Francine Smith

Francine Lee Smith (formerly Ling; née Dawson) is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom American Dad! She is the wife of the main character, Stan Smith and the mother of Hayley and Steve Smith. Francine is voiced by Wendy Schaal. Early in the series, Francine is often seen as the voice of reason in her dysfunctional family, adopting the stereotypical role of the long-suffering wife or doting mother. However, as the show progressed, her backstory developed with allusions to unconventional and surreal activities, including working for strip clubs, underground fighting rings, cult memberships, multiple murders, and substance abuse. Character biography Born to a wealthy couple from South Carolina, Francine's birth parents – Nicholas and Cassandra Dawson – gave her up when she was a baby so they could be upgraded to first class on a flight in "Big Trouble in Little Langley". Daddy issues stemming from her unstable relationship with her birth father led to her losing her virginity at a young age and engaging in risky sexual behaviors, such as her affinity for combining drugs and alcohol with unprotected sex with strangers as seen in season one's "Finances with Wolves" and Season 15 "Stan & Francine & Connie & Ted". Not much is known about Francine's younger years beyond the fact that she was brought up in a Roman Catholic orphanage where she was taught that left-handed people were the Devil's minions in "Office Spaceman". Her left handedness was literally beaten out of her by the nuns, as they would regularly beat her with a side of beef and a big fish on Fridays whenever she used her left hand. At the age of seven, she was adopted by a Chinese American couple, Bàba and Māma Ling, making her maiden name Ling. She considers herself Chinese because she was raised by the Lings. She speaks fluent Chinese, often with her parents to disguise their conversations in front of her husband Stan if he becomes a topic of discussion. Through her adopted Chinese parents, Francine has a sister named Gwen.