Franklin, who had three brothers, was born in Yokohama, Japan, and grew up in the Far East, where her father was an importer/exporter. The family lived in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, andCeylon before returning to England. At the age of eight she was sent to the Elmhurst School of Ballet in England. She made her film debut at the age of 11 in The Innocents (1961), and her television debut in the Wonderful World of Disney's, The Horse Without a Head. In 1962 she played opposite William Holden, Trevor Howard and Capucine in the British film The Lion. She was only fourteen years old when she made The Third Secret in 1964, in which she played the doctor's daughter, Katherine.When she was interviewed about the film in 1979, she said that "she and Stephen Boyd had become friends and the warmth o