A British actress, born in Yokohama, Japan. Franklin's father was an importer and exporter, which led to the family moving to several countries during her childhood, including Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Sri Lanka. She received dance training at the Elmhurst Ballet School in the United Kingdom at the age of eight. However, her acting talent soon overshadowed her dancing ambitions. She made her motion picture debut at just 11 years old in The Innocents (1961). Her most notable achievement came with her portrayal of Sandy, the rebellious student, in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), and her performance earned her a National Board of Review Award and a BAFTA Award nomination.