James Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, author, and painter. He began acting during the late 1990s, appearing on the short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and starring in several teen films. In 2001 he played the title role in Mark Rydell's television biographical film James Dean, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film.Franco achieved international fame with his portrayal of Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy. Since then, his films have included the war film The Great Raid (2005), the 2006 romantic drama Tristan & Isolde, and Justin Lin's drama Annapolis (2006). In 2008, Franco starred in the comedy stoner film Pineapple Express and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He played a prominent role in the 2008 biographical film Milk. In 2010, he played the lead role in Howl as Allen Ginsberg, and 127 Hours, a film about Aron Ralston, an American mountaineer who cut off his own arm to free himself after he was trapped beneath a boulder. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.In 2010, Franco published a collection of short stories called Palo Alto. The book is named after the California city where Franco grew up and is dedicated to many of the writers he worked with at Brooklyn College. The book has received mixed reviews; Los Angeles Times called it "the work of an ambitious young man who clearly loves to read, who has a good eye for detail, but who has spent way too much time on style and virtually none on substance". The Guardian said that "The Hollywood star's foray into the literary world may be met with cynicism in some quarters, but this is a promising debut from a most unlikely source."
Auditioned for the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man , but was given the part of Harry Osborn.
James appeared in two movies that premiered on the same day, Deuces Wild and Spider-Man , both opening on May 3rd. The success of the two films was highly varied as Spider-Man film has to date amassed a box office gross some 67 times greater than that of Deuces.
He has two younger brothers, Tom Franco and Dave Franco.
His parents, Betsy Franco & Doug Franco, met at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
In his spare time he likes to paint.
Was named one of People Magazines 50 Hottest Bachelors [2004]
Has his own production company - Rabbit Bandini Productions.
Went by the name of Ted in high school and was voted "Best Smile" at Palo Alto High School.
Was named one of Salon.coms "10 men who might just inspire the rebirth of Jewish male cool."
Although he always hated it, he started smoking for his lead role in James Dean .
Jamess father was of half Portuguese and half Swedish descent, with his Portuguese roots being in the Madeira islands. Jamess mother is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family (from Russia, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania).
Worked with stunt coordinator Nick Powell in two movies both premiering in 2006: Tristan + Isolde and Annapolis .
Close friends with Tobey Maguire. He also used to "babysit" Tobeys daughter on the set of Spider-Man 3 .
His grandmother, Mitzie Verne, is an artist.
Is friends with Busy Philipps , who he met on the set of "Freaks and Geeks" .
Franco told interviewer Terry Gross that when he was in junior high school, he was arrested for shoplifting cologne from a department store and reselling it with his friends at the school. He noted to Gross the irony that, in 2008, he shot an advertising campaign in which he became the face of Gucci cologne.
While a guest on her NPR program "Fresh Air", Franco told interviewer Terry Gross that when he went back to UCLA to finish his undergraduate degree in creative writing, he was worried that his classmates and professors might think of him as "sliding by" because of his acting career, so he took a lot of extra courses to make sure they knew he was serious. He told Gross that the cap on the number of units that a student is allowed to take in a quarter was 19, but in his last quarter he took 62 units - which as far as he knows is a record for a single student.
In 2009, he reunited with his Deuces Wild co-star, Ronnie Marmo , on "General Hospital" .
Francos creative writing professors have included such major figures as Amy Hempel, Mona Simpson , Jonathan Lethem , Gary Shteyngart and Michael Cunningham.
Chosen by Premiere magazine as one of the "The 40 Most Handsome Hollywood Men"(#1)[2009].
Mother Betsy Franco also played his characters mother on "General Hospital" .
He completed his private pilots license to prepare for his role in 2006s Flyboys .
Is a talented mathematician. He interned at Lockheed Martin, the American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company.
Has directed short films for two R.E.M. songs, "Blue" and "That Someone Is You" from their 2011 album, "Collapse Into Now".
