Rise to Success: Career Highlights of James Franco
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how James Franco made an impact.
James Franco is an American actor and filmmaker known for his diverse roles in both mainstream and independent films. He gained prominence in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and has starred in films like Milk, Eat Pray Love, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Spring Breakers, and Oz the Great and Powerful. He frequently collaborates with Seth Rogen, appearing in movies like Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and The Disaster Artist, winning a Golden Globe for the latter. Franco received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in 127 Hours.
8 hours ago : James Franco's "Desert Films" to Premiere at Theatre 29: A New Project
James Franco's new play, "Desert Films," is set to premiere at Theatre 29. This project marks Franco's venture into theater, promising a unique and engaging experience for audiences. The play is hosted by Theatre 29.
1999: Starred in Freaks and Geeks
In 1999, James Franco played Daniel Desario on the television show Freaks and Geeks.
2000: Freaks and Geeks concluded
In 2000, Freaks and Geeks ended after developing a cult following.
2000: Starred in Whatever It Takes
In 2000, James Franco played a popular jock named Chris in Whatever It Takes, a modern-day remake of the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac.
2001: Portrayed James Dean
In 2001, James Franco portrayed the title character in the television biographical film James Dean, for which he won a Golden Globe Award, and received nominations for Screen Actors Guild Award and Primetime Emmy Award.
2002: Starred in Spider-Man
In 2002, James Franco achieved worldwide fame for his role as Harry Osborn in the superhero film Spider-Man.
2002: Starred in Sonny and City by the Sea
In 2002, James Franco starred in Sonny, directed by Nicolas Cage, and in City by the Sea after being recommended by Robert De Niro.
2003: Starred in The Company
In 2003, James Franco co-starred with Neve Campbell in Robert Altman's ballet movie The Company.
2004: Reprised Role in Spider-Man 2
In 2004, James Franco reprised his role in the successful sequel Spider-Man 2.
2005: Starred in The Ape and The Great Raid
In 2005, James Franco starred in The Ape and portrayed Robert Prince in The Great Raid.
February 11, 2006: First Public Painting Display
On February 11, 2006, James Franco's paintings were displayed publicly for the first time at the Glü Gallery in Los Angeles.
September 2006: Released Flyboys and appeared in The Wicker Man
In September 2006, James Franco completed training for his Private Pilot Licence in preparation for his role in Flyboys which was released in September 2006. That same month, he appeared briefly in The Wicker Man.
2006: Re-enrolls at UCLA
In autumn 2006, James Franco, dissatisfied with his career's direction, reenrolled at UCLA as an English major with a creative writing concentration.
2007: Starred in Spider-Man 3 and other films
In 2007, James Franco played Harry Osborn in Spider-Man 3. He also made a cameo appearance in Knocked Up and co-starred in Camille and Interview, and wrote, directed, and starred in Good Time Max, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
2007: Starred in Spider-Man 3
In 2007, James Franco reprised his role as Harry Osborn in Spider-Man 3, the final installment of the original Spider-Man trilogy.
June 2008: Graduates from UCLA
In June 2008, James Franco received his undergraduate degree from UCLA with a GPA of 3.5/4.0, after completing his honors thesis as a novel.
September 20, 2008: Hosted Saturday Night Live
On September 20, 2008, James Franco hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) for the first time.
2008: Starred in Milk
In 2008, James Franco starred as Scott Smith in the film Milk.
2008: Starred in Milk and Pineapple Express
In 2008, James Franco starred in two films: Milk, and Pineapple Express alongside Seth Rogen.
2008: Face of Gucci's Men's Fragrance Line
In 2008, James Franco was named as the face of Gucci's men's fragrance line.
June 12, 2009: Withdraws as UCLA Commencement Speaker
On June 12, 2009, James Franco was scheduled to be the commencement speaker at UCLA, but he withdrew citing a date conflict.
December 19, 2009: Hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time
On December 19, 2009, James Franco hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) for a second time.
2009: Recurring Role on General Hospital
In 2009, James Franco had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.
2009: Joined General Hospital
In late 2009, James Franco joined the cast of the daytime soap opera General Hospital on a recurring basis, playing a multimedia artist named Franco.
May 2010: Cast in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
In May 2010, James Franco was cast to star in Rupert Wyatt's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes".
May 2010: Short Films Presented at Maryland Film Festival
In May 2010, James Franco's short films, "The Feast of Stephen" and "Herbert White", were presented at the Maryland Film Festival.
June 2010: "The Dangerous Book Four Boys" Solo Exhibition
In June 2010, James Franco presented his first solo exhibition, "The Dangerous Book Four Boys", at The Clocktower Gallery in New York City.
