She had an extensive modeling and television commercial career as a teenager, including campaigns for Coca-Cola, Trident, Jell-o and Maxwell House coffee.
Sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium on June 1, 2004.
Was one of the final two choices to replace Meg Tilly in Amadeus (1984). She and Elizabeth Berridge were flown to Prague and spent a week doing screen tests on set. Berridge was ultimately cast because director Milos Forman told them that Franklin was too pretty for the role.
Appeared in Better Off Dead (1985) (as the French foreign exchange student) that happened to have a character named Jenny Meyer. Diane would later play a character named Jenny Meyers in Lovechild (2013).