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).

Filmography

• 2027John Rambo
• 2026Confession
• 2026Find Your Friends — Thanks
• 2026Foster — Donald 'Don' Foster
• 2025Squali — Robert Price
• 2024Hey Joe — Dean Barry
• 2024Largo Winch: The Price of Money — Ezio Burntwood
• 2020Birth of a Poet — Writer, Director
• 2020Sleepaway Slasher — Executive Producer
• 2019Arctic Dogs — Lemmy (voice)
• 2019Pretenders — Maxwell, Director
• 2019Zeroville — Vikar, Director
• 2018Future World — Warlord, Director, Producer
• 2018Kin — Taylor Balik
• 2018Mississippi Requiem — Homer Barron, Writer, Executive Producer
• 2018Oh, Hi Mark: Making a Disaster — Self, Director
• 2018The Ballad of Buster Scruggs — Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")
• 2017Actors Anonymous — Jake Lamont, Writer
• 2017Alien: Covenant — Jacob Branson (uncredited)
• 2017Blood Heist — Farmer Simon
• 2017Don't Come Back from the Moon — Roman Smalley, Producer
• 2017Dumpster Diving — El Diablo
• 2017High School Lover — Rick Winters, Executive Producer
• 2017Metamorphosis: Junior Year — Executive Producer
• 2017Rio — Executive Producer
• 2017Tenn — Director
• The Deuce — Vincent Martino / Frankie Martino, Director, Executive Producer
• 2017The Disaster Artist — Tommy / 'Johnny', Director, Producer
• 2017The Institute — Dr. Cairn, Director, Executive Producer
• 2017The Mad Whale — Edward Fry
• 2017The Show — Male Host
• 2017The Vault — Ed Mass
• 11.22.63 — Jake Epping, Director, Producer
• Angie Tribeca — Sgt. Eddie Pepper
• 2016Blood Surf — Metalhead Troy, Executive Producer
• 2016Burn Country — Lindsay
• 2016Goat — Mitch, Producer
• 2016In Dubious Battle — Mac McLeod, Director, Producer
• 2016King Cobra — Joe Kerekes, Producer
• 2016Memoria — Mr. Wyckoff
• 2016Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? — Director, Story, Executive Producer
• 2016Sausage Party — Druggie (voice)
• 2016The Adderall Diaries — Stephen Elliott, Producer
• 2016The Caged Pillows — David D-R+
• 2016The Labyrinth — Narrator (voice), Executive Producer
• 2016Why Him? — Laird Mayhew, Executive Producer
• 2016Yosemite — Phil, Executive Producer, Book
• 2015A Walk in Winter — Conrad, Executive Producer
• 2015Black Dog, Red Dog — Leo, Writer, Director
• 2015Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha — Pasamonte, Executive Producer
• 2015Every Thing Will Be Fine — Tomas Eldan
• 2015I Am Michael — Michael Glatze, Producer
• 2015Killing Animals — Mr. Hurston, Novel
• 2015Miss Famous — Executive Producer
• 2015Queen of the Desert — Henry Cadogan
• 2015Richard Peter Johnson — James Franco
• 2015The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards — Conrad, Executive Producer
• 2015The Little Prince — The Fox (voice)
• 2015The Sound and the Fury — Benjy Compson, Director
• 2015True Story — Christian Longo
• 2015Wild Horses — Ben Briggs
• 2014Child of God — Jerry, Director, Screenplay
• 2014Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special — David Skylark
• 2014Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — Will Rodman
• Deadbeat — Johnny
• 2014Future Relic 02 — The Searcher
• 2014Good People — Tom Reed
• 2014Guests — Executive Producer
• 2014I Think You're Totally Wrong: A Quarrel — James Franco, Director
• Making A Scene With James Franco
• 2014National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men — George
• 2014Obituaries — Felix Mitchum
• 2014Palo Alto — Mr. B, Book, Presenter
• 2014The Interview — Dave Skylark, Executive Producer
• 2014Third Person — Rick
• 2014Veronica Mars — James Franco (uncredited)
• 2013As I Lay Dying — Darl Bundren, Director, Screenplay
• 2013DREAM — Producer, Director
• 2013Here Comes the Night Time — Man on Phone
• 2013Homefront — Morgan 'Gator' Bodine
• 2013Interior. Leather Bar. — James, Director, Producer, Director of Photography
• 2013Kink — Producer
• 2013La Passione — Director
• 2013Lovelace — Hugh Hefner
• 2013My Journey in Oz — Self, Director, Producer
• 2013Oz the Great and Powerful — Oz
• 2013Playtime — The Art Dealer
• 2013Sal — Milton Katselas, Director, Story
• 2013Spring Breakers — Alien
• 2013The Director — Producer
• The Frame — Will Rodman
• 2013This Is the End — James Franco
• 2013Venice 70: Future Reloaded — Self (segment James Franco), Director
• 2012About Cherry — Francis
• 2012Francophrenia — Director
• 2012Hart Crane: An Exegesis — Self, Director
• 2012Jeffrey — Executive Producer
• 2012Maladies — James
• 2012My Own Private River — Editor, Director
• 2012The Broken Tower — Hart Crane, Producer, Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 2012The Color of Time — C.K. Williams (age 40), Producer
• 2012The Iceman — Marty Freeman
• 2012The Letter — Tyrone
• The Mindy Project — Paul Leotard
• 2011Blood Meridian Test Reel — Director
• 2011Caput
• 2011Rise of the Planet of the Apes — Will Rodman
• 2011Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10
• 2011The Green Hornet — Danny Crystal Cleer (uncredited)
• 2011Two Films, One Legacy
• 2011Your Highness — Fabious
• 2010127 Hours — Aron Ralston
• 201042 One Dream Rush — Director
• 2010Catblock (The Ultimate Co%kblock) — James Franco (Image Only)
• 2010Date Night — Taste
• 2010Eat Pray Love — David
• 2010Goat Boy — Director
• 2010Herbert White — Director, Writer
• 2010Howl — Allen Ginsberg
• 2010Love and Distrust — Travis (segment "Grasshopper")
• 2010Masculinity & Me — Writer, Director
• 2010Saturday Night — Self, Director
• 2010Shadows & Lies — William Vincent
• 2010The Clerk's Tale — Screenplay, Director
• 2009SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas — (archive footage)
• 2009The Feast of Stephen — Director, Writer
• 2009The Room Before and After - Part 1: James Franco
• 2008Camille — Silias
• 2008Good Time Max — Max, Director, Writer
• 2008Milk — Scott Smith
• 2008Nights in Rodanthe — Mark Flanner (uncredited)
• 2008Pineapple Express — Saul Silver
• 2007An American Crime — Andy
• 2007Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee — Dean Silo
• 2007In the Valley of Elah — Sergeant Carnelli
• 2007Interview — Boyfriend on Phone (voice)
• 2007Knocked Up — Sol (uncredited)
• 2007Spider-Man 3 — New Goblin / Harry Osborn
• 2007The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis — Justin Bobby
• 30 Rock — James Franco
• 2006Annapolis — Jake Huard
• 2006Flyboys — Blaine Rawlings
• 2006Grasshopper — Travis
• 2006The Dead Girl — Derek
• 2006The Wicker Man — Bar Guy #1
• 2006Tristan & Isolde — Tristan
• 2005Fool's Gold — Brent, Director, Writer
• 2005The Ape — Harry Walker, Director, Writer, Executive Producer
• 2005The Great Raid — Captain Prince
• 2004Spider-Man 2 — Harry Osborn
• 2003Blind Spot — Danny
• 2003The Company — Josh
• 2002City by the Sea — Joey
• 2002Deuces Wild — Tino
• 2002Mother Ghost — Skateboarder guy
• 2002Sonny — Sonny
• 2002Spider-Man — Harry Osborn
• 2002The Car Kid
• 2002You Always Stalk the Ones You Love
• 2001James Dean — James Dean
• 2001Mean People Suck — Casey
• 2001Some Body — Apartment Guy #3
• 2000At Any Cost — Mike
• 2000If Tomorrow Comes — Devin
• 2000Whatever It Takes — Chris Campbell
• Freaks and Geeks — Daniel Desario
• 1999Never Been Kissed — Jason
• 1999To Serve and Protect — Matt Carr
• To Serve and Protect — Matt Carr
• Pacific Blue — Brian
• Profiler — Stevie
• The X-Files — Officer #2
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
• Bunny-Man — Austin Boyd
• Castro's Daughter — Fidel Castro
• Golden State Killer
• Kill the Czar
• Kyle — Writer, Director
• Love Meets in the Sunshine — Jacob
• Naya: Legend of the Golden Dolphin — Finn (voice)
• Rant — Screenplay
• Runaway
• Something's In There
• The Long Home — Dallas Hardin, Director
• The Razor's Edge — Dante
• Toad

