Best known for his breakthrough starring role on Freaks and Geeks, James Franco was born in Palo Alto, California on April 19, 1978. Growing up with his two younger brothers, James graduated from Palo Alto high school in 1996 and went on to attend UCLA, majoring in English. To overcome his shyness, he got into acting while studying there, which, much to his parents' dismay, he left after only one year. After fifteen months of intensive study at Robert Carnegie's Playhouse West, James began actively pursuing his dream of finding work as an actor in Hollywood. In that short time, he landed himself a starring role on Freaks and Geeks. The show, however, was not a hit to its viewers at the time, and was canceled after its first year. Now, it has become a cult-hit. Prior to joining Freaks and Geeks, Franco starred in the TV miniseries Family Shield and co-starred opposite Drew Barrymore in the hit film Never Been Kissed. After that he had a starring role in Whatever It Takes, which is where he met his future girlfriend, Marla Sokoloff.

Although he'd been working steadily, it wasn't until the TNT made-for-television movie, James Dean that James rose to fan-magazine fame and got to show off his talent. Since then he has been working non-stop. After losing the lead role to Tobey Maguire, James settled for the part of Harry Osborne, Spider-Man's best friend in the summer 2002 major hit Spider-Man.

Next was Deuces Wild and City by the Sea, in which Robert De Niro personally had him cast, after viewing his performance in James Dean. Definitely growing out of his shyness James Franco is turning into a legend of his own.


The Company (2003): 2,000,000

Auditioned for the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man (2002), but was given the part of Harry Osborn. He has two younger brothers, Tom and Dave Franco. In his spare time he likes to paint Has his own production company - Rabbit Bandini Productions. Shares a birthday with Hayden Christensen. Although he always hated it, he started smoking for his lead role in James Dean (2001) (TV). Worked with stunt coordinator Nick Powell in two movies both premiering in 2006: Tristan + Isolde (2006) and Annapolis (2006). His first overseas trip was to Australia to film The Great Raid (2005). Is friends with Busy Philipps, who he met on the set of "Freaks and Geeks" (1999). Franco told interviewer Terry Gross that when he was in junior high school, he was arrested for shoplifting cologne from a department store and reselling it with his friends at the school. He noted to Gross the irony that, in 2008, he shot an advertising campaign in which he became the face of Gucci cologne. Studied acting with Ivana Chubbuck, whose students include stars such as Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss, Djimon Hounsou, Garry Shandling and Jon Voight. In 2009, he reunited with his Deuces Wild (2002) co-star, Ronnie Marmo, on "General Hospital" (1963).