Misplaced Pages

#46953

110-595: James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred in numerous films, including 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 has collaborated with fellow actor Seth Rogen on multiple projects, including Pineapple Express (2008), This Is

220-486: A Conservative Jewish family. He is a son of merchants Celia Barbara (née Abrams) and Leonard Ronald Raimi. His ancestors were Jewish immigrants from Russia and Hungary. His younger brother Ted is an actor, and his older brother Ivan is a screenwriter and physician. His older sister, Andrea Raimi Rubin, is a court reporter. Another older brother, Sander, died at 15 in an accidental drowning in Israel ; Raimi has said that

330-413: A Golden Globe Award and nominations for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award (SAG). Franco achieved worldwide fame and attention in the 2002 superhero film Spider-Man , when he played Harry Osborn , the son of the villainous Green Goblin ( Willem Dafoe ) and best friend of Spider-Man ( Tobey Maguire ). Originally, Franco was considered for the lead role of Spider-Man/Peter Parker in

440-617: A Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . At the end of 2017, Franco, almost 40, said he was slowing down to focus on himself. On December 23, 2021, Franco gave his first interview in nearly four years when he appeared on an episode of the Jess Cagle Podcast . In August 2022, Franco was cast as Fidel Castro in Alina in Cuba , a casting decision that was supported by Fidel Castro's daughter. Franco produced and directed

550-400: A Silicon Valley business. His father was of Portuguese and Swedish ancestry, while his mother was from a family of Russian Jews . His paternal grandmother, Marjorie ( née Peterson), is a published author of young adult books. His maternal grandfather, Daniel, changed his surname from "Verovitz" to "Verne" some time after 1940, and his maternal grandmother, Mitzie ( née Levine), owned

660-643: A period piece dramatization of the Tristan and Iseult story also starring British actress Sophia Myles . For the former, he did eight months of boxing training and for the latter, he practiced horseback riding and sword fighting. He then completed training for his Private Pilot Licence in preparation for his role in Flyboys , which was released in September 2006; the same month, Franco appeared briefly in The Wicker Man ,

770-605: A "D" grade in "Acting" class at the NYU Graduate Film School. He had, in fact, received that grade in a "Directing the Actor" class. Franco's professor, José Angel Santana, alleged that Franco did not earn his grades while attending that school and stated that Franco only received high marks and a degree because of his celebrity status as an actor. Franco made unfavorable comments about Santana's teaching. In September 2012, after having been terminated from his position Santana filed

880-472: A "mixed-media piece", the show featured live dance, theater, music, and poetry. Tickets were free, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The actor also directed two short films for songs ("Blue" and "That Someone Is You") by R.E.M. from their album Collapse into Now (2011). Franco continued his career as a filmmaker with The Broken Tower , a 90-minute docudrama shot in black and white about poet Hart Crane , who committed suicide by jumping off

990-514: A cameo appearance on NBC 's Minute to Win It where the real-life Ralston was participating as a contestant playing for charity. After having an uncredited cameo in the opening scene of The Green Hornet (2011), he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Danny McBride in the Medieval fantasy comedy Your Highness . In the film, he plays Fabious, a prince who teams up with his brother (McBride) to rescue

1100-417: A campaign in September 2013 in support of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Franco's performance. In March 2013, it was announced that Franco was set to make his 2014 Broadway stage debut in the role of George in a revival of John Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men . In October 2013, Franco appeared in the music video for " City of Angels " by Thirty Seconds to Mars . On March 8, 2013, Franco received

1210-525: A crash pad with a zero WAF (Woman Acceptance Factor). It's an unshowy, generous performance and it greatly humanizes a movie that, as it shifts genre gears and cranks up the noise, becomes disappointingly sober and self-serious". His performance earned him a second Golden Globe nomination, for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy . He has stated in some interviews that he no longer uses cannabis (although he has occasionally alluded to smoking it, most notably during an extended segment on The Colbert Report ). He

SECTION 10

#1732884414047

1320-467: A creative writing concentration. He received permission to take as many as 62 course credits per quarter compared to the normal limit of 19, while still continuing to act, receiving many of his credits from independent study for his involvement on the set of Spider-Man 3 . He received his undergraduate degree in June 2008 with a GPA of 3.5/4.0. For his degree, Franco prepared his departmental honors thesis as

1430-589: A dancing Elvis Presley . He found guest roles on television shows but his first break came in 1999, after he was cast in a leading role on the short-lived but well-reviewed NBC television series Freaks and Geeks , which ran for 18 episodes and was canceled due to low viewership. Later, the show became a cult hit among audiences. He has since described the series as "one of the most fun" work experiences that he has had. In another interview, Franco said: "When we were doing Freaks and Geeks , I didn't quite understand how movies and TV worked, and I would improvise even if

1540-444: A dependent nation. The Indian Appropriations Act was passed on 3 March 1871, with an amendment ending tribal recognition and the treaty system. All Indians were made wards of the state; thus the U.S. government no longer needed tribal consent in dealing with the tribes. In California , a juvenile offender may be ordered to be a ward of a court if such juvenile violated any state law, curfew, or from excessive truancies since

