Franz was born in Maywood, Illinois, the son of German immigrants[1][2][3] Eleanor, a postal worker, and Franz Schlachta, who was a baker and postal worker.[4] Franz is a graduate of Proviso East High School (in Maywood), Wilbur Wright College and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.[5] After graduating from college, Franz was drafted into the United States Army. He served eleven months with the 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam.[6]
He starred as Earl, the abusive husband, in the Dixie Chicks' music video "Goodbye Earl", as airport police captain Carmine Lorenzo in the 1990 film Die Hard 2 and as Nathaniel Messinger in the 1998 film, City of Angels.
Franz has stayed out of the acting spotlight since 2005 to focus on his private life.
Poll Results
| Option | Votes |
| 2005-2015 ILX Whiney G. Weingarten | 7 |
| 1990 Die Hard 2 Captain Carmine Lorenzo | 1 |
| 1997 Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face-Off Captain Klegghorn | 1 |
| 1990 Nasty Boys, Part 2: Lone Justice Lt. Stan Krieger | 0 |
| 1987–1988 Beverly Hills Buntz Norman Buntz | 0 |
| 1993–2005 NYPD Blue Detective Andy Sipowicz | 0 |
― The term “hitler racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Sunday, 20 December 2015 21:35 (nine years ago)