Steve Franken's first screen role was in 1958 as "Willie" in CBS' Playhouse 90 dramatic series. He was then cast as playboy dilettante Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., on the CBS series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Franken also appeared in The Lieutenant, The Rat Patrol, Bewitched, Love American Style, and Adam 12.
He also appeared in the films Follow Me Boys! , The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, The Party, and The North Avenue Irregulars.