxed, not only because I've been there like a dozen times, but I thought I had no shot at all. Frankie's character is nothing like me!! I was told she was tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish yet sexy. I thought to myself, how can I pull that off? So I threw on a tight little baseball shirt and just went in and did it." Hendrickson further relayed, "About two weeks later, my agent told me that it was between me and another girl and my tape was going to be tested. I for sure thought I didn't get the part. I always make my best impression in person. I feel that audition tapes are so impersonal. About a week later, I found out the news and believe me I was ecstatic."
Characterization and introduction
The writers detailed Frankie to be a wisecracking tomboy with feminine sex appeal. Hendrickson described the character as someone who "would never in her right mind get all dolled up". So when a scene finally called for the character to, in fact, wear a dress, Hendrickson stated that it did not feel right. "I've really become that character when I'm on set," she revealed. "So I played that uncomfortable feeling throughout the scene, I think it worked."Other aspects adding depth to Frankie were her "rough around the edges" personality and vulnerability, the character being a complex blend of both, something Hendrickson found challenging but admired: "I really wanted to get that across. Even though her intentions were not always good, she always yearned for love from unexpected places."
Frankie's debut on the series is what Hendrickson describes as her most memorable day as part of the All My Children cast. She was nervous about playing opposite legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
ary soap opera diva Susan Lucci
Susan Lucci
Susan Victoria Lucci is an American actress and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the daytime drama All My Children. The character is considered an icon, and Lucci has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the...
, and did not know how to introduce herself:
Portrayal
Portraying Frankie called for Hendrickson to be somewhat androgynousAndrogyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
. She was not sure herself of her character's sexual orientation or true motives when interacting with most characters. "At first," she cited, "in the description of the character, they alluded to the fact that she was a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. Then when I started working, I went to Jean (Dadario Burke
Jean Dadario Burke
Jean Dadario Burke is an American television New York City-based soap opera producer and director.-Positions held:All My Children*Executive Producer *Senior Producer *Director...
), the executive producer, and I asked 'Is she?' She said, 'Well, she's a con artist. You read your script and make the decision yourself.'"
Hendrickson theorized that when the writers saw the chemistry between Bianca and Frankie, "that's when they started pushing the fact that she was a lesbian". When it came down to Frankie's true purpose on the show, however, she was merely a plot device, a soon-to-be victim in order to initiate a murder mystery storyline. At the time, Hendrickson found humor in her character's demise, citing that a character can always come back. Though the obstacle to resurrecting Frankie was the fact that Frankie's dead body was seen onscreen and on the floor for hours, this did not stop Hendrickson and her co-stars from speculating: "Frankie's body was found. We have this running joke that it wasn't Frankie, it was Maggie this whole time, posing as Frankie. Maggie knew that she was in trouble, so she called Frankie to come, and in reality Maggie was the one who was killed and Frankie is still alive."
When asked in an interview if she had any reservations about taking the part of Frankie due to the character's potential romance with Bianca, Hendrickson stated that she did not, and that she loves roles that are challenging. This one happened to be a type of role she had never portrayed before.
Reception
Frankie had an immediate impact on viewers. Within a week, fans were fond of the character.Frankie's death also had an impact; fans believed she was killed off due to the show's fear of portraying a homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
romance, since the character was already being developed as a romantic interest for Bianca. Head writer at the time, Richard Culliton
Richard Culliton
Richard Culliton is an American television writer known for his work on soap operas. He has won four Writers Guild of America Awards, including one as a Head Writer, and two Daytime Emmy Awards. He is an alumnus of Northwestern University...
, however, stated that he had already planned for Frankie to die in his murder mystery storyline. Despite Culliton's explanation, viewers largely mourned the death of Frankie. Eventually, viewers got "the next best thing" with the character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone
Maggie Stone
Mary Margaret "Maggie" Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. She was portrayed by actress Elizabeth Hendrickson, who also portrayed Maggie's identical twin sister, Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone. The character comes to Pine Valley in early 2002 after the...
. Brought back by popular demand, Hendrickson was excited about her return. Though Maggie was different from Frankie, viewers were elated to have Hendrickson back on the series.