← Back to explore

James Franco

Acting

Born April 19, 1978 · Palo Alto, California, USA

Also known as James Edward Franco

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).

Awards & recognition

  • Indiana Film Journalists Association AwardBest Actor · 2010
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Actor – Miniseries or Television Film · 2002
  • Golden Shell
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 2011 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The X-Files

1993as Officer #2

Freaks and Geeks

1999as Daniel Desario

11.22.63

2016as Jake Epping

The Deuce

2017as Vincent Martino / Frankie Martino

The Little Prince

2015as The Fox (voice)

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis

2008as Self

30 Rock

2006as James Franco

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present

2012as Self

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011as Will Rodman

An American Crime

2007as Andy

Spider-Man 2

2004as Harry Osborn

Spider-Man

2002as Harry Osborn

Comedy Central Roast of James Franco

2013as Self

Conan

2010as Self

Milk

2008as Scott Smith

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

2018as Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")

The Disaster Artist

2017as Tommy / 'Johnny'

Hot Ones

2015as Self

Eames: The Architect & The Painter

2011as Self - Narrator (voice)

127 Hours

2010as Aron Ralston

The Holiday

2006as James Franco (uncredited)

Call Me Lucky

2015as Self

Profiler

1996as Stevie

Homefront

2013as Morgan 'Gator' Bodine

Annapolis

2006as Jake Huard

The Colbert Report

2005as Self (uncredited)

Saturday Night Live

1975as Self - Host

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story

2010as Self

In the Valley of Elah

2007as Sergeant Carnelli

Tristan + Isolde

2006as Tristan

Deadbeat

2014as Johnny

Veronica Mars

2014as James Franco (uncredited)

A Fuller Life

2013as Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")

The Iceman

2012as Marty Freeman

Pineapple Express

2008as Saul Silver

Hey Joe

2024as Dean Barry

What Is Cinema?

2013as Self

Spider-Man 3

2007as New Goblin / Harry Osborn

Flyboys

2006as Blaine Rawlings

The Great Raid

2005as Captain Prince

Angie Tribeca

2016as Sgt. Eddie Pepper

Why Him?

2016as Laird Mayhew

Howl

2010as Allen Ginsberg

Interview

2007as Boyfriend on Phone (voice)

The Daily Show

1996as Self

True Story

2015as Christian Longo

Nights in Rodanthe

2008as Mark Flanner (uncredited)

Knocked Up

2007as Sol (uncredited)

Alien: Covenant

2017as Jacob Branson (uncredited)

The Interview

2014as Dave Skylark