James Franco
Born: 1978-04-19 in Palo Alto, California, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in 127 Hours (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for appearing in films such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat, Pray, Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He frequently collaborates with fellow actor Seth Rogen, including in Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Franco's first prominent acting role was on television. He starred as Daniel Desario on the short-lived ensemble comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), which developed a cult following. He portrayed the title character in the television biographical film James Dean (2001), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and Primetime Emmy Award. Franco also had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital (2009–2012) and starred in the limited series 11.22.63 (2016). He starred in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce (2017–2019).
Filmography
2027
2026
- Confession
- Find Your Friends ... (Thanks)
- Foster as Donald 'Don' Foster
2025
- SNL50: The Homecoming Concert as Self
- Squali as Robert Price
2024
- Largo Winch: The Price of Money as Ezio Burntwood
- Hey Joe as Dean Barry
2020
- Birth of a Poet ... (Writer)
- Sleepaway Slasher ... (Executive Producer)
2019
- Arctic Dogs as Lemmy (voice)
- Zeroville as Vikar
- Don't Come Back from the Moon as Roman Smalley
- Pretenders as Maxwell
2018
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs as Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")
- Cultureshock as Self
- Future World as Warlord
- Kin as Taylor Balik
- Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary as Self
- Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self
- Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron
2017
- Alien: Covenant as Jacob Branson (uncredited)
- The Deuce as Vincent Martino / Frankie Martino
- Marcians as Self - Interviewee
- The Disaster Artist as Tommy / 'Johnny'
- The Vault as Ed Mass
- The Institute as Dr. Cairn
- The Show as Male Host
- Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
- Tenn ... (Director)
- Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
- The Mad Whale as Edward Fry
- High School Lover as Rick Winters
- Metamorphosis: Junior Year ... (Executive Producer)
- Rio ... (Executive Producer)
- Blood Heist as Farmer Simon
- Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
2016
- Angie Tribeca as Sgt. Eddie Pepper
- 11.22.63 as Jake Epping
- Sausage Party as Druggie (voice)
- Why Him? as Laird Mayhew
- In Dubious Battle as Mac McLeod
- King Cobra as Joe Kerekes
- The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
- Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
- The Caged Pillows as David D-R+
- Goat as Mitch
- The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
- Burn Country as Lindsay
- Yosemite as Phil
- The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
- Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
- Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy
2015
- Hot Ones as Self
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- The Little Prince as The Fox (voice)
- Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
- The Night Before as Self
- True Story as Christian Longo
- Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
- Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
- I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
- The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
- The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
- Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
- Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
- Miss Famous ... (Executive Producer)
- Call Me Lucky as Self
- A Walk in Winter as Conrad
- Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston
- Richard Peter Johnson as James Franco
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
- The Interview as Dave Skylark
- Deadbeat as Johnny
- Good People as Tom Reed
- Third Person as Rick
- Veronica Mars as James Franco (uncredited)
- Palo Alto as Mr. B
- Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
- Child of God as Jerry
- National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
- Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
- I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel as James Franco
- Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
- Making A Scene With James Franco
- Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
- Guests ... (Executive Producer)
2013
- This Is the End as James Franco
- Homefront as Morgan 'Gator' Bodine
- Oz the Great and Powerful as Oz
- The Frame as Will Rodman
- Spring Breakers as Alien
- Lovelace as Hugh Hefner
- Venice 70: Future Reloaded as Self (segment James Franco)
- As I Lay Dying as Darl Bundren
- Mademoiselle C as Self
- Comedy Central Roast of James Franco as Self
- Kink ... (Producer)
- My Journey in Oz as Self
- A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")
- Here Comes the Night Time as Man on Phone
- Playtime as The Art Dealer
- Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show as Self
- What Is Cinema? as Self
- Interior. Leather Bar. as James
- Sal as Milton Katselas
- The Director ... (Producer)
- DREAM ... (Director)
- La Passione ... (Director)
2012
- The Mindy Project as Paul Leotard
- About Cherry as Francis
- The Iceman as Marty Freeman
- Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
- The Letter as Tyrone
- My Own Private River ... (Editor)
- The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40)
- The Broken Tower as Hart Crane
- Maladies as James
- Francophrenia ... (Director)
- Hart Crane: An Exegesis as Self
- Jeffrey ... (Executive Producer)
2011
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
- The Green Hornet as Danny Crystal Cleer (uncredited)
- Your Highness as Fabious
- Hamish and Andy's Gap Year as Self
- Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10
- Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Blood Meridian Test Reel ... (Director)
- Two Films, One Legacy
- 127 Hours: An extraordinary view as Self - interviewed guest
- Caput
2010
- Conan as Self
- 127 Hours as Aron Ralston
- Eat Pray Love as David
- Date Night as Taste
- With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story as Self
- Love and Distrust as Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
- Howl as Allen Ginsberg
- 42 One Dream Rush ... (Director)
- Saturday Night as Self
- Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
- Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
- The Clerk's Tale ... (Screenplay)
- Herbert White ... (Writer)
- Masculinity & Me
- Goat Boy ... (Director)
2009
- SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas as (archive footage)
- The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco
- The Feast of Stephen ... (Writer)
- Erased James Franco as Self
2008
- Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis as Self
- Pineapple Express as Saul Silver
- Nights in Rodanthe as Mark Flanner (uncredited)
- Milk as Scott Smith
- Camille as Silias
- Good Time Max as Max
2007
- Spider-Man 3 as New Goblin / Harry Osborn
- Knocked Up as Sol (uncredited)
- In the Valley of Elah as Sergeant Carnelli
- An American Crime as Andy
- On the Set: Spider-Man 3 as Self
- Interview as Boyfriend on Phone (voice)
- Tangled Web: The Love Triangles of 'Spider-Man 3' as Self
- Fighting, Flying and Driving: The Stunts of 'Spider-Man 3' as Self
- Re-Imagining the Goblin as Self
- 'Spider-Man 3' on Location: New York, from Rooftops to Backstreets as Self
- Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee as Dean Silo
- The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis as Justin Bobby
2006
- 30 Rock as James Franco
- The Holiday as James Franco (uncredited)
- The Wicker Man as Bar Guy #1
- Tristan & Isolde as Tristan
- The Dead Girl as Derek
- Flyboys as Blaine Rawlings
- Annapolis as Jake Huard
- Grasshopper as Travis
2005
- The Colbert Report
- The Great Raid as Captain Prince
- The Ape as Harry Walker
- Fool's Gold as Brent
2004
- The Tony Danza Show as Self
- Spider-Man 2 as Harry Osborn
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- The Company as Josh
- Blind Spot as Danny
2002
- Spider-Man as Harry Osborn
- Deuces Wild as Tino
- City by the Sea as Joey
- Spider-Mania as Self
- Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man' as Self
- Sonny as Sonny
- You Always Stalk the Ones You Love
- Mother Ghost as Skateboarder guy
- The Car Kid
2001
- James Dean as James Dean
- Some Body as Apartment Guy #3
- Mean People Suck as Casey
2000
- Whatever It Takes as Chris Campbell
- If Tomorrow Comes as Devin
- At Any Cost as Mike
1999
- Freaks and Geeks as Daniel Desario
- The Early Show as Self
- Never Been Kissed as Jason
- To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
- To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Pacific Blue as Brian
- Profiler as Stevie
1993
- Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Guest
- The X-Files as Officer #2
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)