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 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).
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Confession as Vladimir
- 2025 · SNL50: The Homecoming Concert as Self
- 2024 · Largo Winch: The Price of Money as Ezio Burntwood
- 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 · Cultureshock as Self
- 2018 · Future World as Warlord
- 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 · Alien: Covenant as Jacob Branson (uncredited)
- 2017 · The Disaster Artist as Tommy / 'Johnny'
- 2017 · The Institute as Dr. Cairn
- 2016 · Why Him? as Laird Mayhew
- 2016 · King Cobra as Joe Kerekes
- 2016 · In Dubious Battle as Mac McLeod
- 2016 · Goat as Mitch
- 2016 · Sausage Party as Druggie (voice)
- 2016 · Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director
- 2016 · The Caged Pillows as David D-R+
- 2016 · The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott
- 2016 · 11.22.63 as Jake Epping
- 2016 · Angie Tribeca as Sgt. Eddie Pepper
- 2015 · The Night Before as Self
- 2015 · The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson
- 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 · Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
- 2015 · True Story as Christian Longo
- 2015 · Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
- 2015 · Hot Ones as Self
- 2014 · The Interview as Dave Skylark
- 2014 · Good People as Tom Reed
- 2014 · Dawn of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
- 2014 · Third Person as Rick
- 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 · As I Lay Dying as Darl Bundren
- 2013 · Venice 70: Future Reloaded as Self (segment James Franco)
- 2013 · Lovelace as Hugh Hefner
- 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 Iceman as Marty Freeman
- 2012 · About Cherry as Francis
- 2011 · Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
- 2011 · Hamish and Andy's Gap Year as Self
- 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 · Love and Distrust as Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
- 2010 · Eat Pray Love as David
- 2010 · With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story as Self
- 2010 · Date Night as Taste
- 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 · Knocked Up as Sol (uncredited)
- 2007 · Spider-Man 3 as New Goblin / Harry Osborn
- 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 · The Colbert Report as
- 2005 · The Colbert Report as Self (uncredited)
- 2005 · The Great Raid as Captain Prince
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self
- 2004 · Spider-Man 2 as Harry Osborn
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self - Guest
- 2002 · City by the Sea as Joey
- 2002 · Deuces Wild as Tino
- 2002 · Spider-Man as Harry Osborn
- 2001 · James Dean as James Dean
- 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 Stevie
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · Pacific Blue as Brian
- 1993 · The X-Files as Officer #2
- 1993 · Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Guest
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as Self - Guest
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self (uncredited)
- Future · Naya: Legend of the Golden Dolphin as Finn (voice)
- 2027 · John Rambo as
- 2026 · Foster as Donald 'Don' Foster
- 2017 · Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
- 2017 · Don't Come Back from the Moon as Roman Smalley
- 2017 · The Mad Whale as Edward Fry
- 2017 · Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont
- 2017 · High School Lover as Rick Winters
- 2016 · The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Burn Country as Lindsay
- 2016 · Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
- 2016 · The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
- 2015 · Call Me Lucky as Self
- 2015 · Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo
- 2015 · The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
- 2015 · Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte
- 2014 · National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
- 2014 · Making A Scene With James Franco as
- 2014 · Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto as Self
- 2014 · Child of God as Jerry
- 2013 · Interior. Leather Bar. as James
- 2013 · Here Comes the Night Time as Man on Phone
- 2013 · Mademoiselle C as Self
- 2013 · What Is Cinema? as Self
- 2013 · Comedy Central Roast of James Franco as Self
- 2013 · A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")
- 2013 · Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show as Self
- 2013 · My Journey in Oz as Self
- 2012 · The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40)
- 2012 · The Letter as Tyrone
- 2012 · Maladies as James
- 2012 · Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
- 2011 · Two Films, One Legacy as
- 2010 · Howl as Allen Ginsberg
- 2010 · Saturday Night as Self
- 2009 · SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas as (archive footage)
- 2008 · Good Time Max as Max
- 2007 · Fighting, Flying and Driving: The Stunts of 'Spider-Man 3' as Self
- 1999 · To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
- Future · The Long Home as Dallas Hardin
- 2015 · I Am Michael as Michael Glatze
- 2007 · Tangled Web: The Love Triangles of 'Spider-Man 3' as Self
- 2003 · The Company as Josh
- 2002 · Sonny as Sonny
- Future · Castro's Daughter as Fidel Castro
- 2007 · 'Spider-Man 3' on Location: New York, from Rooftops to Backstreets as Self
- 2007 · Interview as Boyfriend on Phone (voice)
- 2002 · Mother Ghost as Skateboarder guy
- 2002 · Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of Spider-Man as Self
- 2001 · Some Body as Apartment Guy #3
- Future · Love Meets in the Sunshine as Jacob
- Future · Something's in There as Mitchell Montes
- 2005 · The Ape as Harry Walker
- 2000 · At Any Cost as Mike
- Future · Toad as
- 2007 · On the Set: Spider-Man 3 as Self
- Future · The Razor's Edge as Dante
- 2025 · Squali as Robert Price
- 2024 · Hey Joe as Dean Barry
- 2019 · Pretenders as Maxwell
- 2018 · Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary as Self
- 2018 · Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron
- 2018 · Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self
- 2017 · Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
- 2017 · Blood Heist as Farmer Simon
- 2016 · Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy
- 2016 · Yosemite as Phil
- 2015 · Richard Peter Johnson as James Franco
- 2015 · A Walk in Winter as Conrad
- 2015 · Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston
- 2014 · Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
- 2014 · Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special as David Skylark
- 2014 · Obituaries as Felix Mitchum
- 2014 · I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel as James Franco
- 2013 · Playtime as The Art Dealer
- 2013 · Sal as Milton Katselas
- 2012 · The Broken Tower as Hart Crane
- 2012 · Hart Crane: An Exegesis as Self
- 2011 · Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2011 · Caput as
- 2011 · Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10 as
- 2010 · Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
- 2010 · Masculinity & Me as
- 2010 · Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
- 2009 · The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco as
- 2009 · Erased James Franco as Self
- 2007 · The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis as Justin Bobby
- 2007 · Re-Imagining the Goblin as Self
- 2002 · Spider-Mania as Self
- 1999 · To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
- Future · Jesse Heiman: World's Greatest Extra as Self
- Future · Jodi Lyn O'Keefe: A Life on Screen as Self (archive footage)
- 2011 · 127 Hours: An extraordinary view as Self - interviewed guest
- 2007 · Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee as Dean Silo
- 2006 · Grasshopper as Travis
- 2005 · Fool's Gold as Brent
- 2003 · Blind Spot as Danny
- 2002 · You Always Stalk the Ones You Love as
- 2002 · The Car Kid as
- 2001 · Mean People Suck as Casey
- 2000 · If Tomorrow Comes as Devin
- Future · Runaway as
- Future · Bunny-Man as Austin Boyd
- Future · Golden State Killer as
- Future · Kill the Czar as
- Future · Making A Scene as Himself