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).
3.4
Popularity187
Credits6.2
Rating65.9M
Budget214M
RevenueActing
Primarily2025 Squali
2025 Bunny-Man as Austin Boyd
2025 Naya: Legend of the Golden Dolphin as Finn (voice)
2025 Michael Caton-Jones: This Broxburn Boy's Life as Self (archive footage)
2025 The Long Home as Dallas Hardin Director
2025 Jesse Heiman: World's Greatest Extra as Self
2025 Me, You
2025 Golden State Killer
2025 Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde as Fidel Castro
2025 Toad
2025 Rant Screenplay
2025 Kill the Czar
2025 The Razor's Edge as Dante
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)
2020 Sleepaway Slasher Executive Producer
2020 Birth of a Poet Writer, Director
2019 Arctic Dogs as Lemmy (voice)
2019 Pretenders as Maxwell Director
2019 Zeroville as Vikar Director
2019 Don't Come Back from the Moon as Roman Smalley Producer
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 Director, Producer
2018 Mississippi Requiem as Homer Barron Writer, Executive Producer
2018 Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster as Self Director
2017 Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine as Self - Archive Footage
2017 The Show as Male Host
2017 The Vault as Ed Mass
2017 Dumpster Diving as El Diablo
2017 Blood Heist as Farmer Simon
2017 The Mad Whale
2017 Alien: Covenant as Jacob Branson (uncredited)
2017 Tenn Director
2017 The Disaster Artist as Tommy / "Johnny" Director, Producer
2017 Actors Anonymous as Jake Lamont Writer
2017 The Institute as Dr. Cairn Director, Executive Producer
2017 Prologue: Last Supper as Branson
2017 High School Lover as Rick Winters Executive Producer
2017 Rio Executive Producer
2016 Why Him? as Laird Mayhew Executive Producer
2016 The Labyrinth as Narrator (voice) Executive Producer
2016 Blood Surf as Metalhead Troy Executive Producer
2016 King Cobra as Joe Kerekes Producer
2016 In Dubious Battle as Mac McLeod Director, Producer
2016 Goat as Mitch Producer
2016 Sausage Party as Druggie (voice)
2016 Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? as Director Story, Executive Producer
2016 The Caged Pillows as David D-R+
2016 Burn Country as Lindsay
2016 The Adderall Diaries as Stephen Elliott Producer
2016 Memoria as Mr. Wyckoff
2016 The 4%: Film's Gender Problem as Self
2016 Yosemite as Phil Executive Producer, Book
2015 Richard Peter Johnson as James Franco
2015 The Night Before as Self
2015 A Walk in Winter as Conrad Executive Producer
2015 The Sound and the Fury as Benjy Compson Director
2015 Queen of the Desert as Henry Cadogan
2015 Call Me Lucky as Self
2015 The Little Prince as The Fox (voice)
2015 Black Dog, Red Dog as Leo Writer, Director
2015 Miss Famous Executive Producer
2015 Wild Horses as Ben Briggs
2015 Killing Animals as Mr. Hurston Novel
2015 True Story as Christian Longo
2015 Every Thing Will Be Fine as Tomas Eldan
2015 The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards as Conrad
2015 I Am Michael as Michael Glatze Producer
2015 Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha as Pasamonte Executive Producer
2014 The Interview as Dave Skylark Executive Producer
2014 Future Relic 02 as The Searcher
2014 National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men as George
2014 Guests Executive Producer
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 Child of God as Jerry Director, Screenplay
2014 Veronica Mars as James Franco (uncredited)
2014 I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel Director
2013 Palo Alto as Mr. B Author, Book
2013 DREAM Producer, Director
2013 Homefront as Morgan 'Gator' Bodine
2013 Playtime as The Art Dealer
2013 Sal as Milton Katselas Director, Story
2013 As I Lay Dying as Darl Bundren Director, Screenplay
2013 Interior. Leather Bar. as James Director, Cinematography, Producer
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 Venice 70: Future Reloaded Director
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 La Passione Director
2013 Bukowski Writer, Director
2013 This Is the End as James Franco
2013 The Director Producer
2013 Oz the Great and Powerful as Oz
2013 Spring Breakers as Alien
2013 Kink Producer
2012 The Color of Time as C.K. Williams (age 40) Producer
2012 The Letter as Tyrone
2012 The Iceman as Marty Freeman
2012 Maladies as James
2012 Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present as Self
2012 The Broken Tower as Hart Crane Producer, Director, Screenplay, Editor
2012 Hart Crane: An Exegesis as Himself Director
2012 My Own Private River Editor, Director
2012 About Cherry as Francis
2012 Francophrenia Director
2012 Jeffrey Executive Producer
2011 Eames: The Architect and the Painter as Self - Narrator (voice)
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman
2011 Caput
2011 Your Highness as Fabious
2011 Blood Meridian Test Reel Director
2011 Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10
2011 The Green Hornet as Danny Crystal Cleer (uncredited)
2010 14 Actors Acting as Self
2010 127 Hours as Aron Ralston
2010 Untitled Director
2010 42 One Dream Rush Director
2010 Howl as Allen Ginsberg
2010 Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) as James Franco (Image Only)
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 Masculinity & Me Writer, Director
2010 The Clerk's Tale Screenplay, Director
2010 Saturday Night as Self Director
2010 Shadows & Lies as William Vincent
2010 Date Night as Taste
2010 Herbert White Director, Writer
2010 Goat Boy Director
2009 SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas
2009 The Feast of Stephen Director, Writer
2009 The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco
2009 Erased James Franco as Self
2008 Milk as Scott Smith
2008 Good Time Max as Max Director, Writer
2008 Nights in Rodanthe as Mark Flanner (uncredited)
2008 Pineapple Express as Saul Silver
2008 Camille as Silias
2007 The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis as Justin Bobby
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 Grasshopper as Travis
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 Great Raid as Captain Prince
2005 The Ape as Harry Walker Director, Writer, Executive Producer
2005 Fool's Gold as Brent Director, Writer
2004 Spider-Man 2 as Harry Osborn
2003 The Company as Josh
2003 Blind Spot as Danny
2002 Sonny as Sonny
2002 City by the Sea as Joey
2002 Mother Ghost as Skateboarder guy
2002 You Always Stalk the Ones You Love
2002 The Car Kid
2002 Deuces Wild as Tino
2002 Spider-Man as Harry Osborn
2002 Spider-Mania as Self
2002 Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man' as Self
2001 James Dean as James Dean
2001 Some Body as Apartment Guy #3
2001 Mean People Suck as Casey
2000 At Any Cost as Mike
2000 Alien: Penetration as Hitch
2000 Whatever It Takes as Chris Campbell
2000 If Tomorrow Comes as Devin
1999 Never Been Kissed as Jason
1999 To Serve and Protect as Matt Carr
7.13 Western 1
6.77 Music 3
6.63 Family 4
6.50 Science Fiction 10
6.42 Action 20
6.31 History 7
6.27 TV Movie 6
6.23 Adventure 15
6.09 Fantasy 8
6.09 Animation 4
6.01 War 3
5.95 Crime 17
5.92 Comedy 34
5.82 Documentary 21
5.79 Romance 17
5.71 Mystery 6
5.64 Thriller 23
5.63 Horror 8
5.60 Drama 86