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 since starred in movies like Milk, Eat Pray Love, and Spring Breakers. A frequent collaborator with Seth Rogen, Franco has appeared in comedies such as Pineapple Express and This Is the End, as well as The Disaster Artist, for which he won a Golden Globe. He received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in 127 Hours.
1999: First Break on Freaks and Geeks
In 1999, James Franco got his first break after being cast in a leading role on the NBC television series Freaks and Geeks.
1999: First Prominent TV Role on Freaks and Geeks
In 1999, James Franco's first prominent television role was as Daniel Desario on Freaks and Geeks.
2000: Freaks and Geeks
In 2000, James Franco continued his role as Daniel Desario on the TV show Freaks and Geeks.
2000: Film Debut in Never Been Kissed
In 2000, after his film debut in Never Been Kissed, James Franco played Chris in Whatever It Takes.
2001: Portrayal of James Dean
In 2001, James Franco portrayed James Dean in a biographical film, winning a Golden Globe Award.
2002: Spider-Man Release
In 2002, James Franco achieved worldwide fame for his role as Harry Osborn in the superhero film Spider-Man. The movie was a commercial and critical success.
2002: Starring in Spider-Man
In 2002, James Franco starred in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man as Harry Osborn.
2002: Starring in Sonny and City by the Sea
In 2002, James Franco starred in Sonny, directed by Nicolas Cage, and City by the Sea with Robert De Niro. To prepare for City by the Sea, he lived on the streets.
2003: Co-starring in The Company
In 2003, James Franco co-starred with Neve Campbell in Robert Altman's ballet movie The Company.
2004: Reprising Role in Spider-Man 2
In 2004, James Franco reprised his role as Harry Osborn in Spider-Man 2, which was a critical and financial success.
2005: Starring in The Ape and The Great Raid
In 2005, James Franco starred in The Ape and The Great Raid, portraying Captain Robert Prince in the latter.
February 11, 2006: First public display of paintings
On February 11, 2006, James Franco's paintings were displayed publicly for the first time at the Glü Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibition ran from January 7 through February 11, 2006.
September 2006: Release of Flyboys and Appearance in The Wicker Man
In September 2006, James Franco's film Flyboys was released, and he also appeared in The Wicker Man remake.
2006: Re-enrollment at UCLA
In autumn 2006, James Franco, dissatisfied with his career's direction, re-enrolled at UCLA as an English major with a creative writing concentration.
2007: Spider-Man 3
In 2007, Franco starred in Spider-Man 3 as Harry Osborn.
June 2008: Undergraduate degree from UCLA
In June 2008, James Franco received his undergraduate degree from UCLA with a GPA of 3.5/4.0. He prepared his departmental honors thesis as a novel.
September 20, 2008: Hosting Saturday Night Live
On September 20, 2008, James Franco hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL).
2008: Starring in Milk and Pineapple Express
In 2008, James Franco starred in Milk and Pineapple Express.
2008: Starring in Milk
In 2008, James Franco starred in Milk, playing Scott Smith, the boyfriend of Harvey Milk. He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
June 12, 2009: Withdrawal as commencement speaker at UCLA
On June 12, 2009, James Franco was to speak at UCLA's commencement ceremony, but he withdrew, citing a date conflict with location pre-production on a film.
December 19, 2009: Hosting Saturday Night Live for the Second Time
On December 19, 2009, James Franco hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for the second time.
2009: Recurring Role on General Hospital
In 2009, James Franco had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.
2009: Joining 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, a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series.
May 2010: Presentation of Short Films at Maryland Film Festival
In May 2010, James Franco's short films as director, The Feast of Stephen and Herbert White, were both presented within Maryland Film Festival.
June 2010: First 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.
September 2010: Acquired rights to The Adderall Diaries
In September 2010, James Franco acquired the rights to Stephen Elliott's The Adderall Diaries, with the intention to adapt, direct, and star in the film.
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 and features stories inspired by Franco's own teenage memories.
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, received a limited release. The film portrays Ralston's survival story of being trapped in a ravine and resorting to amputating his arm.
2010: Appearance on 30 Rock and starring in Howl
In 2010, James Franco appeared on 30 Rock and starred in Howl, playing poet Allen Ginsberg.
2010: Short Film based on a poem by Frank Bidart
In 2010, James Franco made a short film based on the poem, Directing Herbert White by Frank Bidart.
2010: M.F.A. from Columbia
In 2010, James Franco received his M.F.A. from Columbia University School of the Arts for writing. 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.
2010: Starring in Eat Pray Love and 127 hours
In 2010, James Franco starred in Eat Pray Love and 127 Hours.
January 2011: Planned to direct The Night Stalker
In January 2011, James Franco announced his plans to star in and direct The Night Stalker, a film version of Philip Carlo's book about the 1980s serial killer, Richard Ramirez.
January 2011: Screened Three's Company The Drama at Sundance Film Festival
In January 2011, James 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.
January 2011: Franco Honored at Art of Elysium Heaven Gala
In January 2011, James Franco was honored at the Art of Elysium Heaven Gala in Los Angeles for his volunteer work at the charity, which helps children with serious medical conditions. He received the Spirit of Elysium accolade.
January 26, 2011: Satirical video on Funny or Die
On January 26, 2011, James Franco and the Harvard Lampoon released a satirical video on comedy website Funny or Die mocking his last-minute cancellation as UCLA's commencement speaker.