1650-552: A director and later watched three of his short films, one of which featured a serial killer, ultimately confirming to the writer that the actor had a darker side. Franco also directed a film version of William Faulkner 's novel As I Lay Dying ; the film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival . In late 2013, Franco starred in This Is the End as

1760-573: A documentary titled Saturday Night , which documented a week in the production of an episode of SNL . The film began as a short for an NYU class, but grew due to his two episodes as host, while short stories he wrote for other classes appeared in Esquire and McSweeney's . In summer 2010, the fictional Franco from General Hospital held an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, while

1870-409: A fictionalized version of himself stuck in a house during an apocalypse with Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride, also fictionalized versions of themselves. In February 2012, Franco began shooting a film version of Cormac McCarthy 's 1973 novella Child of God , which stars Scott Haze as Lester Ballard. The film chronicles the depraved and violent impulses of

1980-531: A film. On January 26, 2011, Franco and the Harvard Lampoon released a satirical video on prominent comedy website Funny or Die mocking his last-minute cancellation. Franco moved to New York to simultaneously attend graduate school at Columbia University School of the Arts for writing, New York University 's Tisch School of the Arts for filmmaking, and Brooklyn College for fiction writing, while also attending

2090-447: A high note. I didn't want to just make another one that pretty much worked. I had a really high standard in my mind. And I didn't think I could get that script to the level that I was hoping for by that start date." He, along with Marc Webb , were both brought on as creative consultants for Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: No Way Home , directed by Jon Watts . Raimi frequently collaborates with Joel and Ethan Coen , beginning when Joel

2200-466: A lawsuit against Franco for defamation ; Santana claimed that Franco's comments were false and had led to his termination. In September 2013, Franco and Santana settled the defamation lawsuit. "The matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties," said Santana's attorney Matthew Blit . Franco defended himself on the Howard Stern Show , stating that he had told the professor before

2310-566: A most unlikely source". Writing in The New York Times , reviewer and fellow author Joshua Mohr praised Franco for how, in the story "American History", he juxtaposed historical parts with a present-day social commentary that "makes the we wonder how much we've actually evolved in post-bellum America". At least one editor of a literary journal testified he would not publish Franco's stories, claiming he has been published due to his star power, not literary talent. Publishers Weekly reviewed

SECTION 20

#1732884414047

2420-565: A movie camera home one day. He began to make Super 8 movies with his friend Bruce Campbell , whom he met in 1975. In college, he teamed up with his brother's roommate Robert Tapert and Campbell to shoot Within the Woods (1978), a 32-minute horror film which raised $ 375,000, as well as his debut feature film It's Murder! . During that time, he also shot the seven-minute short film Clockwork (1978), starring Scott Spiegel (who had appeared in Within

2530-407: A movie, but was unable to secure the rights, so he created his own super-hero, Darkman (1990). The film was his first major studio picture , and was commercially successful, spawning two sequels. Through it he was still able to secure funding for Evil Dead III , which was retitled Army of Darkness and largely steered away from horror towards fantasy and comedy elements. Army of Darkness ,

2640-672: A new opening weekend box office record for North America. With a revenue of $ 783 million worldwide, it became the second highest-grossing film in 2004. The following year he made and starred in the black comedy The Ape and the 2005 war film The Great Raid , in which he portrayed Robert Prince , a captain in the United States Army's elite Sixth Ranger Battalion . In 2006, Franco co-starred with Tyrese Gibson in Annapolis and played legendary hero Tristan in Tristan & Isolde ,

2750-403: A novel under the supervision of Mona Simpson . Franco was selected as the commencement speaker at UCLA, and was to speak at the ceremony on June 12, 2009. Several months before commencement, an editorial in the student newspaper questioned his "caliber" and a student created a Facebook page protesting the choice. On June 3, Franco withdrew, citing a date conflict with location pre-production on

2860-417: A once-in-a-lifetime experience. To date, 127 Hours is one of his most well-reviewed movies and was also a commercial success, earning $ 60.7 million against an $ 18 million budget. His performance earned him universal acclaim from critics. Subsequently, he was nominated for an Academy Award , Golden Globe and SAG award, as well as winning an Independent Spirit Award. On February 23, 2011, Franco made

2970-486: A project that features two movies: Endless Idaho and My Own Private River . Endless Idaho showcases edited outtakes, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage from the 1991 movie My Own Private Idaho , while My Own Private River focuses on actor River Phoenix . The idea for the exhibition was conceived after Van Sant introduced unused footage from the 1991 film to Franco, inspiring him to turn it into something more. Unfinished opened from February 26 to April 9 at

3080-421: A recurring basis. He plays Franco , a multimedia artist much like himself, who comes to Port Charles to do an art exhibition and becomes obsessed with Jason Morgan ( Steve Burton ). Franco has called his General Hospital role performance art . Franco began 2010 by making an appearance on the sitcom 30 Rock where he played himself and carried on a fake romance with Jenna Maroney ( Jane Krakowski ) in

