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James Franco

James Franco appeared on Broadway in Of Mice and Men in 2014. He directed the off-Broadway production of The Long Shrift in 2014.

BIO

James Franco appeared on Broadway in Of Mice and Men in 2014. He directed the off-Broadway production of The Long Shrift in 2014.


He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat Pray Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He has collaborated with fellow actor Seth Rogen on multiple projects, including Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Franco's performance in 127 Hours (2010) earned a Best Actor nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards.

In his first prominent television role, Franco played Daniel Desario on the short-lived ensemble comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), which developed a cult following. He portrayed the title character in the television biographical film James Dean (2001), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, and received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Franco had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital (2009–2012) and starred in the limited series 11.22.63 (2016). He starred in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce (2017–2019).

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2014
George

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2014]
Director

Six Degrees of Broadway Beta

See how many degrees separate James Franco from another Broadway star or creative.

James Franco

James Franco

Awards and Nominations

Drama League Awards - 2014 - Distinguished Performance Award

James Franco, Of Mice and Men

Videos

News

IF DEATH HAS TAKEN SOMETHING FROM YOU, GIVE IT BACK to Debut at Copenhagen's Husets Teater
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 21, 2026

Vangeline, New York Butoh artist and director of the New York Butoh Institute, will serve as Butoh coach for the first stage adaptation of Naja Marie Aidt's memoir, featuring Royal Danish Ballet dancer Oliver Marcus Starpov and actress Christine Albeck Børge.
Vangeline Featured in A Perfect Circle's New Music Video for 'TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN'
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 16, 2026

Vangeline, founder of Vangeline Theater and New York Butoh Institute, appears in the new music video for A PERFECT CIRCLE's song TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. The band launches an extensive North American tour.
Video: Vangeline Appears in A PERFECT CIRCLE Music Video
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 14, 2026

Vangeline, founder of the Vangeline Theater and New York Butoh Institute, appears dancing her solo Butoh Beethoven in the new music video for A PERFECT CIRCLE's 'TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.'
CONFESSION starring Rob Lowe & James Franco to debut on The Daily Wire
by Rachel Stone - Oct 13, 2026

Václav Marhoul's drama CONFESSION, set in Stalin's 1938 Moscow, will premiere exclusively on The Daily Wire. The film stars Rob Lowe, James Franco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and an ensemble cast.
Review: DESERT FILMS at Ambra Jovinelli
by Chiara Alivernini - Oct 9, 2026

DESERT FILMS at Ambra Jovinelli Una pièce scritta ed interpretata da James Franco, per la regia di Peter Gold.
THE ART OF RECEIVING Butoh Workshop to Come to Oxford's Schwarzman Centre
by Stephi Wild - Sep 2, 2026

Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute will lead a day-long Butoh workshop at Oxford's Old Fire Station, taught by choreographer and dancer Vangeline as part of the Schwarzman Centre Cultural Programme.
MAN WOMAN Butoh Performance by Vangeline to Play Schwarzman Centre
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 28, 2026

Vangeline will perform her Butoh dance work MAN WOMAN at the Schwarzman Centre in Oxford, followed by a discussion on gender and Butoh history with Dr Baldock.
STAND UP IF YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT to Make UK Premiere at Edinburgh Fringe
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 5, 2026

Olivier Award-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach's STAND UP IF YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT, starring Broadway actor Jim Ortlieb, will receive its UK premiere at Underbelly Bristo Square during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
NEXT TO NORMAL Original Broadway Cast: Where Are They Now?
by Michael Gioia - Jul 11, 2026

BroadwayWorld looks back on the original Broadway cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey musical 'Next to Normal.'
Vangeline Theater to Launch Online Butoh Research Platform With Multilingual Essays
by Stephi Wild - Jun 10, 2026

Vangeline Theater's New York Butoh Institute announced a new online platform, Writings–From History to Theory, featuring essays and lectures by Vangeline connecting Butoh, embodiment, feminism, and the nervous system.
QUEER BUTOH FESTIVAL to Return to Brooklyn with International Artists in 2026
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 8, 2026

Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute will present Queer Butoh Festival, marking a decade of radical performance at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn, featuring artists from Mexico, Belgium, South Korea, Singapore, Chile, and the U.S.
Ana Villafañe to Perform Unplugged in London Amid SINATRA: THE MUSICAL West End Run
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 1, 2026

Ana Villafañe, known for originating the role of Gloria Estefan in ON YOUR FEET! on Broadway, will perform an intimate acoustic set at PizzaExpress Live in London while starring as Ava Gardner in her West End debut.
BUTOH: INTO THE DEPTH to Open at Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute
by A.A. Cristi - May 19, 2026

Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute announced a five-week Butoh course in Brooklyn, culminating in a student performance. Taught by choreographer Vangeline, the program is open to dancers and non-dancers with sliding-scale tuition.
Interview: GABRIELE MARCELLO - IL MAGO DI OZ
by Chiara Alivernini - Apr 19, 2026

GABRIELE MARCELLO - IL MAGO DI OZ INCONTRIAMO L'AUTORE DEL SAGGIO PUBBLICATO DA GREMESE
Joel Harper-Jackson to Play Frank Sinatra in SINATRA THE MUSICAL
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 3, 2026

Joel Harper-Jackson will play Frank Sinatra in Sinatra The Musical – the West End premiere of the new musical based on the life and career of the legendary artist and cultural icon.
Santiago Cumplido to Present Vangeline In EGREGOR: The Sensory Ritual Of The Future
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 15, 2025

Santiago Cumplido will present Vangeline in EGREGOR: The Sensory Ritual of the Future this fall. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets to the event here!
Open-Door Playhouse To Release New Audio Play FRIENDLY UNEMPLOYMENT THis September
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 15, 2025

Open-Door Playhouse will release a new audio play, FRIENDLY UNEMPLOYMENT, beginning September 3, 2025, on its online platform. The short comedy will explore the strange case of a couple with no jobs—and no shortage of money.
Surface Area Dance Theatre Joins Vangeline Theater / New York Butoh Institute and The Brick Theater in QUEER BUTOH 2025
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 12, 2025

Vangeline Theater / New York Butoh Institute, in collaboration with The Brick, will present the ninth annual Queer Butoh from Wednesday, June 25 - Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 8pm at The Brick Theater, 579 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn. Tickets start at $25 and are available for purchase here.
Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach Will Make Broadway Debuts in DOG DAY AFTERNOON
by Nicole Rosky - Jun 4, 2025

DOG DAY AFTERNOON, a new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis, based on the legendary true crime story, will open on Broadway in the spring of 2026. We have all of the details here!
RACHMANINOFF AND THE TSAR: THE MUSIC OF SERGEI V. RACHMANINOFF Begins At The Colonial In June
by A.A. Cristi - May 21, 2025

Berkshire Theatre Group and Kate Maguire will present Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, the newest international hit by Hershey Felder, the creative force behind the acclaimed productions George Gershwin Alone and Beethoven—both previous hits at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. In this captivating new theatrical work,

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has James Franco been in?

James Franco has appeared on Broadway in 1 shows.

How many West End shows has James Franco been in?

James Franco has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has James Franco been nominated for?

and Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Of Mice and Men.

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