Frances Lee McCain
Frances Lee McCain | |
|---|---|
 McCain in 1977 | |
| Other name | Lee McCain |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1969–present |
Frances Lee McCain is an American actress.
Early life and education
McCain graduated from Ripon College with a BA in Philosophy and then studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.[1]
Career
She returned to New York City where she appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen's Play it Again Sam, and off-Broadway in Lanford Wilson's Lemon Sky, creating the role of Carol.[2] She joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco under William Ball and played a variety of roles in repertory.
Apple's Way TV series (1974–1975) and other 1970s work
She began her career in film and television after appearing opposite Jon Voight and Faye Dunaway in A Streetcar Named Desire, eventually co-starring with Ronny Cox as the female lead in the television series, CBS-TV's Apple's Way in 1974. She appeared in a variety of television series and miniseries through the 1970s, including Washington: Behind Closed Doors and the Quincy, M.E. episode Eye of the Needle playing a Holistic practitioner, and in "The Rockford Files" 1978 episode "The Prisoner of Rosemont Hall." In 1979, she appeared in Real Life. In 1979, she appeared on ABC in the television series 13 Queens Boulevard.
1980s acting work
In the 1980s, she was cast in several major films, usually playing the mother of a main character. In 1984, she co-starred in the film Gremlins as Lynn Peltzer, the mother of main character Billy Peltzer. Also that year, she played Ethel McCormack, the mother of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), in the musical film Footloose. In 1985, she appeared in the film Back to the Future as Stella Baines, the mother of Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson). In 1986, she played Mrs. Lachance, the mother of Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), in the drama film Stand by Me.
Later work
McCain continued to work in television after relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1980s and also appeared in Scream (1996), as the mother of Rose McGowan and David Arquette's characters, and Patch Adams (1998).
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Laughing Policeman | Prostitute | |
| 1979 | Real Life | Jeanette Yeager | |
| 1981 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Claire Calo | |
| 1982 | Tex | Mrs. Johnson | |
| 1984 | Footloose | Ethel McCormack | |
| 1984 | Gremlins | Lynn Peltzer | [3] |
| 1985 | Back to the Future | Stella Baines | |
| 1986 | Murder in Three Acts | Miss Milray | |
| 1986 | Stand by Me | Mrs. Lachance | |
| 1988 | It Takes Two | Joyce Rogers | |
| 1996 | Scream | Mrs. Riley | [3] |
| 1998 | Patch Adams | Judy | |
| 1999 | True Crime | Mrs. Lowenstein | |
| 2018 | Ideal Home | Doris | |
| 2019 | Dreamland | Teller | |
| 2020 | The Comeback Trail | Marge (Old Actress) | |
| 2022 | End of the Road | Val |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Mod Squad | Alice | Episode: "And Once for My Baby" |
| Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Gina | Episode: "The Second Victim" | |
| 1974 | The New Perry Mason | Laurie Haden | Episode: "The Case of the Violent Valley" |
| 1974–1975 | Apple's Way | Barbara Apple | Series regular; 28 episodes |
| 1975 | Doctors' Hospital | Annie Robaire | Episode: "But Who Will Bless Thy Daughter Norah?" |
| The Bob Newhart Show | Janet | Episode: "A Matter of Vice-Principal" | |
| 1976 | Visions | Jenny | Episode: "The War Widow" |
| 1977 | The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald[4] | Jan Holder | TV Movie |
| 1978 | The Rockford Files | Leslie Callahan | Episode: "The Prisoner of Rosemont Hall" |
| 1978 | Lou Grant | Susan Sherman | Episodes: "Romance", "Singles" |
| 1981 | Three's Company | Kelly | Episode: "And Baby Makes Four" |
| 1985 | The Rape of Richard Beck | Caroline Beck | TV Movie |
| 1986 | A Fighting Choice | Virginia Hagan | |
| Can You Feel Me Dancing? | Joan Nichols | TV Movie | |
| 1987 | At Mother's Request | Louise | 2 episodes |
| Police Story | Claire Wright | Episode: The Freeway Killings | |
| 1988 | Hunter | Sara Devane | Episode: "Girl on the Beach" |
| Scandal in a Small Town | Gwendolyn | TV Movie | |
| Leap of Faith | Susan | ||
| 1989 | HeartBeat | Samantha Flemming | Episode: "Baby, Maybe" |
| 1990 | The Lookalike | Dr. Stamos | TV Movie |
| 1991 | Father Dowling Investigates | Helen Austin | Episode: The Mummy's Curse Mystery |
| 1993 | Poisoned by Love: The Kern County Murders | Bea Emory | TV Movie |
| Firestorm: 72 Hours In Oakland [5] | Flo | ||
| Dying to Love You [6] | Sue Graham | ||
| Diagnosis Murder | Monica Walters | Episode: "The 13 Million Dollar Man" | |
| 1993–1994 | Second Chances | Felicity Cook | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Preacher | Mosie | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Midnight, Texas | Janice | Episode: "Last Temptation of Midnight" |
| The Girlfriend Experience | Sandra | 7 episodes | |
| 2020 | Messiah | Patty | Episode: "So That Seeing They May Not See" |
| Better Call Saul | Judge Chapek | Episode: "Namaste" |
References
- ↑ "Frances Lee McCain '66 dishes about theatrical success". Ripon College. January 1, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ↑ Berson, Misha (September 16, 1990). "LMTC Brings Back '70s Flop Play No "Lemon' After All: Frances Lee McCain returns to lead revived Wilson work". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 22.
- 1 2 Young, R. G. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film: Ali Baba to Zombies. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1-55783-269-6.
- ↑ Frewin, Anthony (1993). The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: An Annotated Film, TV, and Videography, 1963-1992. Greenwood Press. p. 40.
- ↑ Marin, Rick. "Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland". Variety. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ↑ Scott, Tony. "Cbs Tuesday Movie Dying to Love You". Variety. Retrieved May 2, 2025.