3190-581: A scheme concocted by their respective agents. After appearing in the commercial successes Date Night , an action comedy, and Eat Pray Love , an adaption of a novel, Franco played poet Allen Ginsberg in the drama Howl , released on September 24. The latter, about his most known poem and the trial about the work, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and earned modest reviews. In his next project, 127 Hours , directed by Danny Boyle , Franco portrayed real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston . It

3300-514: A screenwriting class on the online learning community Skillshare . For his students' film projects, Franco has helped to attract actors, including Seth MacFarlane , Kate Mara , Natalie Portman , Chloe Sevigny , Kristen Wiig and Olivia Wilde . Franco developed an aptitude for art—painting in particular—during his high school years while attending the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA). Franco has said painting

3410-528: A sequel." On February 26, 2016, it was confirmed that Raimi is attached to direct the upcoming film World War 3 for Warner Bros. The film will be based on a possible future inspired by the book The Next 100 Years by George Friedman . On February 16, 2017, it was reported that Raimi will be directing a thriller about the Bermuda Triangle for Skydance Media , with the script being written by Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard. By January 29, 2018, Raimi

James Franco - Misplaced Pages Continue

3520-473: A seventeen-year-old girl posted several screenshots of alleged messages between her and Franco on Instagram . The messages showed that Franco, then aged 35, tried to meet her in a hotel room even after she told him she was only seventeen. On January 11, 2018, the Los Angeles Times reported that five women had accussed Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior during the period when Franco

3630-532: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , located at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard. In April 2014, Franco directed and appeared in "Techno Color Sunglasses", which promoted Gucci's eyewear collection. In December, Franco starred in the controversial Sony comedy thriller, The Interview , a film which played a central role in the real world diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea as they related to

3740-880: A syndicated TV series called Legend of the Seeker , based on Terry Goodkind 's best-selling The Sword of Truth fantasy series. He also executive produced the Starz original television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand , Spartacus: Gods of the Arena , Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned . He directed the pilot episode of Ash vs Evil Dead for Starz. Since 1993, Raimi has been married to Gillian Greene, daughter of Canadian actor Lorne Greene . They have five children; their three eldest, daughter Emma Rose and sons Lorne and Henry, appeared as extras in Drag Me to Hell and during

3850-487: A voice only role, both 2007 movies that were ignored by audiences and critics alike. Among his other 2007 projects were Good Time Max , which Franco wrote, directed and starred in. The movie premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and tells the story of two talented brothers who take very diverse paths in life, one going on to become a doctor whilst the other sibling (Franco) experiences unemployment and uses drugs. The actor chose to cast himself in that role because, "It

3960-550: A ward of the State ( pupille de l'État ) is a minor who is under the responsibility of the State. These wards could be the result of any of: anonymous birth (" né sous X "), found abandoned, unregistered children, children assigned by a court to the care of the Child Social Welfare Service (ASE), or minor orphans who suddenly find themselves without parents for whatever reason. Children recognized as wards of

4070-443: Is dedicated to many of the writers he worked with at Brooklyn College . Inspired by some of Franco's own teenage memories, as well as memories written and submitted by high school students at Palo Alto Senior High School, Palo Alto consists of life in that city as experienced by a series of teenagers who spend most of their time indulging in driving drunk, smoking marijuana , and taking part in unplanned acts of violence. Each passage

4180-419: Is told by a young narrator. The book has received mixed reviews; Los Angeles Times called it "the work of an ambitious young man who clearly loves to read, who has a good eye for detail, but who has spent way too much time on style and virtually none on substance". The Guardian reported that Franco's "foray into the literary world may be met with cynicism in some quarters, but this is a promising debut from

4290-621: The Alien prequel, Alien: Covenant , alongside his longtime friend and frequent collaborator Danny McBride , as well as Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace . He played Branson, the captain of the Covenant ship and husband to Daniels, played by Katherine Waterston . The film was released on May 19, 2017. In 2016, Franco directed, co-produced, and starred in The Disaster Artist , the film adaptation of actor Greg Sestero 's non-fiction book of

4400-602: The 2014 Sony hacking incident . In April 2015, two of his projects, titled I Am Michael and True Story , were shown at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival . In I Am Michael , Franco plays a gay activist who rejects his homosexuality and becomes a conservative Christian pastor with a girlfriend. In True Story , based on a true story, Franco played Christian Longo , a man who was on the FBI's most wanted list for murdering his wife and three children in Oregon, and who had also been hiding under

4510-548: The Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills. On February 27, 2011, he and Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Academy Awards . The two were selected to help the awards show achieve its goal of attracting a younger audience. Franco had previously said that he accepted the job for the experience and because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Numerous media viewers criticized Franco for his discontent and lack of energy on stage and

James Franco - Misplaced Pages Continue

4620-452: The House of Lords , in the case of Re F (Mental Patient: Sterilisation) , held that the monarch has no parens patriae jurisdiction with regard to mentally disabled adults. A court may take responsibility for the legal protection of an incapacitated person as well a minor, and the ward is known as a ward of the court or a ward of the state . In Australia, New Zealand, and the United States,

