Childhood and Education Journey of James Franco in Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of James Franco. A timeline of key moments.

James Franco is an American actor and filmmaker known for his diverse roles across genres. He gained early recognition in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and has since starred in films like Milk, Eat Pray Love, and Spring Breakers. He is also known for his collaborations with Seth Rogen in comedies such as Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and The Interview, and he won a Golden Globe for The Disaster Artist. His performance in 127 Hours earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1940: Surname Change

Sometime after 1940, Daniel, James Franco's maternal grandfather, changed his surname from "Verovitz" to "Verne".

1947: Birth of Betsy Lou Verne

In 1947, Betsy Lou (née Verne), James Franco's mother, was born. She is a children's book author and occasional actress.

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1948: Birth of Douglas Eugene Franco

In 1948, Douglas Eugene Franco, James Franco's father, was born. He ran a Silicon Valley business.

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April 19, 1978: James Franco's Birth

On April 19, 1978, James Edward Franco was born in Palo Alto, California, marking the beginning of his life and career.

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1996: Graduation from Palo Alto High School

In 1996, James Franco graduated from Palo Alto High School, where he was involved in acting in plays.

1998: Attended CSSSA for Theater Studies

In 1998, James Franco attended the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) to study theater, furthering his interest in acting.

2006: Re-enrollment 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, receiving permission to take as many as 62 course credits per quarter while still continuing to act.

June 2008: Receives Undergraduate Degree from UCLA

James Franco received his undergraduate degree in June 2008 from UCLA with a GPA of 3.5/4.0. Franco prepared his departmental honors thesis as a novel.

June 12, 2009: Withdrawal as Commencement Speaker at UCLA

James Franco was selected as the commencement speaker at UCLA, and was to speak at the ceremony on June 12, 2009. However, on June 3, Franco withdrew, citing a date conflict with location pre-production on a film.

September 23, 2010: Erroneous Announcement About NYU Grade

On September 23, 2010, James Franco made an erroneous public announcement that he received a "D" grade in an "Acting" class at the NYU Graduate Film School; in fact, the grade was in a "Directing the Actor" class.

2010: Received M.F.A. from Columbia University

In 2010, James Franco received his M.F.A. from Columbia University. As of 2010, Franco was studying in the Ph.D. program in English at Yale University.

August 2011: Confirmation of Separation from Ahna O'Reilly

In August 2011, James Franco confirmed his separation from actress Ahna O'Reilly in an interview for Playboy magazine, citing his interest in education as a factor.

2011: Death of Douglas Eugene Franco

In 2011, Douglas Eugene Franco, James Franco's father, passed away.

2011: European Art Exhibition in Berlin

In 2011, James Franco launched his first European art exhibition at Peres Projects in Berlin.

2011: Teaching Film Course at NYU

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 online. Franco has also helped attract actors for his students' film projects.

September 2012: Defamation Lawsuit Filed Against Franco

In September 2012, after having been terminated from his position, José Angel Santana filed a lawsuit against James Franco for defamation, claiming that Franco's comments about his teaching were false and led to his termination.

March 2013: Featured in UCLA Print Advertisements

In March 2013, James Franco was featured in half-page print advertisements for his alma mater UCLA, celebrating him as a "prolific academic."

July 9, 2013: Announcement as Comedy Central Roast Roastee

On July 9, 2013, it was announced that James Franco would be the featured roastee on the next Comedy Central Roast.

2014: Controversy over Instagram Messages

In 2014, James Franco faced controversy after a seventeen-year-old girl posted 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 after she told him she was seventeen. Franco admitted to writing the messages and later stated he was "embarrassed" and that "I learned my lesson."

March 2015: Discussion of Sexuality in Four Two Nine Magazine Interview

In a March 2015 interview with Four Two Nine magazine, James Franco opened up about his sexuality, expressing his perception of being "gay in his art and straight in his life."

2015: "McDonald's was there for me when no one else was" Editorial

In 2015, James Franco wrote an editorial for the Washington Post titled "McDonald's was there for me when no one else was", reflecting on his time working at McDonald's to support himself while pursuing acting.

2015: Bar Mitzvah Ceremony

In 2015, James Franco, who has described himself as Jewish, had an official bar mitzvah ceremony, presided over by a rabbi.

2015: Theater Show Inspired by Franco

In 2015, a Chicago-based theater company, Under the Gun Theater, developed a show inspired by and titled after James Franco, called "Dear James Franco". The show parodied and deconstructed letters penned to or by celebrities.

2016: Franco begins treatment for sexual addiction

In 2016, James Franco began treatment for sexual addiction, a detail revealed on December 23, 2021, when he admitted to having had sex with students.

2017: Slowing Down to Focus on Himself

At the end of 2017, James Franco stated that he was slowing down his career to focus on himself.

2018: Criticism at Golden Globe Awards

In 2018, at the Golden Globe Awards, James Franco wore a Time's Up pin in solidarity with the MeToo movement, which drew immediate criticism on social media from actress Ally Sheedy. A former girlfriend, Violet Paley, also alleged that he once forced her to give him oral sex.