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James Franco, one of the hardest-working men in Hollywood,
has recently gained widespread notoriety for his role as Harry Osborn in the
blockbuster Spider-Man films. But his growing stature as a bankable and
recognizable star predates Spider-Man. He starred in the critically acclaimed
role of James Dean in the made-for-television film of the same name, winning a
Golden Globe award in 2002. Robert De Niro recognized his talent as well when he
handpicked Franco to play his son in the 2002 drama City by the Sea. You might
also remember Franco from his early work in Freaks and Geeks, the short-lived
1999 television series (produced by Judd Apatow, writer/director of 40 Year-Old
Virgin and Knocked Up), or in more recent roles in Annapolis, Flyboys and
Tristan & Isolde.
You’ll be seeing a lot more of Franco, whose body of work seems to grow by five
or six films a year—and that’s just as an actor! In addition to playing Sergeant
Dan Carnelli in the new film, In the Valley of Elah, and his role in Apatow’s
upcoming 2008 release, The Pineapple Express (plus several other films in
various stages of production), Franco is busy as a writer and director. And
since that doesn’t seem to occupy all his time, he’s returned to school as a
student as well.Busy? Extremely. How does Franco find time for all this, and
what’s the busy star up to these days? We talked about that and a lot more when
we met Franco at the charming Chateau Marmont, a 1920s-era landmark in West
Hollywood.
Tell me about In the Valley of Elah.
Elah is based on a true story about soldiers that fought in Iraq and, when
they returned stateside, ended up murdering a fellow soldier and covering it up.
When they told the murdered soldier’s father, who is a veteran, that his son
went AWOL, it didn’t sound right. So he started to investigate and un-covered
the real story.
So it’s almost two stories: the father’s search and the tale of the
murder?
The father is a Vietnam veteran and the film contrasts his experience with
the experience of these guys coming back from the new war. These kids get to the
point where they kill their friend. It doesn’t seem like these guys have much
remorse.
What attracted you to this film?
Paul Haggis, the director, and I knew each other. He asked me if I would
come and play this role. I love his stuff and I’m a huge fan of Million Dollar
Baby and Crash, so there was no question. And it was a very interesting script.
What kind of preparation did you do for Elah?
I had done a lot of war movies so I already had that familiarity. On The
Great Raid, based on the Bataan Death March in World War II, we did almost two
weeks of boot camp. It was a great experience. When we were ready to shoot the
movie, it was fantastic because everybody knew how to handle themselves as
soldiers and there was a great unity like we were a military company. It made
the process realistic and it was also a very efficient way to shoot the film. I
also did Annapolis about the military academy and the naval academy, and
Flyboys, based on World War I aviators.
Do you typically research your roles?
As an actor, you put a lot of work into a movie—or at least I do. I take my
acting very seriously. For Flyboys, I trained for months to get my pilot’s
license, studied up on these guys, did everything. On Annapolis, I trained as a
boxer for eight months. For Tristan & Isolde, I trained for eight months in
sword fighting and horseback riding. When I played a homeless drug addict with
De Niro in City by the Sea, I thought, “Why don’t I see what that experience is
like?” I stayed on the streets for a weekend with a friend of mine. We got dirty
clothes, poured beer on ourselves and went out there without any money. We made
a dollar in 12 hours and we were starving. So we ended up making a sign and
stood on the off-ramp of Interstate 10 and made, like, 30 bucks. Later, we slept
overnight in one of the missions downtown.
Being on the street when you don’t know the ropes must be dangerous.
Yeah, but I’ll do all that I can to get really deep into the character. With
a role like a drug addict or a soldier, I feel like I owe them the due diligence
to get their portrayal right. On Elah, I read everything on the case and saw all
the documentaries that I could.
Is it difficult to work with unprepared actors?