February 23, 2011: Cameo on Minute to Win It
On February 23, 2011, James Franco made a cameo appearance on NBC's Minute to Win It, where the real-life Aron Ralston participated as a contestant playing for charity.
February 27, 2011: Hosted the 83rd Academy Awards
On February 27, 2011, James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Academy Awards. Franco received criticism for his performance during the show.
March 31, 2011: An Evening with James Franco Benefit Dinner
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 discussed the need for more original literature programs in schools.
April 2011: Franco Autographs T-shirt for Tsunami Relief
In April 2011, James Franco autographed a T-shirt that was auctioned off through the Yoshiki Foundation, with proceeds donated for Japanese tsunami relief efforts.
July 2011: Filming of Oz the Great and Powerful Began
In July 2011, filming began for Oz the Great and Powerful, a Disney prequel to L. Frank Baum's 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. Franco starred in the 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: Directing dance-theater production and short films
In 2011, James Franco made his dance-theater directorial debut at New York's Stella Adler Studios, narrating all performances of "Collage," a mixed-media show featuring live dance, theater, music, and poetry. Additionally, he directed two short films for R.E.M. songs ("Blue" and "That Someone Is You") from their album Collapse into Now. He also continued his career as a filmmaker with The Broken Tower, which was screened at 2011's Los Angeles Film Festival.
2011: Starring in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
In 2011, James Franco starred in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
2011: Teaching film courses
In 2011, James 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 a screenwriting class on the online learning community Skillshare. He helped attract actors for his student's film projects.
February 2012: Began Shooting Child of God
In February 2012, James Franco began shooting a film version of Cormac McCarthy's 1973 novella Child of God, starring Scott Haze as Lester Ballard.
September 2012: Release of band Daddy's first single
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: Starring in Spring Breakers
In 2012, James Franco starred in Spring Breakers.
2012: DVD release of The Broken Tower
In 2012, James Franco's film The Broken Tower, a docudrama about poet Hart Crane, was released on DVD.
March 8, 2013: Release of Oz the Great and Powerful
On March 8, 2013, Oz the Great and Powerful, in which James Franco starred, was released. It is a Disney prequel to L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
March 2013: Print advertisements for UCLA
In March 2013, James Franco was featured in half-page print advertisements for his alma mater UCLA which celebrated the university's famous alumnus as a "prolific academic".
March 2013: Announced Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men
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: Announcement as Comedy Central Roast roastee
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 airing
On September 2, 2013, the Comedy Central Roast of James Franco aired.
September 2013: Campaign for Oscar nomination for Spring Breakers
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: Appeared in music video for "City of Angels"
In October 2013, James Franco appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.
December 2013: Article on posting selfies
In December 2013, James Franco wrote an explanatory article for The New York Times about his reputation for publishing selfies.
2013: Starring 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.
2013: Starred in This Is the End and As I Lay Dying at Cannes Film Festival
In 2013, James Franco starred in This Is the End as a fictionalized version of himself. Also in 2013, Franco directed a film version of William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
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.
February 2014: Article supporting Shia LaBeouf's performance art
In February 2014, James Franco wrote an article in The New York Times in support of the metamodernist performance art of Shia LaBeouf.
April 2014: Publication of Directing Herbert White poetry collection
In April 2014, Graywolf Press issued James Franco's first collection of poetry, Directing Herbert White. The title alludes to a poem by Frank Bidart.
April 2014: Directed and Appeared in Gucci's "Techno Color Sunglasses" promotion
In April 2014, James Franco directed and appeared in "Techno Color Sunglasses", which promoted Gucci's eyewear collection.
April 2014: Franco 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 at his Broadway show, "Of Mice and Men".
June 2014: Franco Performs in Broadway Bares Benefit
In June 2014, James Franco performed in the BC/EFA benefit Broadway Bares.
April 2015: I Am Michael and True Story Shown at Sundance Film Festival
In April 2015, two of James Franco's projects, titled I Am Michael and True Story, were shown at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
2015: Washington Post Editorial
In 2015, James Franco wrote a Washington Post editorial titled "McDonald's was there for me when no one else was" reflecting nostalgically on his time working at McDonald's.
February 15, 2016: Premiere of 11.22.63
On February 15, 2016, the eight-episode limited series 11.22.63, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King and starring James Franco in the lead role, premiered on Hulu.
December 2016: Release of Why Him?
In December 2016, Why Him?, a comedy starring James Franco as an immature tech-billionaire, was released.
2016: Starring in Sausage Party
In 2016, James Franco starred in Sausage Party.
2016: Starring 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, Alien: Covenant, in which James Franco played Branson, the captain of the Covenant ship, was released.
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: Starring in The Disaster Artist and winning a Golden Globe Award
In 2017, James Franco starred in The Disaster Artist, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
2017: Starring in The Deuce
In 2017, James Franco starred in the HBO drama The Deuce.
April 2021: Charlyne Yi's Allegations and Seth Rogen's Comments
In April 2021, Charlyne Yi claimed she was offered a bigger role to stay on "The Disaster Artist" after trying to quit over allegations against Franco, viewing it as a bribe. Yi also accused Seth Rogen of enabling Franco's behavior.
December 23, 2021: First Interview in Nearly Four Years
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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