Frankie Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children.
Portrayed by Elizabeth Hendrickson from September 27 to November 28, 2001, the character was one of the more popular additions to the series, having gained a significant following after only three months.
[2] The writers scripted Frankie's birth date to be on April 26, 1982, two years older than Bianca.
[1] The producers, however, felt that she was better suited for the part of Frankie Stone, a new character head writer Richard Culliton was scripting for an upcoming murder mystery storyline.
Hendrickson further relayed, "About two weeks later, my agent told me that it was between me and another girl and my tape was going to be tested.
"[1] The writers detailed Frankie to be a wisecracking tomboy with feminine sex appeal.
So when a scene finally called for the character to, in fact, wear a dress, Hendrickson stated that it did not feel right.
"[1] Other aspects adding depth to Frankie were her "rough around the edges" personality and vulnerability, the character being a complex blend of both, something Hendrickson found challenging but admired: "I really wanted to get that across.
Frankie's debut on the series is what Hendrickson describes as her most memorable day as part of the All My Children cast.
'"[5] Hendrickson theorized that when the writers saw the chemistry between Bianca and Frankie, "that's when they started pushing the fact that she was a lesbian.
"[5] When it came down to Frankie's true purpose on the show, however, she was merely a plot device, a soon-to-be victim in order to initiate a murder mystery storyline.
"[5] When asked in an interview if she had any reservations about taking the part of Frankie due to the character's potential romance with Bianca, Hendrickson stated that she did not, and that she loves roles that are challenging.
[1]Frankie's death also had an impact; fans believed she was killed off due to the show's fear of portraying a homosexual romance, since the character was already being developed as a romantic interest for Bianca.
[6] Head writer at the time, Richard Culliton, however, stated that he had already planned for Frankie to die in his murder mystery storyline.
The character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone, was brought on instead, as a result of fans campaigning for Hendrickson's return.