- Joe Spano, American Graffiti, 1972. One Hill Street Blues TV cop star for another. After starring in all 261 episodes of NYPD Blue, TV, 1993-2005, Franz retired… at the top of his game.
- Michael Ensign, House, 1985. He was just starting Hill Street Blues, so Franz had to audition for this horror about a man and his zombies. Ensign, from Arizona, was UK trained at LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Franz had much better roles ahead, even if they were variations of the same cop in Hill Street Blues, Beverly Hills Buntz and the beloved Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue during 1983-2005.
- Elliott Gould, Ocean’s Eleven, 2001. Franz had to turn down the man bankrolling Danny Ocean’s “impossible” triple casino heist – due to the NYPD Blue schedule as Andy Sipowicz. (He played the role in each of the 261 hours during 1993-2005). As a replacement, he suggested Sydney Pollack.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 3