October 19, 2010: Publication of "Palo Alto"
On October 19, 2010, Scribner published a collection of short stories, "Palo Alto", by James Franco. The book is named after the California city where Franco grew up.
November 5, 2010: Limited Release of "127 Hours"
On November 5, 2010, "127 Hours", directed by Danny Boyle and starring James Franco as Aron Ralston, was given a limited release. The film depicts Ralston's ordeal of being trapped in a ravine and resorting to amputating his arm to survive.
2010: Directing Herbert White Short Film
In 2010, James Franco directed the short film Directing Herbert White, based on a poem by Frank Bidart.
2010: Starred in 30 Rock, Date Night, Eat Pray Love and Howl
In 2010, James Franco made an appearance on the sitcom 30 Rock, starred in Date Night, Eat Pray Love, and played Allen Ginsberg in Howl.
2010: Receives M.F.A. from Columbia
In 2010, James Franco received his M.F.A. from Columbia University School of the Arts while simultaneously attending graduate school at multiple institutions.
2010: Starred in Eat Pray Love and 127 Hours
In 2010, James Franco starred in Eat Pray Love and 127 Hours, for which he later received a Best Actor nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards.
2010: Exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art
In the summer of 2010, both the fictional James Franco from General Hospital and the real James Franco held exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
January 2011: Screening of "Three's Company The Drama"
In January 2011, James Franco screened his multimedia project, "Three's Company The Drama", at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
January 2011: Franco Honored at Art of Elysium Heaven Gala
In January 2011, at the Art of Elysium Heaven Gala in Los Angeles, James Franco was honored for his work with the charity the Art of Elysium, which helps children with serious medical conditions. He received the Spirit of Elysium accolade.
January 2011: Plans to Star in and Direct "The Night Stalker"
In January 2011, it was announced that James Franco planned to star in and direct "The Night Stalker", a film based on Philip Carlo's book about serial killer Richard Ramirez.
January 26, 2011: Satirical Video with Harvard Lampoon
On January 26, 2011, James Franco and the Harvard Lampoon released a satirical video on Funny or Die mocking his last-minute cancellation as UCLA's commencement speaker.
February 23, 2011: Cameo on NBC's Minute to Win It
On February 23, 2011, James Franco made a cameo appearance on NBC's "Minute to Win It", where Aron Ralston was a contestant playing for charity.
February 27, 2011: Hosting the 83rd Academy Awards
On February 27, 2011, James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Academy Awards. The show was widely panned, and Franco was criticized for his lack of energy.
March 31, 2011: Participates in "An Evening with James Franco" Benefit
On March 31, 2011, James Franco participated in "An Evening with James Franco", a Washington D.C. dinner benefit for 826DC, a non-profit after-school literature program. He spoke about the need for more originality in school literature programs.
April 2011: Franco Supports Tsunami Relief and Education
In April 2011, James Franco autographed a T-shirt for auction to benefit Japanese tsunami relief through the Yoshiki Foundation. He also continued his support for Dave Eggers' 826 National program.
July 2011: Filming of "Oz the Great and Powerful" Begins
In July 2011, filming began for "Oz the Great and Powerful", a Disney prequel to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", starring James Franco.
August 5, 2011: Release of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
On August 5, 2011, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", starring James Franco, was released. The film is a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series.
2011: First European Art Exhibition
In 2011, James Franco launched his first European art exhibition at Peres Projects in Berlin.
2011: Dance-theater Debut, Short Films, and The Broken Tower Screening
In 2011, James Franco made his dance-theater directorial debut at Stella Adler Studios in New York with "Collage," a mixed-media performance. He also directed short films for R.E.M.'s songs "Blue" and "That Someone Is You." Additionally, his docudrama The Broken Tower, about poet Hart Crane, was screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
2011: Starred in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
In 2011, James Franco starred in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
2011: Teaching Film at NYU
In 2011, James Franco taught a graduate-level film course at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He also has taught film classes at USC and UCLA, and a screenwriting class online, and helped attract actors to his students' projects.
February 2012: Shooting "Child of God"
In February 2012, James Franco began shooting a film version of Cormac McCarthy's novella, "Child of God", where he was the director.
September 2012: Release of Daddy's First Single and EP
In September 2012, James Franco announced the release of his band Daddy's first single "Love in the Old Days" and their first EP "MotorCity".
2012: Starred in Spring Breakers
In 2012, James Franco starred in Spring Breakers.
2012: The Broken Tower DVD Release
In 2012, James Franco's film, The Broken Tower, which had been screened at festivals in 2011, was released on DVD.