Franco volunteers at the charity Art of Elysium in Los Angeles, helping kids with serious medical conditions. In January 2011, he was honoured for his work at the hospital, receiving the Spirit of Elysium accolade.
After seeing Francos turn as James Dean , Robert De Niro personally chose him to play his drug-addicted son in the 2002 movie City by the Sea .
He did eight months of boxing training for Annapolis .
His production company is Rabbit Bandini Productions, which he runs with friend and producer Vince Jolivette.
In 2009, Salon.com named Franco the "Sexiest Man Living.".
May perhaps be one of the most academically accomplished actors (an "extreme scholar") in Hollywood history: besides his BFA in English from UCLA, he has two MFA degrees - both in writing - from Columbia and Brooklyn College, and a third MFA, in film, from New York University. He is continuing further degree studies while also teaching a graduate class that takes students through the process of making a feature-length film..
His favorite film is My Own Private Idaho .
His debut book of poetry is due to be released in April 2014 [December 17, 2012].
Admitted to his younger brother, Dave Franco , that he hadnt seen a single episode of Daves episodes in the TV series, "Scrubs" .
Was presented the 2,492nd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame accompanied by his mother Betsy Franco , brother Dave Franco , Oz the Great and Powerful director Sam Raimi and This Is the End co-star Seth Rogen (March 7, 2013).
(March 2007) Filming the action comedy Pineapple Express .
(May 2003) Has a movie due in December called The Company , co-starring Neve Campbell. He is filming Spider-Man 2 .
(March 2013) New York, NY, USA: His educational achievements as a "prolific academic" are celebrated in a half-page ad in The New York Times paid for by his alma mater, UCLA, with the tagline: Some A-Listers Actually Get As.
Enrolled in NYUs MFA program for creative writing in Tisch school of the arts
In the Graduate Film program at NYU and the Graduate Program for Fiction Writing at Columbia.
On his fathers side, he is the grandson of Daniel Franco, Jr. and Marjorie J. (Peterson) Franco, who was a published author of young adult books. On his mothers side, he is the grandson of Daniel Verne (born Daniel S. Verovitz) and Marjorie "Mitzie" Levine. One of Jamess maternal great-grandfathers, Emanuel "Manuel" V. Levine, was a prominent judge in Cleveland.
One of a handful of celebrities passing through Los Angeles International Airport (1 November 2013) when a gunman opened fire killing a TSA official. Franco was stuck on board a grounded plane during the rampage.
As of 2014, has appeared in two films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Milk and 127 Hours .
Friends with Mila Kunis. They have acted in 4 films together: Third Person , Oz the Great and Powerful , Date Night , and The Color of Time (2012/II) .
In 2015, James Franco will star in both Queen of the Desert and Every Thing Will Be Fine , which are directed by Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders , who were both key figures in the New German Cinema film movement in the 1970s.
His favorite film of 2015 was Mustang . [Indiewiere, Nov.19 2015].
In October 2015, James Franco had a Bar Mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony traditionally celebrated at age 13. A rabbi, of the Reform Jewish denomination, presided over the ceremony, in which Franco, wearing a traditional prayer shawl and yarmulke, read from the Torah in Hebrew. Franco was 37 at the time of his Bar Mitzvah; though they are most often celebrated at 13, a Bar Mitzvah may be observed any time after 13, as well. The Bar Mitzvah was orchestrated by Francos friend, Seth Rogen , as a fundraiser for Rogens Alzheimers research charity, "Hilarity for Charity".
Originally, James Franco was set to play the role of "Arthur" in Inception ; however, due to scheduling conflicts, James was forced to drop out of the film and the director of the film, Christopher Nolan , later gave the role to Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Though they often collaborate with the same actors, producers, and directors, he has never been in a film with his brother Dave Franco.
You know, directors kind of want different things. Some of them think,that if they just are always talking to you and keeping your spirits up,and everything that it helps you, and then some leave you alone and,give you your space.
The man is angry, the manIs destructive, the man wants more. The woman is more, the woman is all.
I was a black center in the middle of all the nature. I was nothing, but I could do anything.
