When James Franco picked up a Golden Globe award last night for his portrayal of Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist, his seeming refusal to let Wiseau himself speak wasn’t the only thing that drew criticism on social media. Franco, who wore a “Time’s Up” pin to support the protest against sexual harassment and assault, was swiftly called out for his hypocrisy on Twitter by multiple women — including actress Ally Sheedy, who previously starred opposite Franco in a 2014 off-Broadway production.
Look, there’s no two ways about the fact that James Franco playing mustachioed twins for The Wire creator David Simon’s ‘70s New York porn drama is funny. There is no ceiling on “Peak Franco,” and these first official photos from The Deuce certainly aren’t about to find one.
Preacher had languished in development hell long enough for every actor to end up fancast in the title role at one point or another, but James Franco might seem a stretch, no matter how much range he shows in a given year. The attachment of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to AMC’s Preacher changed that, but how close did Franco get to the role Dominic Cooper inevitably won?
We make fun of James Franco an awful lot on the internet — remember his short-lived flirtation with a Blood Meridian adaptation before it turned out he never had the rights to the movie? — but credit where it is due: Franco isn’t afraid to lend his celebrity to some pretty challenging subject matter. And after checking out the first trailer for Goat, I think it’s safe to say that Franco’s work as both actor and producer were well-placed on this one.
It’s not much of a stretch to say James Franco is every parent’s worst nightmare. Could you imagine your kid — hypothetical or actual — dating the self-proclaimed artist occasionally known as Semaj? That’s the gist of Why Him?, in which Franco plays an obnoxious, foul-mouthed, tattooed billionaire dating the daughter of Bryan Cranston’s doting dad. He’s not technically playing himself, but it’s a pretty believable nightmare scenario.
While the phrase “James Franco lesbian vampire movie” was more than enough to sell us on Lifetime’s Mother, May I Sleep With Danger? remake (hell, “James Franco, Timecop” worked for 11.22.63), the trailer itself is something to behold. See for yourself, as the Tori Spelling camp classic gets a bloody facelift … you know, with James Franco, and lesbian vampires. I want to stress that part.