I try to not think about it. In some ways, it’s not my problem, it’s the
director’s problem. And if it’s a lazy actor, I’m not the only one who sees
it—everybody sees it. You’ve got to turn it off. If you have to work with this
person, you do the best you can. But I haven’t come across that a lot. It’s such
a hard business to break into, when you get on a movie, people are usually
enthusiastic and pretty happy to be there. And some of it’s up to me. If I see a
project and there are people involved that have bad reputations or I know might
be a problem to work with, I just don’t do the movie. Or I go into it knowing
that it’s going to be an issue.
You just finished shooting The Pineapple Express, a comedy written and
produced by Judd Apatow. What was that like?
I’d done Freaks and Geeks years ago, which was produced by Judd. I guess
just because it was a TV show or because it was earlier on in Judd’s process, we
mainly stuck to the script. But since Judd’s been doing movies, he’s evolved his
technique. Sometimes you’ll do the scene and he’ll throw out alternate lines
like, “Try this! Try that!” while it’s still rolling. On most takes of The
Pineapple Express, he’ll just run the role out every take to see what comes. In
that way, you get fresh stuff that feels real because the other actors aren’t
expecting what you’re going to say. Or you’ll do one take that follows the
script and then you’ll just do another take and it’s like, “Alright, just run
with it and see what happens.” Or he’ll say, “What have you got? Just show me
what you got!”
So it’s a fun process?
Fantastic process. If it’s the right people, you know? When Judd and his people
use improv-isation, they’re really just trying to find the funniest possible
interaction between these characters. I’m sure I’ll look really stupid in a lot
of those takes but because I trusted Judd and the director, David Gordon Green,
I didn’t even care. I know in the end, they’ll just use the best stuff. It was a
great environment because I felt safe. I haven’t done a lot of comedy because I
find most of the scripts to be just ridiculous. But the guys on The Pineapple
Express are some of the best guys working in comedy so I thought it was a great
opportunity.
Would improvisation work as well in a drama?
It would definitely work, but it’s different. In a comedy, you’re looking for
funny lines or the comedy in the situation; you just go off on tangents. In a
drama, there are fewer places to go because you’re just looking for the essence
of the scene. When Robert Altman used improvisation, he was looking for
interesting human moments, not for jokes in the same way that we did on The
Pineapple Express.
If a movie comes along that’s going to be big, but you don’t like the project,
is it tempting to move forward?
I’m at the point where I don’t need to do any movie to support a standard of
living. I’ve had enough experiences on movies where, for whatever reason, I
didn’t have a good experience. I was doing them for the right reasons—I wasn’t
doing them for the money—but I know what it’s like to work on a movie and not be
completely inspired. So I would never do a film because of the money.
How important is the director to a film you might consider working on?
From an actor’s perspective, obviously it’s preferable to work with somebody
that has a great track record. You know that you’ll probably be a part of
something that’s going to be, at the very least, interesting. You go in as an
actor, you do your research, you do your part, they do the shoot, and then
you’re done. A film is a director’s medium. If you don’t have a director that
you trust, it can make you clam up. You don’t want to try things that could look
bad because you’re afraid that they’re going to leave that in the cut. But if
you have a director that you trust, you’re willing to try anything because you
know that he’s going to make it good. If you do something bad, oh well, it’ll go
away. That’s why it’s important to work with directors that you respect.
A bad final cut must be frustrating after working hard on a movie.
You go and do your part and then they edit it together. It’s possible that you
see the final product and you don’t really like it. That’s why it’s so weird
about performances in films—a lot of that has to do with the editor and the
director. When acting was my only focus, a lot of my happiness and feelings of
self-worth were based on how well my movies were received or how well they did
at the box office. I found myself getting a little depressed and that’s not a
way to live.
How did you release the tension?
I decided to go back to school. It was something I could do on my own apart from
movies. School has a different set of standards so it took a lot of pressure
off. I still only want to do good movies and do the best work I can, but school
allows me to take a step away from it.
What are you studying?
I’m doing a creative honors thesis. I’m given a year or so to work on a novel.
So far it’s going great and I love it! I write about four hours a day. Books
have always been important to me and I missed being around people who love books
and love writing. It’s great to go back and be immersed in that world.
Novel or screenplay: Which one do you prefer?
