James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor, filmmaker, teacher and author. For his role in 127 Hours, Franco received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Franco has been published several times in magazines and through his own books and is currently teaching college courses at UCLA, USC and CAL ARTS and acting classes at STUDIO 4.
James Franco was born in Palo Alto, California. His mother, Betsy Lou (née Verne), is a writer and actress, and his father, Douglas Eugene “Doug” Franco (d. 2011), ran a Silicon Valley business. The two met as students at Stanford University. James Franco’s father was of Portuguese (Madeiran) and Swedish descent. Franco’s mother is Jewish, a descendant of immigrants from Russia.
Although the idea of becoming a marine zoologist interested him, James Franco had always secretly wanted to become an actor but feared rejection. He enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an English major, but dropped out after his freshman year against his parents‘ wishes to pursue a career as an actor, since he would have had to wait two years to audition for their acting program. James Franco instead chose to take acting lessons with Robert Carnegie at the Playhouse West. Around this time, Franco took up a late-night job at McDonald’s to support himself since his parents refused to do so. He was a vegetarian until working there.
Franco made his Broadway debut in the revival of the American classic OF MICE & MEN to rave reviews. He was nominated for a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award for his performance, as was the play for the Outstanding Revival Award. The play was also shot for a theatrical release worldwide. He also directed the off-Broadway play THE LONG SHRIFT.
Aside from his acting accomplishments, Franco has also established himself as a producer and director on several films. He produced and starred in Carter’s MALADIES as well as the film AS I LAY DYING, based on the classic novel by William Faulkner, which he also directed. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival before its theatrical release. He also produced and starred in the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s CHILD OF GOD, which he also co-wrote. The film premiered at both the Venice and the Toronto International Film Festivals before being released.
James Franco’s Filmography as an Actor
2018 Blood Heist
2018 Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad
2017 Blood on Wheels
2017 The Long Home
2017 Blood Theatre
2017 Kill the Czar
2017 The Institute
2017 The Vault
2017 Why Him?
2017 Actors Anonymous
2017 Black Dog, Red Dog
2017 The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards
2017 The Masterpiece
2017 Zeroville
2017 Future World
2017 Killing Animals
2017 Mississippi Requiem
2017 The Mad Whale
2016 In Dubious Battle
2016 Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?
2016 King Cobra
2016 The Fixer
2016 Sausage Party
2016 Goat
2016 The Labyrinth
2015 Richard Peter Johnson
2015 The Night Before
2015 Memoria
2015 The Little Prince
2015 True Deception
2015 Wild Horses
2015 A Walk in Winter
2015 Every Thing Will Be Fine
2015 Queen of the Desert
2015 I Am Michael
2015 Yosemite
2015 True Story
2015 Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha
2014 I Think You’re Totally Wrong: A Quarrel
2014 The Interview
2014 Grow a Guy
2014 National Theater Live: Of Mice and Men
2014 The Sound and the Fury
2014 Good People
2014 Obituaries
2014 Veronica Mars
2013 Home Front
2013 Third Person
2013 Child of God
2013 As I Lay Dying
2013 Palo Alto
2013 This Is the End
2013 Homefront
2013 Black Dog, Red Dog
2013 Child of God
2013 Oz the Great and Powerful
2013 Lovelace
2013 Interior. Leather Bar.
2012 Tar
2012 The Letter
2012 Spring Breakers
2012 The Iceman
2012 About Cherry
2012 Maladies
2011 Sal
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2011 The Broken Tower
2011 Your Highness
2011 The Green Hornet (uncredited)
2011 Rebel (short)
2010 127 Hours
2010 Eat Pray Love
2010 Masculinity & Me (short)
2010 William Vincent
2010 Date Night
2010 Howl
2008 Milk
2008 Nights in Rodanthe (uncredited)
2008 Pineapple Express
2008 Camille
2007 In the Valley of Elah
2007 Good Time Max
2007 Spider-Man 3
2007 Knocked Up (uncredited)
2007 Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee
2007 Interview (voice)
2007 An American Crime
2006 The Dead Girl
2006 Grasshopper (short)
2006 Flyboys
2006 The Wicker Man
2006 Annapolis
2006 Tristan + Isolde
2005 The Great Raid
2005 The Ape
2005 Fool’s Gold
2004 Spider-Man 2
2003 The Company
2002 City by the Sea
2002 Sonny
2002 Blind Spot
2002 Mother Ghost
2002 You Always Stalk the Ones You Love
2002 The Car Kid (short)
2002 Deuces Wild
2002 Spider-Man
2001 James Dean
2001 Mean People Suck
2001 Some Body (uncredited)
2000 At Any Cost (TV movie)
2000 Whatever It Takes
2000 If Tomorrow Comes
1999 Never Been Kissed (as James Edward Franco)
1998 1973 (TV movie)
