Stephanie Koenig plays Fran Frask inLessons in Chemistryand eagle-eyed viewers may recognize the actress from some of her other notable roles in movies and television. The Apple TV+ seriesLessons in Chemistryis based on the novelof the same name by Bonnie Garmus and follows a chemist, Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), who begins to host her own feminist cooking show in 1960s America. She’s joined inthe cast ofLessons in Chemistryby Stephanie Koenig, who plays Fran Frask, a talented secretary at Hastings lab who strikes up a friendship with Elizabeth.
Fran Frask appears in every episode of the show as part of the main cast and Stephanie Koenig’s role is arguably the most significant of her career up to this point. An actor, director, and producer,Stephanie Koenig, first started appearing in TV shows in the late 2000s in small rolesbefore earning notable parts in some acclaimed, but relatively unheralded, shows. In the mid-2010s, her star began rising even more, and it was clear she was destined for some bigger things. A TV actress over a movie star, Koenig has still done plenty of both.
Fran Frask inLessons in Chemistryis everything that Elizabeth Zott thinks she hates in other women. As the head secretary and chief organizer at Hastings lab, Fran occupies a space that Elizabeth looks down upon at the beginning of the show. She sees Fran as representative of the sexist and conformisttime period in whichLessons in Chemistryis set. Fran appears to care more about her looks and how people view her than her mind, but in reality,she and Elizabeth are much closer in temperament than they realize.
Where Was Lessons In Chemistry Filmed? Apple Show’s Filming Locations Explained
Based on Bonnie Garmus’ book, the Apple TV+ show Lessons in Chemistry is set in the 1950s, and its filming locations help capture the time period.
Fran is a character who forces Elizabeth to confront some of her own internalized misogyny, and Stephanie Koenig is perfect for the part. She’s quietly confident and smart, even if she keeps that part of herself hidden in the professional setting. Her slow-growing trust of Elizabeth is a wonderful arc, and Koenig makes the audience believe every second of it.
InEnglish Teacher, a high school teacher named Evan Marquez (Brian Jordan Alvarez) instructs English at Morrison-Hensley High School and has to deal with the political, personal, and professional frustrations that come with the territory. Though it sounds like a ripoff ofAbbott Elementary,English Teacherhas its own biting tone and sensibility that sets it apart from its ABC sibling. Stephanie Koenig plays Gwen Sanders, another teacher at the school and Evan’s best friend.
2023
2024
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo
2016
2022
2020
Eve
2017-2018
Gwen is a loyal, fun, and supportive teacher who always sees the best in everyone, even if their flaws are glaring. When her boyfriend loses his job and dedicates himself to hand-digging a pool in their yard, she is the only one who thinks it’s a good idea. It’s a funny and buoyant role from Koenig and the performance could have easily grown tiresome in someone else’s hands.
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallois a relativelyrecent sitcom that deserves much more love. The five-episode web series is an absurdist and surreal comedy that explores the complexities of LGBTQ+ relationships, both friendly ones and romantic ones. WhileThe Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallooperates like a sitcom on a basic level, the world the show imagines is fantastical in scope and style. Siblings are different races without acknowledgment, gender is undefined, and characters switch sexual preferences at the drop of a hat.
Stephanie Koenig plays Karen, one of the characters in the main cast and her whip-smart humor is perfect for the role. The characters in the show speak in rapid-fire dialogue, andKoenig is outstanding at making even the most over-the-top comments sound natural, helping ground the characters in the ridiculous world.
InSick Girl, Nina Dobrev plays Wren Pepper, a thirtysomething who has refused to settle down from her party life, living an unambitious life that’s built around her nights out. Wren’s friends are all at different stages, with Cece (Stephanie Koenig) focused on raising her young daughter. Hoping to reunite her increasingly distant group of friends, Wren tells them she has cancer. The lie spirals out of control when her friends and family break out all the stops to support Wren.
Sick Girlhas its heart in the right place, but the execution is a bit wanting, with the humor often falling flat.
Sick Girlhas its heart in the right place, but the execution is a bit wanting, with the humor often falling flat. The chemistry between the cast is great, however, and they all feel like they are truly friends. Koenig, in particular, is excellent as a woman who is young at heart but is committing herself to a more responsible era in her life.
The Offer (2022)
Andrea Eastman (4 Episodes, 2022)
The Offeris a biographical miniseries that follows the development of Francis Ford Coppola’sThe Godfather, a notoriously arduous production. There’s an incredible ensemble of actors, including Miles Teller, Matthew Goode, Dan Fogler, Colin Hanks, Juno Temple, Burn Gorman, and Giovanni Ribisi playing a who’s who of famous Hollywood icons, like Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, and Marlon Brando just to name a few. Stephanie Koenig has a recurring role as Andrea Eastman.
Andrea Eastman’s only other casting director job came on the 1970 movie,Love Story
Andrea Eastman was the casting director forThe Godfather, and while Koenig doesn’t have a major role in the show, she has just enough screen time to leave an impression on the viewer. Koenig has a real knack for these period stories and feels like she could step out of just about any time period, fitting in comfortably wherever and whenever the script requires.
The Kaley Cuoco dark comedyThe Flight Attendantwas supposed to be the next big thing for the actress onceThe Big Bang Theoryended. It didn’t work out that way, but the two seasons of the show still received very strong reviews. The series follows Cassie Bowden, a flight attendant and an alcoholic who drinks during her flights and sleeps with her passengers. On a layover in Bangkok, she wakes up in a drunk haze in a hotel with the murdered body of the passenger she spent the previous night with.
Intrigue, mystery, and danger follow Cassie as she tries to figure out what happened that night. Stephanie Koenig plays Sabrina Oznowich, a receptionist at Unisphere Asset Management, who Cassie befriends.Koenig plays Sabrina with a twitchy nervousness that makes it clear she knows more than she’s letting on, but the actress’s natural charm is just as important in making the character a sympathetic one.
Swedish Dicksis a comedy web series created by and starring Peter Stormare as a former stuntman named Ingmar Andersson, who is now a P.I. in Los Angeles. Ingmar teams up with a failed DJ, Axel Kruse (Johan Glans), and the pair solve crimes around Los Angeles, while Axel attempts to figure out the secrets of Ingmar’s past and why he quit being a stuntman. Stephanie Koenig plays Eve in season 2 of the show. She meets the private investigators and has a case for them involving her mother.
Axel is immediately taken by her, but he does his best to keep the relationship professional. It’s a relatively small role but one that works most because of just how much charisma and sweetness Koenig can inject into a character who only appears for a few episodes. A relatively unknown series,Swedish Dicks, is worth checking out for performances like the one by Koenig.
Stephanie Koenig’s Other Roles
Koenig Has Mostly Found Success On TV
Koenig has found the majority of her success on television, with main roles inDown with Davidas Liz andNecrolectricas Eve. She’s had smaller parts in shows likeModern Familyas Sheryl,NCISas Lauren Hudson, andMixologyas an unnamed character. In film, she’s only had small roles, like playing a teacher inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Brandy inAdma, and Jenn inDial a Prayer.
Stephanie Koenig also directed and starred in the 2023 action filmA Spy Movieas Bushilla Strasshola. Fran Frask inLessons in Chemistryis her biggest role so far, but she’s sure to be in something bigger soon considering her career trajectory.