4730-617: The LGBT community and his portrayal of gay characters in his projects, Franco's sexuality has been a subject of discussion in media sources. In a March 2015 interview with Four Two Nine magazine, Franco again opened up about his sexuality, stating, "In the twenties and thirties, they used to define homosexuality by how you acted and not by whom you slept with. Sailors would fuck guys all the time, but as long as they behaved in masculine ways, they weren't considered gay. Well, I like to think that I'm gay in my art and straight in my life." After meeting on

4840-459: The SAT . He graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996, where he acted in plays. This led to him attending CSSSA in 1998 for theater studies. In his high school years, Franco was arrested for underage drinking, graffiti, and being a part of a group that stole designer fragrances from department stores and sold them to classmates. These arrests led to Franco briefly becoming a ward of the state . Facing

4950-565: The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an English major, but dropped out after his first year (against his parents' wishes) to pursue a career as an actor, since he would have had to wait two years to audition for their acting program. He instead chose to take acting lessons with Robert Carnegie at the Playhouse West. Around this time, he took up a late-night job at McDonald's to support himself because his parents refused to do so. He

5060-570: The low-residency MFA Program for Writers at North Carolina 's Warren Wilson College for poetry. He received his M.F.A. from Columbia in 2010. As of 2010, Franco was studying in the Ph.D. program in English at Yale University . He has also attended the Rhode Island School of Design . In an interview with Showbiz411 , on September 23, 2010, Franco made the erroneous public announcement that he received

5170-493: 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). In 2014,

5280-422: The End (2013), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor . Franco's performance in 127 Hours (2010) earned a Best Actor nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards . His first prominent television role was Daniel Desario on the short-lived ensemble comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), which developed a cult following . He portrayed

5390-511: The Game (1999) (starring Kevin Costner ). Raimi achieved great critical and commercial success with the blockbuster Spider-Man (2002), which was adapted from the comic book series of the same name . The movie grossed over US$ 800 million worldwide, spawning two sequels: Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 , both directed by Raimi and each grossing approximately $ 800 million. After the completion of

5500-461: The Jewish experience", but has been told not to worry about that by his Jewish friends and said in the same interview that he likes "the idea of religion as a source of community". When asked if he was a "believer", he responded, "In God? I don't know. Yes. To a certain extent. It's a complicated question." In 2015, he had an official bar mitzvah ceremony, presided over by a rabbi. Due to his support for

5610-525: The Old Days and their first EP MotorCity. On July 9, 2013, Franco announced that he would be the featured roastee on the next Comedy Central Roast . The roast aired on September 2, 2013. In February 2014, Franco wrote an article in The New York Times in support of the metamodernist performance art of Shia LaBeouf , describing LaBeouf's project as one "in which a young man in a very public profession tries to reclaim his public persona". In April 2014,

SECTION 50

#1732884414047

5720-423: The Woods ) and Cheryl Guttridge. Through family, friends, and a network of investors, Raimi was able to finance production of the highly successful horror film The Evil Dead (1981), which became a cult hit and effectively launched Raimi's career. He began work on his third film Crimewave (1985), which he co-wrote with the then-unknown Coen brothers , shortly after. Intended as a live-action comic book,

5830-498: The camera in The Stand as a dimwitted hitman, John Carpenter 's Body Bags as a murdered gas station attendant, and Indian Summer in what is perhaps his biggest role as a bumbling assistant to Alan Arkin . The film was written by his childhood friend, writer-director Mike Binder , and shot at the camp that they both attended when they were younger. Raimi also produced the entire English-language The Grudge franchise , based on

5940-479: The camera wasn't on me ... So I was improvising a little bit back then, but not in a productive way." After his film debut Never Been Kissed , he played a popular jock named Chris in Whatever It Takes (2000), a modern-day remake of the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac . He was subsequently cast as the title role in director Mark Rydell 's 2001 TV biographical film James Dean . To immerse himself in

6050-399: The character very much and we're trying to work on a story that'll do justice to the character." Raimi, along with Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert , produced the remake of Raimi's The Evil Dead . First-time feature filmmaker Fede Álvarez wrote and directed, and Diablo Cody was also brought in to revise/rewrite the script. Raimi confirmed plans to write Evil Dead 4 with his brother; it

6160-565: The child is termed a ward of the court . In Ireland and the United Kingdom, "the" is not used; the ward is thus termed a ward of court . In Canada, the legal term is permanent ward , except in Ontario, which uses the term Crown ward . Children who are in the custody of government departments, also known as foster care , become wards of the respective government entity, and in the US they are wards of

6270-399: The collection, stating "The author fails to find anything remotely insightful to say in these 11 amazingly underwhelming stories". In January 2011, Franco screened his multimedia project, entitled Three's Company The Drama , in which he merges video and art to update the titular sitcom , at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival . Franco reunited with Milk director Van Sant to make Unfinished ,

