IN THE APPLE TV+ miniseries Franklin (April 12), Douglas, 79, portrays Ben Franklin. It’s written by Kirk Ellis, whose dazzling 2008 hit John Adams starred Paul Giamatti. Douglas sang Ben’s praises at the 2024 Television Critics Association in Pasadena.

Why play Ben Franklin?
I’ve never done period drama. So I wanted to see how I’d look in tights. Thank God I didn’t have to wear a wig!

What intrigued you about Franklin?
He was bright, but a rascal. A philanderer, liked to imbibe, big flirt. His idea of negotiating was sort of a seduction. It was his joy of telling the white lie that I like the most.

Does he remind you of anyone today?
Elon Musk. A guy slightly out there, but also so knowledgeable. He started his own newspaper, and a number of inventions.

What’s the underlying theme of the series?
The Continental Congress decided we needed Ben, well known around the world, to do an undercover trip to France at 70 in 1776. We desperately needed weapons and cash. Otherwise the British would have beaten us and that would have been that. It was just a reminder of how precious democracy is and how easy it is to lose it—how fragile it is. —Roger Catlin