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

2026

Bunny-Man as Austin Boyd

2025

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
Pretenders as Maxwell
Don't Come Back from the Moon as Roman Smalley

2018

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs as Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")
Kin as Taylor Balik
Future World as Warlord
Cultureshock as Self
Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary as Self
Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self
Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron

2017

The Deuce as Vincent Martino / Frankie Martino
Alien: Covenant as Jacob Branson (uncredited)
Marcians as Self - Interviewee
The Disaster Artist as Tommy / 'Johnny'
The Vault as Ed Mass
The Show as Male Host
The Institute as Dr. Cairn
High School Lover as Rick Winters
Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
The Mad Whale as Edward Fry
Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
Rio ... (Executive Producer)
Tenn ... (Director)
Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
Metamorphosis: Junior Year ... (Executive Producer)
Blood Heist as Farmer Simon

2016

Angie Tribeca as Sgt. Eddie Pepper
11.22.63 as Jake Epping
Sausage Party as Druggie (voice)
Why Him? as Laird Mayhew
King Cobra as Joe Kerekes
In Dubious Battle as Mac McLeod
Goat as Mitch
The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
Yosemite as Phil
The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
Burn Country as Lindsay
Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy
The Caged Pillows as David D-R+

2015

Hot Ones as Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
The Little Prince as The Fox (voice)
The Night Before as Self
True Story as Christian Longo
Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
Call Me Lucky as Self
Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston
Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
A Walk in Winter as Conrad
Richard Peter Johnson as James Franco
Miss Famous ... (Executive Producer)

2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
The Interview as Dave Skylark
Deadbeat as Johnny
Veronica Mars as James Franco (uncredited)
Good People as Tom Reed
Palo Alto as Mr. B
Third Person as Rick
Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
Child of God as Jerry
Guests ... (Executive Producer)
Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel ... (Director)
Future Relic 02 as The Searcher

2013

Homefront as Morgan 'Gator' Bodine
This Is the End as James Franco
The Frame as Will Rodman
Oz the Great and Powerful as Oz
Lovelace as Hugh Hefner
Spring Breakers as Alien
Kink ... (Producer)
As I Lay Dying as Darl Bundren
Venice 70: Future Reloaded as Self (segment James Franco)
Mademoiselle C as Self
Bukowski ... (Director)
Comedy Central Roast of James Franco as Self
Sal as Milton Katselas
Interior. Leather Bar. as James
A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")
Here Comes the Night Time as Man on Phone
Playtime as The Art Dealer
What Is Cinema? as Self
My Journey in Oz as Self
The Director ... (Producer)
Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show as Self
DREAM ... (Director)
La Passione ... (Director)

2012

The Mindy Project as Paul Leotard
The Iceman as Marty Freeman
About Cherry as Francis
The Letter as Tyrone
Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
Maladies as James
The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40)
My Own Private River ... (Editor)
The Broken Tower as Hart Crane
Hart Crane: An Exegesis as Self
Francophrenia ... (Director)
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
Blood Meridian Test Reel ... (Director)
Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
Caput
Two Films, One Legacy

2010

Conan as Self
Eat Pray Love as David
127 Hours as Aron Ralston
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)
Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
Saturday Night as Self
Herbert White ... (Writer)
Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
Masculinity & Me
The Clerk's Tale ... (Screenplay)
Goat Boy ... (Director)

2009

SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas as (archive footage)
The Feast of Stephen ... (Writer)
Erased James Franco as Self
The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco

2008

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis as Self
Pineapple Express as Saul Silver
Milk as Scott Smith
Nights in Rodanthe as Mark Flanner (uncredited)
Camille as Silias
Good Time Max as Max

2007

Spider-Man 3 as New Goblin / Harry Osborn
Knocked Up as Sol (uncredited)
An American Crime as Andy
In the Valley of Elah as Sergeant Carnelli
Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee as Dean Silo
Interview as Boyfriend on Phone (voice)
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
Annapolis as Jake Huard
Flyboys as Blaine Rawlings
The Dead Girl as Derek
Grasshopper as Travis

2005

The Colbert Report
The Great Raid as Captain Prince
The Ape as Harry Walker
Fool's Gold as Brent

2001

James Dean as James Dean
Mean People Suck as Casey
Some Body as Apartment Guy #3

2000

Whatever It Takes as Chris Campbell
If Tomorrow Comes as Devin
At Any Cost as Mike

1999

Freaks and Geeks as Daniel Desario
Never Been Kissed as Jason
The Early Show as Self
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

The X-Files as Officer #2

1992

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1988

LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)