6380-537: The end of 2010. In June 2010, James Franco presented his first solo exhibition, "The Dangerous Book Four Boys", presented at The Clocktower Gallery in New York City. Curated by Alanna Heiss , the show featured video, drawings, sculptures and installation. On October 19, 2010, Scribner published a collection of short stories, Palo Alto , by Franco. The book is named after the California city where Franco grew up, and

6490-617: The fact that I'm going to school or that someone takes a picture of me sleeping is like, 'We're gonna jump on that and criticize him for his antics'. What antics? I write. I make movies. I'm going to school. I hosted the Oscars. I take these projects seriously. Franco has deliberately garnered a reputation for publishing " selfies " and wrote an explanatory article for The New York Times in December 2013. He stated: [A] well-stocked collection of selfies seems to get attention. And attention seems to be

6600-510: The film he plays Scott Smith , the boyfriend of Harvey Milk (Penn). Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times , in review of the film, wrote: "Franco is a nice match for him [Penn] as the lover who finally has enough of political life". For his performance in the film, Franco won the Independent Spirit Award in the category for Best Supporting Actor . In late 2009 he joined the cast of the daytime soap opera General Hospital on

6710-589: The film was unsuccessful, partly due to unwanted studio intervention. Raimi then returned to the horror genre with the seminal Evil Dead II (which added slapstick humor to the over the top horror, showcasing his love of the Three Stooges ). With his brother Ivan Raimi (and crediting himself as Celia Abrams), Sam Raimi also wrote Easy Wheels (1989), which parodied the Outlaw biker film genre. A long-time comic book buff, he then attempted to adapt " The Shadow " into

SECTION 60

#1732884414047

6820-582: The film. Set in 1980s New Orleans, Sonny follows the titular character (Franco) returning home after just being discharged from the Army. To prepare for his role, he met with sex workers or people who had previously been prostitutes. The movie was panned by critics. Franco was cast as a homeless drug addict in the drama City by the Sea (2002) after co-star Robert De Niro saw a snippet of his work in James Dean . He lived on

6930-530: The film. Todd McCarthy of Variety noted that there are "good moments" between Maguire and Franco in the film. Spider-Man was a commercial and critical success. The movie grossed $ 114 million during its opening weekend in North America and went on to earn $ 822 million worldwide. He next starred in Sonny , a 2002 release in which he was directed by Nicolas Cage , whose involvement had attracted Franco to

7040-614: The final battle in Spider-Man 3 . Lorne also contributed as one of many second unit directors on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness . In 1995, Raimi donated $ 450 to the campaign of then- Republican Senator Arlen Specter . In 2002, he donated $ 1,000 to Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer . During the 2004 election cycle , Raimi donated $ 900 to Republican President George W. Bush . Producer only Executive producer only Short films Executive producer only Ward of

7150-515: The final movie in the Evil Dead trilogy, commercially underperformed, yet on video became a cult classic. In the 1990s, Raimi moved into other genres, directing such films as the western The Quick and the Dead (starring Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman ), the critically acclaimed crime thriller A Simple Plan (1998) (starring Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton ), and the romantic drama For Love of

7260-520: The following month in California. He dropped out of the indie film While We're Young to star in Oz the Great and Powerful , a Disney prequel to L. Frank Baum 's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Filming began in July 2011, and the film was released on March 8, 2013. He has signed to do a sequel to it. At the end of September 2010, the actor acquired the rights to Stephen Elliott 's The Adderall Diaries , with

7370-513: The identity of Michael Finkel , a journalist played by Jonah Hill . In 2015, Franco was cast in the lead role for the Hulu limited series 11.22.63 which is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King . The eight-episode series premiered on February 15, 2016. In 2016, Franco co-produced and starred in King Cobra , a true story about the rise of gay pornographic actor Brent Corrigan and

7480-550: The intention to adapt, direct, and star in the film. It was announced in January 2011 that the actor has planned to not only star in, but direct himself in The Night Stalker , a film version of author Philip Carlo 's book about the 1980s serial killer, Richard Ramirez . Co-screenwriter of the screenplay, Nicholas Constantine, was initially unconvinced that Franco would be right for the movie, until he learned of Franco's desire to be

7590-601: The literary publisher Graywolf Press issued Franco's first collection of poetry, Directing Herbert White . The title alludes to a poem (made by Franco into a 2010 short film) by Frank Bidart , who has served as friend and mentor to Franco. Viewed as a sex symbol , Franco was named the Sexiest Man Living in 2009 by Salon . There has often been frequent media coverage of Franco, particularly regarding his interest in going to colleges. In addition to that, Franco has also claimed to have been strongly misquoted by reports in

7700-419: The media and news outlets reporting erroneous information about him. This led to the actor being parodied in an episode of SNL ' s Weekend Update segment, which an Entertainment Weekly writer deemed "clever". In a 2011 interview, he stated: I've been perceived as this guy yelling, 'Hey, look at me. I want attention'. I'm not going to school to get articles written about me. I'm just going to school. But

