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

John Rambo

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
Cultureshock as Self
Future World as Warlord
Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron
Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary as Self
Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self

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 Institute as Dr. Cairn
The Show as Male Host
The Vault as Ed Mass
Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
High School Lover as Rick Winters
The Mad Whale as Edward Fry
Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
Tenn ... (Director)
Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
Rio ... (Executive Producer)
Blood Heist as Farmer Simon
Metamorphosis: Junior Year ... (Executive Producer)

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
The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
Goat as Mitch
Burn Country as Lindsay
Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
The Caged Pillows as David D-R+
The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy
Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
Yosemite as Phil

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
Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
True Story as Christian Longo
I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
Call Me Lucky as Self
Miss Famous ... (Executive Producer)
The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
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
The Interview as Dave Skylark
Deadbeat as Johnny
Third Person as Rick
Veronica Mars as James Franco (uncredited)
Palo Alto as Mr. B
Good People as Tom Reed
Child of God as Jerry
National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
Guests ... (Executive Producer)
Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel ... (Director)

2013

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

2012

The Mindy Project as Paul Leotard
About Cherry as Francis
The Iceman as Marty Freeman
The Letter as Tyrone
Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40)
The Broken Tower as Hart Crane
My Own Private River ... (Editor)
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
Blood Meridian Test Reel ... (Director)
Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10
Two Films, One Legacy
Caput

2010

Conan as Self
Eat Pray Love as David
127 Hours as Aron Ralston
Date Night as Taste
Howl as Allen Ginsberg
Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
Love and Distrust as Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
Saturday Night as Self
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story as Self
42 One Dream Rush ... (Director)
Herbert White ... (Writer)
Goat Boy ... (Director)
The Clerk's Tale ... (Screenplay)
Masculinity & Me
Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)

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
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
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)
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

2001

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

2000

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

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
Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Guest

1992

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1988

LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)