James Franco
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 his roles 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 is known for his collaborations with fellow actor Seth Rogen, having appeared in eight films and one television series with him, examples being 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 is also known for his work on television where his first prominent acting role was the character 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 Screen Actors Guild Award and Primetime Emmy Award. Franco 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).
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Naya: Legend of the Golden Dolphin as Finn (voice)
- 2025 · Bunny-Man as
- 2019 · Pretenders as Maxwell
- 2019 · Don't Come Back from the Moon as Roman Smalley
- 2017 · Alien: Covenant - Prologue: Last Supper as Capt. Jacob Branson
- 2017 · High School Lover as Rick Winters
- 2016 · The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · King Cobra as Joe Kerekes
- 2016 · In Dubious Battle as Mac McLeod
- 2016 · Goat as Mitch
- 2016 · Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
- 2016 · Burn Country as Lindsay
- 2016 · The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
- 2016 · Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
- 2016 · Yosemite as Phil
- 2015 · The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
- 2015 · Call Me Lucky as Self
- 2015 · Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
- 2015 · Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
- 2015 · Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
- 2015 · The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
- 2015 · Saturday Night Live: 40th Anniversary Special as Self
- 2015 · I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
- 2014 · Child of God as Jerry
- 2013 · Sal as Milton Katselas
- 2013 · As I Lay Dying as Darl Bundren
- 2013 · Interior. Leather Bar. as James
- 2013 · What Is Cinema? as Self
- 2013 · Comedy Central Roast of James Franco as Self
- 2013 · Venice 70: Future Reloaded as
- 2012 · The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40)
- 2012 · Maladies as James
- 2012 · Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
- 2011 · Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2010 · 14 Actors Acting as Self
- 2010 · Love and Distrust as Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
- 2010 · With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story as Self
- 2010 · Saturday Night as Self
- 2010 · Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
- 2009 · SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas as
- 2008 · Good Time Max as Max
- 2005 · The Ape as Harry Walker
- 2003 · The Company as Josh
- 2003 · Blind Spot as Danny
- 2002 · Mother Ghost as Skateboarder guy
- 2002 · Spider-Mania as Self
- 2002 · Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man' as Self
- 1999 · To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
- Future · The Long Home as Dallas Hardin
- 2025 · Squali as
- 2024 · Hey Joe as Dean Barry
- 2024 · The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure as Ezio Burntwood
- 2022 · Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Arctic Dogs as Lemmy (voice)
- 2019 · Zeroville as Vikar
- 2018 · The Ballad of Buster Scruggs as Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")
- 2018 · Kin as Taylor Balik
- 2018 · Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary as Self
- 2018 · Future World as Warlord
- 2018 · Mississippi Requiem as
- 2018 · Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self
- 2017 · Marcians as Self - Interviewee
- 2017 · The Show as Male Host
- 2017 · The Deuce as Vincent Martino / Frankie Martino
- 2017 · The Vault as Ed Mass
- 2017 · Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
- 2017 · Blood Heist as Farmer Simon
- 2017 · The Mad Whale as
- 2017 · Alien: Covenant as Jacob Branson (uncredited)
- 2017 · The Disaster Artist as Tommy / "Johnny"
- 2017 · Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
- 2017 · The Institute as Dr. Cairn
- 2016 · Why Him? as Laird Mayhew
- 2016 · Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy
- 2016 · Sausage Party as Druggie (voice)
- 2016 · The Caged Pillows as David D-R+
- 2016 · The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
- 2016 · 11.22.63 as Jake Epping
- 2016 · Angie Tribeca as Sgt. Eddie Pepper
- 2015 · Richard Peter Johnson as James Franco
- 2015 · The Night Before as Self
- 2015 · A Walk in Winter as Conrad
