John Franklin (actor) - John Franklin Actor

John Franklin (born John Paul Salapatek; June 16, 1959) is an American actor best known for playing Isaac Chroner in Children of the Corn (1984), and Cousin Itt in The Addams Family (1991).

Early life

He was born John Paul Salapatek in Blue Island, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, on June 16, 1959. As a child, Franklin suffered from a growth hormone deficiency; as a result, his adult height is "barely 5 feet". Being that he is over 4'10" tall, there is some disagreement as to whether he'd be described as a person with Dwarfism.

In 1977, John graduated from Dwight D. Eisenhower High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1983 with a BFA in theater and teaching.

Career

In 1983, John Franklin moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in acting. He appeared in commercials before successfully auditioning for the role of Isaac in Stephen King's Children of the Corn.

After Children of the Corn, Franklin went on to appear in the kids' variety show Kids Incorporated, guest starring in two episodes, "The Leprechaun" and "Space Case." He appeared in many commercials again before guest starring as Arnie in Highway to Heaven, playing a mentally handicapped teenage runaway.

In 1991, Franklin landed the role of Cousin Itt in The Addams Family and reprised the role in 1993's Addams Family Values. Throughout the 1990s, Franklin appeared as a guest on several TV shows, including Chicago Hope and Star Trek Voyager, then guest starred with David Morse in George B. and with Steve Guttenberg in Tower of Terror.

In 1999, Franklin reprised his debut role, Isaac, in Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return, co-writing the script with his cousin Tim Sulka. In 2000, he landed a small role in Python and co starred as Morluv in The Christmas Secret.

Franklin formerly worked as an English teacher at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, California. He explained,

"After the events of 9/11, I saw the shallowness of showbiz and felt a great desire to leave a greater legacy than just being Cousin Itt. Teaching seemed to be a perfect fit for my theatrical talents and to touch many lives."

At the end of the 2015-2016 school year, Franklin announced to the students and staff of Golden Valley High School that he would be retiring from teaching to reprise his career as a writer and actor. He is currently working on several projects, including a young adult novel.