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
2025
- Squali as Robert Price
2024
- Hey Joe as Dean Barry
- The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure as Ezio Burntwood
2020
- Birth of a Poet ... (Director)
- 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
- Kin as Taylor Balik
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs as Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")
- Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary as Self
- Future World as Warlord
- Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron
- Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self
2017
- The Deuce as Vincent Martino / Frankie Martino
- The Institute as Dr. Cairn
- Alien: Covenant as Jacob Branson (uncredited)
- Rio ... (Executive Producer)
- The Mad Whale as Edward Fry
- High School Lover as Rick Winters
- The Show as Male Host
- Marcians as Self - Interviewee
- Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
- The Disaster Artist as Tommy / 'Johnny'
- Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
- Tenn ... (Director)
- The Vault as Ed Mass
- Alien: Covenant - Prologue: Last Supper as Branson
- Blood Heist as Farmer Simon
- Alien: Covenant - Master Class: Ridley Scott as Self
- Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
- Metamorphosis: Junior Year ... (Executive Producer)
2016
- Goat as Mitch
- Burn Country as Lindsay
- 11.22.63 as Jake Epping
- Sausage Party as Druggie (voice)
- Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
- Angie Tribeca as Sgt. Eddie Pepper
- Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy
- Yosemite as Phil
- The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
- The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
- The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
- Why Him? as Laird Mayhew
- Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
- In Dubious Battle as Mac McLeod
- King Cobra as Joe Kerekes
- 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
- Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
- Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
- Call Me Lucky as Self
- Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
- I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
- Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
- The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
- True Story as Christian Longo
- Miss Famous ... (Executive Producer)
- Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
- The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
- Richard Peter Johnson as James Franco
- Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston
- A Walk in Winter as Conrad
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- The Interview as Dave Skylark
- Third Person as Rick
- Child of God as Jerry
- Deadbeat as Johnny
- Guests ... (Executive Producer)
- Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
- Palo Alto as Mr. B
- Good People as Tom Reed
- Veronica Mars as James Franco (uncredited)
- Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
- National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
- I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel ... (Director)
- Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
- Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
2013
- Homefront as Morgan 'Gator' Bodine
- Kink ... (Producer)
- This Is the End as James Franco
- Lovelace as Hugh Hefner
- Oz the Great and Powerful as Oz
- Bukowski ... (Director)
- Playtime as The Art Dealer
- What Is Cinema? as Self
- As I Lay Dying as Darl Bundren
- The Frame as Will Rodman
- Spring Breakers as Alien
- Venice 70: Future Reloaded
- A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")
- Comedy Central Roast of James Franco as Self
- Mademoiselle C as Self
- Interior. Leather Bar. as James
- Sal as Milton Katselas
- DREAM ... (Director)
- Here Comes the Night Time as Man on Phone
- Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show as Self
- The Director ... (Producer)
- La Passione ... (Director)
- Venezia 70 - Future Reloaded, James Franco ... (Director)
- Seth Rogen & James Franco Bound 3
2012
- The Mindy Project as Paul Leotard
- About Cherry as Francis
- The Letter as Tyrone
- The Iceman as Marty Freeman
- Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
- The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40)
- My Own Private River ... (Editor)
- The Broken Tower as Hart Crane
- Francophrenia ... (Director)
- Hart Crane: An Exegesis as Self
- Maladies as James
- Jeffrey ... (Executive Producer)
2011
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
- The Green Hornet as Danny Crystal Cleer (uncredited)
- Caput
- Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Your Highness as Fabious
- Hamish and Andy's Gap Year as Self
- Blood Meridian Test Reel ... (Director)
- Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10
2010
- Conan as Self
- Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
- Eat Pray Love as David
- 127 Hours as Aron Ralston
- Howl as Allen Ginsberg
- Date Night as Taste
- Love and Distrust as Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
- Saturday Night as Self
- 42 One Dream Rush ... (Director)
- Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
- With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story as Self
- Goat Boy ... (Director)
- Herbert White ... (Director)
- The Clerk's Tale ... (Director)
- Masculinity & Me
2009
- SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas as (archive footage)
- The Feast of Stephen ... (Writer)
- The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco
- Erased James Franco as Self
2008
- Camille as Silias
- Milk as Scott Smith
- Nights in Rodanthe as Mark Flanner (uncredited)
- Good Time Max as Max
- Pineapple Express as Saul Silver
- Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis as Self
2007
- Spider-Man 3 as New Goblin / Harry Osborn
- Knocked Up as Self (uncredited)
- An American Crime as Andy
- In the Valley of Elah as Sergeant Carnelli
- Interview as Boyfriend on Phone (voice)
- 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)
- Flyboys as Blaine Rawlings
- Tristan & Isolde as Tristan
- Annapolis as Jake Huard
- Grasshopper as Travis
- The Wicker Man as Bar Guy #1
- The Dead Girl as Derek
2005
- The Colbert Report
- The Ape as Harry Walker
- The Great Raid as Captain Prince
- 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
- Sonny as Sonny
- Deuces Wild as Tino
- City by the Sea as Joey
- Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man' as Self
- You Always Stalk the Ones You Love
- Spider-Mania as Self
- Mother Ghost as Skateboarder guy
- The Car Kid
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
- To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
- The Early Show as Self
- 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
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)