2012: Ended Role on General Hospital
In 2012, James Franco's recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital came to an end.
March 8, 2013: Release of "Oz the Great and Powerful"
On March 8, 2013, "Oz the Great and Powerful", starring James Franco, was released. The film is a Disney prequel to L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
March 2013: Featured in UCLA Advertisements
In March 2013, James Franco was featured in half-page print advertisements for his alma mater UCLA, which celebrated him as a "prolific academic".
March 2013: Broadway Debut Announcement
In March 2013, it was announced that James 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".
July 9, 2013: Comedy Central Roast Announcement
On July 9, 2013, James Franco announced that he would be the featured roastee on the next Comedy Central Roast.
September 2, 2013: Comedy Central Roast Airs
On September 2, 2013, the Comedy Central Roast featuring James Franco aired.
September 2013: A24 Campaign for Oscar Nomination
In September 2013, A24 films began a campaign in support of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for James Franco's performance in "Spring Breakers".
October 2013: Appearance in "City of Angels" Music Video
In October 2013, James Franco appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.
December 2013: Writes About Selfies for The New York Times
In December 2013, James Franco wrote an explanatory article for The New York Times about his deliberate garnering of a reputation for publishing "selfies".
2013: Starred in Oz the Great and Powerful and This Is the End
In 2013, James Franco starred in Oz the Great and Powerful and This Is the End alongside Seth Rogen.
2013: Cover Model for Man of the World
In 2013, James Franco was featured as the cover model and featured focus in the men's magazine Man of the World.
2013: Starring in "This Is the End"
In late 2013, James Franco starred in "This Is the End" as a fictionalized version of himself stuck in a house during an apocalypse.
February 2014: New York Times Article on Shia LaBeouf
In February 2014, James Franco wrote an article in The New York Times in support of Shia LaBeouf's metamodernist performance art.
April 2014: Publication of 'Directing Herbert White'
In April 2014, Graywolf Press published James Franco's first collection of poetry, "Directing Herbert White".
April 2014: Direction of "Techno Color Sunglasses"
In April 2014, James Franco directed and appeared in "Techno Color Sunglasses", which promoted Gucci's eyewear collection.
April 2014: Presents at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition
In April 2014, James Franco presented at the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition with Leighton Meester and Chris O'Dowd, following fundraising efforts related to his Broadway show "Of Mice and Men".
June 2014: Performs in Broadway Bares Benefit
In June 2014, James Franco participated in the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit, Broadway Bares.
April 2015: Projects Shown at Sundance Film Festival
In April 2015, James Franco had two projects, "I Am Michael" and "True Story", shown at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. In "I Am Michael", Franco plays a gay activist, and in "True Story", he plays Christian Longo.
2015: Cast in Hulu's "11.22.63"
In 2015, James Franco was cast in the lead role for the Hulu limited series "11.22.63", based on the novel by Stephen King.
2015: Wrote "McDonald's was there for me when no one else was"
In 2015, James Franco wrote an editorial for the Washington Post titled "McDonald's was there for me when no one else was" about his experience working at the establishment to support himself.
February 15, 2016: Premiere of "11.22.63"
On February 15, 2016, the eight-episode series "11.22.63", based on the novel by Stephen King and starring James Franco, premiered on Hulu.
December 2016: Release of "Why Him?"
In December 2016, "Why Him?", a comedy starring James Franco, was released. In the film, Franco plays an immature tech-billionaire.
2016: Directing and Starring in "The Disaster Artist"
In 2016, James Franco directed, co-produced, and starred in "The Disaster Artist", about the making of "The Room".
2016: Starred in 11.22.63
In 2016, James Franco starred in the limited series 11.22.63.
May 19, 2017: Release of "Alien: Covenant"
On May 19, 2017, James Franco appeared briefly in "Alien: Covenant", playing Branson, the captain of the Covenant ship.
December 1, 2017: Release of "The Disaster Artist"
On December 1, 2017, "The Disaster Artist", directed by and starring James Franco as Tommy Wiseau, was released to positive reviews.
2017: Starred in The Disaster Artist
In 2017, James Franco starred in The Disaster Artist, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
December 23, 2021: Interview on Jess Cagle Podcast
On December 23, 2021, James Franco gave his first interview in nearly four years when he appeared on an episode of the Jess Cagle Podcast.
August 2022: Cast as Fidel Castro in "Alina in Cuba"
In August 2022, James Franco was cast as Fidel Castro in "Alina in Cuba", a casting decision that was supported by Fidel Castro's daughter.
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