7810-404: The murder of Bryan Kocis . Franco played Joseph Kerekes who (along with his partner) was convicted of the murder. In the comedy Why Him? , released in December 2016, Franco played an immature tech-billionaire whose girlfriend's conservative father tries to intervene in the couple's relationship, with Zoey Deutch playing the girlfriend and Bryan Cranston as her father. He briefly appeared in

7920-559: The name of the game when it comes to social networking. In this age of too much information at a click of a button, the power to attract viewers amid the sea of things to read and watch is power indeed. It's what the movie studios want for their products, it's what professional writers want for their work, it's what newspapers want — hell, it's what everyone wants: attention. Attention is power. In April 2012, Shalom Life ranked Franco and his brother, Dave, together as number two on its list of 50 talented and attractive Jewish men. In 2013, Franco

8030-619: The original Japanese films. According to Entertainment Weekly , Raimi had expressed an interest in directing a film version of The Hobbit , the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 2008, Guillermo del Toro was selected as the director, with Peter Jackson as the executive producer. Raimi may direct By Any Means Necessary , the next film based on the "Jack Ryan" CIA character created by Tom Clancy for Paramount Pictures . Disney also approached him to direct W.I.T.C.H. : The Movie , based on

8140-414: The planned sequel. On December 11, 2006, the website SuperHero Hype reported that director Sam Raimi and Michael Uslan would co-produce a new film version of The Shadow for Columbia Pictures . On October 16, 2007, Raimi stated that: "I don't have any news on The Shadow at this time, except that the company that I have with Josh Donen, my producing partner, we've got the rights to The Shadow . I love

8250-584: The popular comic. Blizzard Entertainment announced on July 22, 2009, that Raimi would be directing a film adaptation of the Warcraft video game series, but at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con , it was revealed that he would not be the director. On September 23, 2009, he became the producer for the British supernatural thriller Refuge , which is directed by Corin Hardy and published by Mandate Pictures . He will produce

8360-403: The possibility of juvenile hall , he was given a second chance by the judge. He recalled of his troubles with the law, "It was teen angst. I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I was shy. I changed my ways just in time to get good grades." Although the idea of becoming a marine zoologist interested him, Franco had always secretly wanted to become an actor but feared being rejected. He enrolled at

8470-469: The production company Renaissance Pictures in 1979 and Ghost House Pictures in 2002. Raimi has also produced several successful television series, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys , its spin-off Xena: Warrior Princess and Ash vs Evil Dead starring long time friend and collaborator Bruce Campbell reprising his role in the Evil Dead franchise. Raimi was born in Royal Oak, Michigan , to

8580-511: The prominent Verne Art Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio and was an active member in the National Council of Jewish Women . Franco's family upbringing was "academic, liberal, and largely secular". He grew up in California with his two younger brothers, actors Tom and Dave . A "math whiz", Franco interned at Lockheed Martin . He was often encouraged by his father to get good grades and did well on

8690-585: The real Franco held an exhibit at the museum based on his experiences on the soap opera. In 2008, Franco was named as the face of Gucci 's men's fragrance line. His short films as director The Feast of Stephen and Herbert White were both presented within Maryland Film Festival in May 2010. Another of his short movies, The Clerk's Tale , was screened in competition at the Hamptons Film Festival at

8800-454: The remake of the seminal horror film . Also in 2006, he made a cameo appearance in the romantic comedy The Holiday . He again played Harry Osborn in Spider-Man 3 (2007). In contrast to the previous two films' positive reviews, Spider-Man 3 was met with a mixed reception by critics. Nonetheless, with a total worldwide gross of $ 891 million, it stands as the most successful film in

8910-490: The remake of the Danish thriller The Substitute , which will be directed by Scott Derrickson under his new label Spooky Pictures. Raimi produced with his company Ghost House Pictures the British thriller flick Burst 3D , directed by Neil Marshall . Raimi directed Oz the Great and Powerful , which was released on March 8, 2013, by Walt Disney Pictures and grossed $ 493 million worldwide. He said he would not be directing

9020-503: The role, Franco went from being a non-smoker to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, bleached his dark brown hair blond, and learned to ride a motorcycle as well as play guitar and the bongos. To have a greater understanding of Dean, Franco spent hours with two of Dean's associates. Other research included reading books on Dean and studying his movies. While filming James Dean , Franco, to get into character, cut off communication with his family and friends, as well as his then-girlfriend. "It

9130-492: The same name , about the making of The Room , which is considered to be one of worst films ever made . In the film, Franco portrayed the film's star, director, screenwriter, and producer Tommy Wiseau , while Franco's brother, Dave , portrayed Sestero. Franco remained in character as Wiseau throughout the entirety of the shoot. The Disaster Artist was released on December 1, 2017, to positive reviews, while his portrayal of Wiseau gained near-universal praise. His performance won

9240-496: The semester began that he would have to miss most classes to film 127 Hours and that they had agreed that Franco would receive a "D" in the course. Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( / ˈ r eɪ m i / RAY -mee ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the Evil Dead franchise (1981-present) and the Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007). He also directed

