DC’s Legends of Tomorrow featured a constantly changing lineup of actors throughout its seven-season run. While some of the main cast members left the show of their own accord, Franz Drameh was one of the original series regulars whose exit seemed to stem from a creative decision.
Franz Drameh’s stint on Legends of Tomorrow
Drameh made his debut appearance as Jefferson “Jax” Jackson in season 2 of The Flash back in October 2015. Introduced as a former high school athlete who became an auto-mechanic following an injury that ruined his professional career prospects, Jax agreed to replace the late Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell) as one-half of Firestorm to save the life of Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber) ― the other half of the pyrokinetic superhero.
Three months later, in January 2016, Drameh and Stein moved to Legends of Tomorrow as two of the show’s original main cast members. Fast forward to December 2017, Drameh departed the time-travel series after season 3, episode 9, in which his character decided to leave his fellow Legends and return to 2017 Central City so he could finally move on from the death of Stein, who was killed by Earth-X Nazis in the previous episode.
Why did Franz Drameh leave Legends?
Though Jax had served as the Waverider’s primary mechanic since the start of the series, the fact that he could no longer transform into Firestorm following Stein’s passing made him a less interesting character. So instead of keeping Jax aboard the Waverider, the producers of the show ultimately came to a decision to wrap up his character’s storyline along with that of Stein’s.
While it’s pretty apparent that it’s not Drameh’s personal choice to leave the series, the actor seemed fine with the creative decision to end his character’s journey on the show.
In a since-deleted tweet following the airing of Legends of Tomorrow season 3, episode 9, the then 24-year-old actor wrote: “I’m ready to switch it up on em. It’s almost chapter 25. The best is yet to come.”
The actor added in a follow-up post: “It’s been soo much fun portraying jax and firestorm!! Hope you’ve enjoyed watching as much as I’ve enjoyed playing.”
After exiting as a series regular, Drameh reappeared twice on the show. He made a special appearance in 2018’s season 3 finale, where it was revealed that his character had gotten married and conceived a daughter, whom he named Martina in honor of his fallen partner. The actor also returned for the show’s 100th episode in 2021, which brought old and new Legends together.
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Legends of Tomorrow’s 100th episode would serve as Drameh’s final appearance as Jax, as the show was officially canceled by The CW last April after seven seasons.
What is Franz Drameh doing now?
Franz Drameh movies
Since his Arrowverse stint ended, Drameh has starred in Guy Ritchie’s 2019 action-comedy film The Gentleman, 2021’s British crime drama movie Twist, and 2022’s sci-fi thriller Beneath.
Drameh’s other big-screen credits include the 2014 blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow, the 2011 sci-fi comedy horror Attack the Block, and the 2010 disaster drama movie Hereafter, which was his first-ever movie project.
Franz Drameh TV series
After playing the role of Jax in Legends of Tomorrow, Drameh played the role of Boots in the Apple+ sci-fi drama See from 2019 to 2021. He will be seen next in the mystery thriller series The Edge of Sleep.
Prior to joining the Arrowverse, Drameh appeared in the British shows Casualty, Parents of the Band, Some Girls, Residue, and River.
Who is Franz Drameh?
Though Drameh has become popular in the United States since being cast in the role of Jax in the Arrowverse, the actor has managed to keep his life private. But here’s what we know about his personal life.
Franz Drameh’s parents
Drameh’s complete name is Franz Alhusaine Drameh. He was born on January 5th, 1993 in Hackney, London. His mother’s name is Kerry. While little is known about his father, Drameh’s dad is reportedly a big fan of comics like the actor.
Franz Drameh’s wife and kids
Drameh is believed to be married to a woman named Anna Maria. The two reportedly welcomed their daughter, Aurora Drameh, in December 2017. A look at Anna Maria’s Instagram account would suggest that she and Drameh also have a son named Atreus, who appeared to have been born in October 2019.
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Franz Drameh’s arrest
Drameh was arrested in 2017 after being charged with assaulting a man named Joshua Berenger outside a fish and chip shop. The actor was caught on CCTV repeatedly punching, kicking, and headbutting Berenger. Drameh, however, claimed that he was acting in self-defense after Berenger insulted him and threw racist insults at him in the store.
Though Drameh admitted to having laughed when he was being arrested, he claimed that it was an ironic laugh as he found it hard to believe that he was being arrested when he felt that he was not in the wrong.
It’s not clear if the case is still ongoing or is already over.
Drameh isn’t the only Legends of Tomorrow cast member who left the series before its finale. Find out why his co-stars Dominic Purcell, Brandon Routh, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers exited the show.