Appearances as themselves (45)

• 2025SNL50: The Homecoming Concert — Self
• Cultureshock — Self
• 2018Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary — Self
• 2017Drugs, Skate & Violence: Filmmaker Harmony Korine — Self - Archive Footage
• Marcians — Self - Interviewee
• 2016The 4%: Film's Gender Problem — Self
• 2015Call Me Lucky — Self
• Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter — Self
• Hot Ones — Self
• 2015The Night Before — Self
• 2014Behind the Scenes of Palo Alto — Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self
• 2013A Fuller Life — Self - Reader (segment "Copy Boy")
• 2013Comedy Central Roast of James Franco — Self
• 2013Mademoiselle C — Self
• 2013Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show — Self
• 2013What Is Cinema? — Self
• 2012Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present — Self
• 2011127 Hours: An extraordinary view — Self - interviewed guest
• 2011Eames: The Architect and the Painter — Self - Narrator (voice)
• Hamish and Andy's Gap Year — Self
• Conan — Self
• 2010With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story — Self
• 2009Erased James Franco — Self
• Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis — Self
• 2007'Spider-Man 3' on Location: New York, from Rooftops to Backstreets — Self
• 2007Fighting, Flying and Driving: The Stunts of 'Spider-Man 3' — Self
• 2007On the Set: Spider-Man 3 — Self
• 2007Re-Imagining the Goblin — Self
• 2007Tangled Web: The Love Triangles of 'Spider-Man 3' — Self
• The Colbert Report — Self (uncredited)
• The Tony Danza Show — Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self, Self - Guest
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• 2002Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man' — Self
• 2002Spider-Mania — Self
• The Early Show — Self
• The Daily Show — Self
• Late Show with David Letterman — Self - Guest
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Cameo (uncredited), Self - Host, Self (uncredited)
• Jesse Heiman: World's Greatest Extra — Self
• Jodi Lyn O'Keefe: A Life on Screen — Self (archive footage)
• Making A Scene — Himself