The kind of brooding hunk that inspires bad high-school poetry, Franco was the perfect choice to play a handsome loner in the cult dramedy
Freaks and Geeks. Although the series lacked longevity, this chiseled actor stuck around, earning an Emmy nod and a Golden Globe award for his deft channeling of a late legend in the TV biopic
James Dean and solid reviews as a whimpering rich kid in the
Spider-Man films. Wary of becoming a teen idol, Franco purposefully took on diverse projects that didn't necessarily cast him as the hero (or even antihero) and branched out into writing and directing with the straight-to-DVD independent comedy
The Ape. Romantically, he was linked for a time to his
Whatever It Takes costar Marla Sokoloff.
James Franco Fast Facts:- Started taking acting classes at UCLA to help overcome his shyness.
- Once worked at McDonald's, where he faked various accents while conversing with female customers.
- Learned to ride a motorcycle and play congas for his Golden Globe-winning performance in a made-for-TV biography of James Dean.
- Originally auditioned for the role of Peter Parker in the Spider-Man trilogy, but ended up being cast as his buddy, Harry Osborn.
- James Franco Relationships:
- Ahna O'Reilly - Significant Other
- Betsy Franco - Mother
- Daniel Verne - Grandfather
- Douglas Franco - Father
- Marla Sokoloff - Ex-significant Other
- Michael Verne - Uncle
- Mitzie Verne - Grandmother
- James Franco Awards:
- 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- College:
- University of California, Los Angeles, CA (BA in English, 2008)