In general, I prefer reading books to scripts and I prefer writing books and
fiction to writing screenplays. There’s just something about the script format
that I don’t respond to like I do with novels.
Do you have other creative pursuits?
I’ve written screenplays and I’ve directed them. The second film I directed just
premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s called Good Time Max. I co-wrote
that with this woman who actually was one of the head writers on the cartoon
SpongeBob SquarePants. I’ve written quite a few screenplays with her.
in an ideal world, would you direct, act, write, or do some combination of the
above?
I’m sure I’ll continue acting, hopefully, in projects that I love, and continue
with directing. We just shot a test for a short, a Faulkner story called “Red
Leaves.” It’s a little more complicated than the other stuff I’ve directed. It
takes place in the 1830s in Mississippi. A large portion of the story is
actually a chase and I’ve never really done anything like that, so we went out
into the woods near Valencia and shot a whole bunch of the sequences. When we
actually do the shoot in Mississippi or Louisiana, I’ll be ready.
Is there enough of a market to justify this project?
I’m paying for the short, but it’s not that dangerous of an investment. If I
don’t make money, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m really doing it for the
artistic thing.
It seems that projects you’re pursuing now are what you want to do and not
necessarily what’s best for your career?
Well, I don’t want to do things that are bad for my career.
Obviously, if you’re thinking short-term you wouldn’t do “Red Leaves.”
I guess I could be doing another project.
But it makes sense also with the things you want to do in the future.
Exactly. In some ways, the short furthers my career because it’s something that
I hope to do more of in the future. Usually people don’t direct a feature and
then go and do a short, but one of the reasons I’m doing this short is to help
prepare me for that period and that level of material. It’s a Faulkner story so
it’s pretty dense. I’ve also got the rights to a Faulkner novel called Light in
August, which is a very difficult novel to adapt. I hope to direct a feature of
that afterward.
You were hoping to get the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man, right?
I did this extensive test for Peter Parker where they must have spent thousands
of dollars; probably more on it than I’ll spend on my short. I thought it went
really well, but I had to wait six weeks until I got an answer.
Excruciating weeks.
Yeah. And, ultimately, Tobey [Maguire] got the lead role.
Were you disappointed?
Sure, of course, but I’m being honest when I say that Tobey is perfect for the
role. I think he’s done a great job. After he got the part, maybe a few days or
a week later, Sam Raimi, the director, called me up and said, “You know, I
really like you and I want you to be in the movie. Would you play this other
role?” Nobody else had gone out for Harry Osborn; Sam just gave it to me, so I
was happy. Harry’s kind of the most emotionally troubled character in the movie.
As an actor, that’s what you want.
Has the huge success of Spider-Man opened doors for you?
A lot of films are backed by foreign financiers and they often make their
decisions based on who’s in it. They have each actor’s foreign market worth
calculated down to a number. It’s based on the movies they’re in and how well
those movies have done at the box office. So doing something like Spider-Man
definitely helps.
You have a number on you?
Everybody does.
Have you seen it?
Nah.
But whatever it is, you’re pretty pleased with whatever that number might be.
I’m just saying, Spider-Man doesn’t hurt.
Is there a type of role that you really go after?
My favorite performances are the early Jack Nicholson films like Five Easy
Pieces, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Last Detail and Easy Rider. If I
came across a role like one of those, I would just love it.
Which other actors do you admire?
Of course, all the actors from that generation—Al Pacino and De Niro, Robert
Duvall and Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty—and then before them, the big three are
James Dean, Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. And then, from a different
generation, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro. I also think Mark Ruffalo and
Jeffrey Wright are fantastic.
What do you think of one-dimensional actors who make it big with
exploitative-type films?
There are some people that are successful, and it’s not based on nothing. They
didn’t get there just by luck. They’re doing something right, something that
appeals to audiences on some level.
When you watch a movie, can you turn everything off, and just enjoy it like a
normal moviegoer?