- 2015 · Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
- 2015 · Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- 2015 · The Little Prince as The Fox (voice)
- 2015 · Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston
- 2015 · True Story as Christian Longo
- 2015 · Hot Ones as Self
- 2014 · The Interview as Dave Skylark
- 2014 · Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
- 2014 · National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
- 2014 · Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
- 2014 · Good People as Tom Reed
- 2014 · Third Person as Rick
- 2014 · Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
- 2014 · Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
- 2014 · Palo Alto as Mr. B
- 2014 · Deadbeat as Johnny
- 2014 · Veronica Mars as James Franco (uncredited)
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- 2014 · The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- 2013 · Homefront as Morgan 'Gator' Bodine
- 2013 · Playtime as The Art Dealer
- 2013 · Here Comes the Night Time as Man on Phone
- 2013 · Mademoiselle C as Self
- 2013 · A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")
- 2013 · Lovelace as Hugh Hefner
- 2013 · Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show as Self
- 2013 · This Is the End as James Franco
- 2013 · The Frame as Will Rodman
- 2013 · Oz the Great and Powerful as Oz
- 2013 · Spring Breakers as Alien
- 2012 · The Mindy Project as Paul Leotard
- 2012 · The Letter as Tyrone
- 2012 · The Iceman as Marty Freeman
- 2012 · The Broken Tower as Hart Crane
- 2012 · Hart Crane: An Exegesis as Himself
- 2012 · About Cherry as Francis
- 2012 · Honest Trailers as Cowboy (archive footage)
- 2011 · Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
- 2011 · Hamish and Andy's Gap Year as Himself
- 2010 · Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
- 2006 · Grasshopper as Travis
- 1999 · Freaks And Geeks as Daniel Desario
- Future · The Razor's Edge as Dante
- Future · The Policeman as Babcock
- Future · Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde as Fidel Castro
- 2011 · Caput as
- 2011 · Your Highness as Fabious
- 2011 · The Green Hornet as Danny Crystal Cleer (uncredited)
- 2010 · 127 Hours as Aron Ralston
- 2010 · Conan as Self
- 2010 · Howl as Allen Ginsberg
- 2010 · Eat Pray Love as David
- 2010 · Masculinity & Me as
- 2010 · Date Night as Taste
- 2007 · The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis as Justin Bobby
- Future · Me, You as
- 2009 · The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco as
- 2009 · Erased James Franco as Self
- 2008 · Milk as Scott Smith
- 2008 · Nights in Rodanthe as Mark Flanner (uncredited)
- 2008 · Pineapple Express as Saul Silver
- 2008 · Camille as Silias
- 2008 · Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis as Self
- 2007 · In the Valley of Elah as Sergeant Carnelli
- 2007 · An American Crime as Andy
- 2007 · Interview as Boyfriend on Phone (voice)
- 2007 · Knocked Up as Self (uncredited)
- 2007 · Spider-Man 3 as New Goblin / Harry Osborn
- 2007 · Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee as Dean Silo
- 2006 · The Holiday as James Franco
- 2006 · The Dead Girl as Derek
- 2006 · 30 Rock as James Franco
- 2006 · Flyboys as Blaine Rawlings
- 2006 · The Wicker Man as Bar Guy #1
- 2006 · Tristan & Isolde as Tristan
- 2006 · Annapolis as Jake Huard
- 2005 · SNL Digital Shorts as
- 2005 · The Colbert Report as
- 2005 · The Great Raid as Captain Prince
- 2005 · Fool's Gold as Brent
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self
- 2004 · Spider-Man 2 as Harry Osborn
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2002 · Sonny as Sonny
- 2002 · City by the Sea as Joey
- 2002 · You Always Stalk the Ones You Love as
- 2002 · The Car Kid as
- 2002 · Deuces Wild as Tino
- 2002 · Spider-Man as Harry Osborn
- 2001 · James Dean as James Dean
- 2001 · Some Body as Apartment Guy #3
- 2000 · At Any Cost as Mike
- 2000 · If Tomorrow Comes as Devin
- Future · Kill the Czar as
- Future · Jesse Heiman: World's Greatest Extra as Self
- 2001 · Mean People Suck as Casey
- 2000 · Whatever It Takes as Chris Campbell
- 1999 · The Early Show as Self
- 1999 · Freaks and Geeks as Daniel Desario
- 1999 · Never Been Kissed as Jason
- 1996 · Profiler as
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · Pacific Blue as Brian
- 1993 · The X-Files as Officer #2
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host / Various
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self