9350-540: The series , and Franco's highest-grossing film to date. In this same year, Franco made a cameo appearance as himself in the Apatow-directed comedy Knocked Up , which starred Freaks and Geeks alumni Seth Rogen , Jason Segel and Martin Starr . Franco co-starred with Sienna Miller in the low-budget independent film Camille , a dark fantasy dramedy about a young newlywed couple and Interview , where he appears in

9460-430: The set of Whatever It Takes in 1999, Franco dated co-star Marla Sokoloff for five years. He was later in a relationship with actress Ahna O'Reilly until 2011. He confirmed their separation in an interview for Playboy magazine's August 2011 issue, saying that his interest in education got between them. Franco, dissatisfied with his career's direction, reenrolled at UCLA in autumn 2006 as an English major with

9570-459: The show was widely panned, with some reviewers dubbing it the worst telecast in its history. The actor later spoke about his hosting in an interview on the Late Show with David Letterman . He explained that when accepting the job he never had high hopes, adding "It was never on my list of things to do. It doesn't mean I didn't care and it doesn't mean I didn't try, right?" Regarding allegations that he

9680-698: The soon to be bride of Fabious (played by Zooey Deschanel ). In May 2010, he was cast to star in Rupert Wyatt 's $ 93 million budgeted Rise of the Planet of the Apes , a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series which was released on August 5, 2011. Franco starred alongside Winona Ryder in The Letter , originally entitled The Stare , directed by Jay Anania. He was cast as a drug-addicted lawyer in About Cherry , also starring Heather Graham , which started shooting

9790-555: The state The wardship jurisdiction is an ancient jurisdiction derived from the British Crown's duty as parens patriae ("parent of the nation") to protect his or her subjects, and particularly those unable to look after themselves. In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms , the monarch as parens patriae is parent for all the children in their realms, who, if a judge so determines, can become wards of court. However,

9900-532: The state are eligible for adoption, and continue to be wards until they are. Legal status of wards of the state in France are covered by law 224-4 of the Social Action and Family Code . In the 1831 Supreme Court case Cherokee Nation v. Georgia , the native peoples were legally made to be wards of the state. One consequence of this was that they were not permitted to sue the US government because of their status as

10010-654: The states in which they reside. The government or state is in loco parentis to the child, which generally entails supporting the child and assuming all legal authority to make medical and legal decisions on the child's behalf. The indigenous peoples in Canada remain wards of the Crown as a result of Indian Act legislation. Some scholars and political organizations, such as the Assembly of First Nations, have argued that this represents an apartheid-like system of governance. In France,

10120-452: The steamship SS Orizaba . It originally started out as his master's thesis. It was screened at 2011's Los Angeles Film Festival  – among more than 200 feature films, short projects, and music videos from more than 30 countries. It was released on DVD in 2012. In 2011, Franco taught a graduate-level film course at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts . He has also taught film classes at USC and UCLA , as well as

10230-484: The streets for several days to better understand the subject matter as well as talking to former or still-using drug addicts. He also co-starred with Neve Campbell in Robert Altman 's ballet movie The Company (2003). The success of the first Spider-Man film led Franco to reprise the role in the 2004 sequel, Spider-Man 2 . The movie was well received by critics, and it proved to be a big financial success, setting

10340-584: The superhero film genre after more than 15 years following Spider-Man 3 in 2007 and his first feature film directorial effort since 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful. In addition to film, Raimi has worked in television, producing such series as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin-off Xena: Warrior Princess , both featuring his younger brother Ted Raimi and long-time friend Bruce Campbell , American Gothic , Cleopatra 2525 , M.A.N.T.I.S. , 13: Fear Is Real , Young Hercules , and Jack of All Trades . In 2008, Raimi executive produced

10450-620: The superhero movie Darkman (1990), the revisionist western The Quick and the Dead (1995), the neo-noir crime thriller A Simple Plan (1998), the supernatural thriller The Gift (2000), the supernatural horror Drag Me to Hell (2009), the Disney fantasy Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and the Marvel Studios film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). His films are known for their highly dynamic visual style, inspired by comic books and slapstick comedy. He founded

10560-425: The third Spider-Man film, he planned on producing two more sequels (although Sony Pictures planned three sequels) but could not find a satisfactory script. In 2022, reflecting on Spider-Man 3 , Raimi told Rolling Stone : "It was a very painful experience for me. I wanted to make a Spider-Man movie to redeem myself for that. [The aborted] Spider-Man 4 — that was really what that was about. I wanted to go out on

10670-572: The trauma knitted the remaining family closer together and "colored everything he's done for the rest of his life". Raimi also mentioned that Sander first introduced him to Spider-Man , igniting his love for comics. Raimi graduated from Groves High School and later went on to attend Michigan State University and later Università Bocconi in Milan , Italy, where he studied English but left after three semesters to film The Evil Dead . Raimi became fascinated with making films when his father brought