When I read a book I don’t just read it for the story, you know what I mean? I
read it for the writing, for what the writer’s doing with the words. When I
watch a movie, I don’t watch it for just the story. I watch it for the way they
tell the story and how the actors deliver their characters and all of that. But
there will definitely be times when I say, “I just want to go watch this movie
and it might not be the deepest movie, but I’ll just enjoy it. It’ll be an
escape.” But I don’t want to do things just to kill time; I don’t have enough
time. I want to get something out of everything I do.
So every movie, good or bad, you’re taking something away from it.
Of course. I’m watching how they put everything together.
Given that, is watching a movie relaxing?
It’s funny, but I’m horrible about falling asleep in theaters. Sometimes it’s
just a chance to get extra sleep. So I’ll watch a movie and usually after the
first five or ten minutes, I’ll know if I’m interested or not and if I’m not, I
can usually just check-out and go to sleep.
Do you enjoy the Hollywood social life?
Eh, not much. I have some friends that run a couple of the smaller clubs and
I’ll go out every once in awhile. But this past year I’ve been going to school
and studying for finals and writing papers, and I made a couple of movies, so I
really haven’t had time.
How do you manage to do so many movies and go to school?
Well, I guess I have a lot of interests so wherever I can fit something in, I’ll
do it. I’ve managed to combine some of the school and directing. I’m getting
credit for school for this short even though it’s not really a student film
since I’ve got professionals working on it. But I’ve managed to work it out.
Has a movie ever influenced you to the point where it changed your life?
It’s not really the subject matter that’s hit me so hard so much as the people
that I’ve worked with. Like working with Altman; I spent quite a bit of time
with him. Just seeing how he lives his life, the creative world that he lives in
and the people that he surrounds himself with has really inspired me to emulate
that.
IN WHAT WAY?
He was in the middle of everything I find interesting. He was around great
painters, great filmmakers and interesting actors. It’s inspiring for me to be
around people who are interested in the things that I’m interested in. It’s one
of the reasons I went back to school. I wasn’t around very many writers, so
school was a chance to be around people who took seriously what I was serious
about.
The cliché of Hollywood, and I imagine it’s somewhat true, is that actors don’t
tend to be too deep.
Well, acting is a profession that depends a lot on how someone looks. And so,
it’s hard not to think about how you’re looking all the time. You can start
picking up these superficial habits and behavior. I guess it’s just the nature
of it. I don’t really blame anybody for that. You go to the movies and people
say, “Oh look, so-and-so’s not looking so hot.” You know what I mean? You’re up
there on the screen.
Do you think about how you look when you go out in public?
I don’t put on makeup or anything. I dress how I dress. Some of those actors
can’t walk out the door without the paparazzi in their face, so I don’t know.
Being successful as an actor could be a curse.
It’s not like it’s going to be a surprise though. Every actor knows that that’s
a possibility. They know what the cost is.
Was acting your calling?
I didn’t fall into acting. I really pursued it. When I was young, I found it was
a great way to express myself when I hadn’t found a lot of ways to do that. So I
pursued it with all of my energy.
What are your favorite movies that you’ve done?
I don’t like most things I’ve done.
Really?
Yeah.
Is there any film that you’d say was your masterpiece?
Nah, I don’t think so.
How about movies you haven’t done but wish you did?
I love Requiem for a Dream, directed by Darren Aronofsky. It was all about
addiction. Darren would be a great person to work with. I wouldn’t have been
right for it but I love Amores Perros. There’s also a French movie called Hate
and another great French movie called Irreversible. There are some really dark
scenes in it but the structure and the technical proficiency is amazing.
Just the same, I imagine you’re reasonably happy with your success so far.
I’m grateful for everything.
It sounds like you haven’t gotten to where you want to go yet.
It’s nice to have work that you can look back on and say, “Oh yeah, that was
good.”
And you don’t have enough of that?
Yeah.
How do you feel about Spider-Man?
I’m happy with the work I did and it’s a good role, but in a movie like that,
you can only explore the characters so much. It wasn’t a stepping stone to where
I really want to go, but I really did enjoy the experience. It’s just that
there’s more that I want to do.
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