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James Franco Profile |
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Birth Date: April 19, 1978
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Birth Place: Palo Alto, California, USA
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Birth Name: James Edward Franco
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Height: 5'11"
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Biography |
James Edward Franco is a Golden Globe-winning American
actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is perhaps
best known for his lead roles in several Hollywood films,
including Tristan & Isolde, Annapolis, TV's James Dean, and
for playing Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man film series.
Franco was born in Palo Alto, California to Doug Franco and
Betsy Levine Verne (a poet, author and editor); his maternal
grandmother runs the Verne Art Gallery, a prominent art
gallery in Cleveland, Ohio. Franco's father is of Portuguese
and Swedish descent, while his mother is Jewish, a
descendant of immigrants from Russia. He grew up in
California with his two younger brothers, Tom and David, and
graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996, where he was
elected by his senior class as the boy with the "best
smile". He then enrolled at the University of California,
Los Angeles as an English major, and studied acting. Much to
the disapproval of his parents, he dropped out after his
freshman year and chose to pursue a professional career as
an actor, taking acting lessons with Robert Carnegie at
Playhouse West. After fifteen months of training, he began
auditioning in Los Angeles, California and got his first
break in 1999, after he was cast in a leading role on the
short-lived but well-reviewed television series Freaks and
Geeks.
Franco's first major film was the romantic comedy Whatever
It Takes (2000). He was subsequently cast as James Dean in
director Mark Rydell's 2001 biographical TV film of the same
name. The role brought Franco much critical acclaim, and he
was distinguished in 2002 with a Golden Globe Award, as well
as nominated for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild
Award. After seeing him in James Dean, actor Robert De Niro
handpicked Franco to play his son in the drama City by the
Sea.
Franco was originally considered for the lead role of Peter
Parker in the film version of Spider-Man, but was instead
cast in the supporting role of Harry Osborn, the son of the
villainous Green Goblin. Both Spider-Man (2002) and
Spider-Man 2 (2004) were very well-received critically and
commercially, and Franco has since co-starred with Neve
Campbell in The Company (2003).
In 2006, Franco co-starred with Tyrese Gibson in Annapolis
and played legendary hero Tristan in Tristan and Isolde, a
dramatisation of the Tristan and Iseult story also starring
English actress Sophia Myles. He received a pilot's license
in preparation for an upcoming film, Flyboys.
Franco has signed to return in Spider-Man 3, currently
scheduled for release on May 4, 2007.
Franco lives in Los Angeles. He has dated actress Marla
Sokoloff, with whom he co-starred in the film "Whatever It
Takes". Franco, who was chosen by People magazine as one of
the 50 Hottest Bachelors of 2004, paints extensively in his
free time and even attended a private painting school during
his teen years. His works have already been displayed in art
galleries in and around Los Angeles. |
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Other Information |
Attended Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, CA.
Auditioned for the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man
(2002), but was given the part of Harry Osbourne.
James appeared in two movies that premiered on the same day,
Deuces Wild (2002) and Spider-Man (2002), both opening on
May 3rd. The success of the two films was highly varied as
Spider-Man film has to date amassed a box office gross some
67 times greater than that of Deuces.
He has 2 brothers, Tom & David
His parents are Betsy & Doug Franco
In his spare time he likes to paint
Was named one of People Magazine's 50 Hottest Bachelors
[2004]
Has his own production company - Rabbit Bandini Productions.
Went by the name of Ted in high school and was voted "Best
Smile" at Palo Alto High School
Shares a birthday with Hayden Christensen.
Was named one of Salon.com's "10 men who might just inspire
the rebirth of Jewish male cool." |
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im watching tristan and isolde right now. :DD:D:D:D:D