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

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
Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron
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 Vault as Ed Mass
The Show as Male Host
Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
High School Lover as Rick Winters
The Mad Whale as Edward Fry
Metamorphosis: Junior Year ... (Executive Producer)
Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
Tenn ... (Director)
Rio ... (Executive Producer)
Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
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
The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
Goat as Mitch
Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
Burn Country as Lindsay
The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
Yosemite as Phil
The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
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)
Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
True Story as Christian Longo
The Night Before as Self
Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
Call Me Lucky as Self
Miss Famous ... (Executive Producer)
The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston
A Walk in Winter as Conrad
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
Child of God as Jerry
Making A Scene With James Franco
Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
Guests ... (Executive Producer)
Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel as James Franco

2013

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

2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
Your Highness as Fabious
The Green Hornet as Danny Crystal Cleer (uncredited)
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
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
Howl as Allen Ginsberg
Love and Distrust as Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
Saturday Night as Self
42 One Dream Rush ... (Director)
Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
Herbert White ... (Writer)
Masculinity & Me
The Clerk's Tale ... (Screenplay)
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
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
Some Body as Apartment Guy #3
Mean People Suck as Casey

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
Profiler as Stevie
Pacific Blue as Brian

1993

Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Guest
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)