10780-562: The young Tennessee backwoodsman after he is dispossessed of his ancestral land. Child of God was selected in official competition at the 70th Venice Film Festival, an official selection to the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and an official selection to the prestigious 51st New York Film Festival. In 2013, Franco starred as the gangster "Alien" in Harmony Korine 's Spring Breakers , with Vanessa Hudgens , Selena Gomez , Ashley Benson , Gucci Mane and Rachel Korine . A24 films began

10890-415: Was a vegetarian for the year prior to working there. While working at the establishment, he would practice accents on customers, an experience he remembered nostalgically in a 2015 Washington Post editorial titled "McDonald's was there for me when no one else was". After 15 months of training, Franco began auditioning in Los Angeles. His first paid role was a television commercial for Pizza Hut , featuring

11000-457: Was a very lonely existence," he notes. "If I wasn't on a set, I was watching James Dean. That was my whole thinking. James Dean. James Dean." Despite already being a fan of Dean, Franco feared he might be typecast if he'd captured the actor too convincingly. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Franco could have walked through the role and done a passable Dean, but instead gets under the skin of this insecure, rootless young man." He received

11110-721: Was awarded High Times magazine's Stoner of the Year Award for his work in Pineapple Express . In 2008 he also appeared in two films by American artist Carter , exhibited at the Yvon Lambert gallery in Paris. On September 20, 2008, he hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live ( SNL ), and a second time on December 19, 2009. Franco starred with Sean Penn , Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch , in Gus Van Sant 's Milk (2008). In

11220-663: Was featured as the cover model and featured focus in the men's magazine Man of the World . In other forms of media, a Chicago-based theater company, Under the Gun Theater , developed a show inspired by and titled after Franco. The 2015 production of Dear James Franco used, parodied and deconstructed letters penned to or by celebrities. The performances used improvisation to satirize their subject matter. Franco has described himself as Jewish ; regarding his secular upbringing, he told The Guardian that he feels as if he has "missed out on

11330-538: Was given a limited release starting on November 5, 2010. 127 Hours centered on Ralston trying to free his hand after it became trapped under a boulder in a ravine while canyoneering alone in Utah and resorting to desperate measures in order to survive, eventually amputating his arm. During the five-week, 12-hours-per-day shoot, Franco would only leave the gully set to use the lavatory and would read books such as academic textbooks to keep busy. Franco later called making 127 Hours

11440-412: Was later specified that this film would be Army of Darkness 2 . Álvarez revealed that Raimi would direct the sequel to Army of Darkness . However, in a 2014 interview, Bruce Campbell announced that Army of Darkness 2 is not happening, saying "It's all internet b.s. There's no reality whatsoever. These random comments slip out of either my mouth, or Sam Raimi's mouth, next thing you know, we're making

11550-550: Was one of the editors of Evil Dead . The Coens co-wrote Crimewave and The Hudsucker Proxy with Raimi in the mid-1980s (though Hudsucker was not produced for almost a decade). Raimi made cameo appearances in Miller's Crossing , The Hudsucker Proxy , and with Joel Coen in Spies Like Us . The Coen brothers gave Raimi advice on shooting in snow for A Simple Plan , based on their experiences with Fargo . He worked in front of

11660-709: Was really just a process of elimination. I was better suited for this role than the responsible surgeon". He next starred in Pineapple Express (2008), a stoner comedy co-starring and co-written by Seth Rogen and produced by Judd Apatow . Of Franco's character, Apatow said, "You tell him, 'Okay, you're going to play a pot dealer', and he comes back with a three-dimensional character you totally believe exists. He takes it very seriously, even when it's comedy". In her New York Times review, critic Manohla Dargis wrote: "He's delightful as Saul, loosey-goosey and goofy yet irrepressibly sexy, despite that greasy curtain of hair and

11770-468: Was serving as their acting teacher or mentor. His admission to having sex with students during his time as an acting school teacher led to lawsuits and a $ 2.2 million sexual misconduct settlement in 2021. James Edward Franco was born in Palo Alto, California , on April 19, 1978. His mother, Betsy Lou ( née Verne), is a children's book author and occasional actress, and his father, Douglas Eugene Franco, ran

11880-528: Was set to direct the first in the movie adaptations of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle series, The Name of the Wind , with Rothfuss and Lin-Manuel Miranda serving as executive producers. On February 5, 2020, it was announced that Raimi was in talks with Marvel Studios to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , and Raimi confirmed his involvement in April 2020. This marked Raimi's return to

11990-523: Was the "outlet" he needed in high school, and he "has actually been painting longer than he has been acting". His paintings were displayed publicly for the first time at the Glü Gallery in Los Angeles, from January 7, through February 11, 2006. He launched his first European art exhibition in 2011 at Peres Projects in Berlin. In September 2012, Franco announced the release of his band Daddy's first single Love in

12100-491: Was under the influence of marijuana while hosting, Franco commented "I think the Tasmanian Devil would look stoned standing next to Anne Hathaway. She has a lot of energy!" He concluded that he tried his best and could have had "low energy" during the telecast. In May, Franco made his dance-theater directorial debut at New York's Stella Adler Studios, where he narrated all the performances. Entitled "Collage" and described as

#46953