Actors - James Franco

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	Actors - James Franco

James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer.

Early life

Franco was born in Palo Alto, California to Doug Franco and Besty Levine Verne (a Jewish American poet, author and editor); his maternal grandmother runs the Verne Art Gallery, a prominent art gallery in Cleveland, Ohio. 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.

Film career

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 & Isolde, a love 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.

Private life

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 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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Actors - James Franco

Early life

Film career

Private life

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