Sandra Mae Frank Biography

Sandra Mae Frank was born in Louisville, Kentucky. By the age of the three she was deaf but has found great success in the entertainment industry both on screen and on the stage.

Growing up, Sandra attended the Louisville Deaf Oral School, now known as Heuser Hearing Institute and Learning Academy, as well as duPont Manual High School. While attending duPont, Sandra performed in the Youth Performing Arts School production of Crimes of the Heart.

Sandra would continue her pursuit of acting into her post-secondary education as she graduated from Gallaudet University with a degree in Theatre Arts in 2013.

In 2015, Sandra began her professional career on the stage in the role of Wendla in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. Sandra is the first deaf actor to lead a Broadway musical. The cast was comprised of both deaf and hearing actors including Academy Award-winner Marlee Matlin. Sandra had looked up to Marlee prior to working with her and had been to several presentations held by her.

In addition to the stage, Sandra has established a career on screen. She has made guest appearances on shows such as Switched at Birth and Daybreak. Her most notable role is Dr. Elizabeth Wilder in New Amsterdam. Sandra began as a recurring character in the show’s fourth season in 2021, before joining the main cast for the fifth and final season in 2022. Sandra received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama at the Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards.

During season five, Sandra reunited with Marlee, as she guest-starred as Dr. Wilder's mentor. Sandra described the relationship between the two characters as similar to the one between Marlee and herself.

On the big screen, Sandra has starred in a couple of short and feature length films. She starred in the short film The Sound of Fear in 2017, which earned her a nomination for Best Actress, Short, at the Nightmares Film Festival.

On the feature side, Sandra stepped into the world of action in The Silent Hour (2024) alongside Joel Kinnaman and Mark Strong. Sandra said she really embraced doing her own stunts during filming, and was thrilled to have moments that deaf actors may not usually get.

Over her career, Sandra has become an advocate for deaf actors being cast on the same level as hearing actors. She also still keeps one foot on the stage as she works as a production manager at the Deaf Austin Theatre in Austin, Texas.

Filmography:

The Silent Hour (2024)
Season of Love (2019)
Multiverse (2019)
Soul to Keep (2018)
Beautiful Sounds of Love (2013)