This Is Why James Franco Is So Busy All the Time
James Franco can't be captured in one title: he's an actor, director, writer, film professor, novelist, artist, painter and all-around eccentric-and even that's an understatement. Due to his extensive (and complicated) resume, he's in a constant state of juggling projects, and he hardly takes breaks; in fact, he hates them. He apparently even spends his free nights (he's currently living in a hotel) painting portraits of hummingbirds.
In Rolling Stone 's latest cover story, the multifaceted creative talks about his endless passions, work ethic, his sexuality and being motivated by his late father. Some of his standout collaborators like Seth Rogen and Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green chip in too.
Read through for the best snippets below, then check out the full feature here.
On being inspired by his father: "My father taught me difficult math at an early age. I was in the, like, top AP calculus class when I was a junior. I tested out of all the math classes in college. I think I get a lot from my dad, because he worked in Silicon Valley, but he always had these side projects. He would do math problems that would take years to figure out. And he'd do these weird science experiments in our backyard."
On how his old acting method caused friction on set: "I was taught that you have to fight for your performance. So if a director didn't like what I was doing, or asked me to do it differently, I rebelled, and the director would be unhappy, I'd be unhappy, and neither of us got what we wanted."
On why he does multiple projects instead of spending more time on one: "The problem with doing a movie every two or three years is (A) you don't get to work as much, and I love working, and (B) so much pressure is then put on that project."
On presenting more LGBT narratives on screen: "We've told the straight, heteronormative stories ad nauseam by now, in our movies, our shows, our commercials – everywhere. I think it's healthy to make work that disrupts and questions that, and shows alternative narratives. That's what an artist should do."
On relationships and his ex, Ahna O'Reilly: "I realized that, at least right now, it's hard for me to be in a relationship. I can't devote the time it deserves–especially with someone like her. She was my love."
Producer David Simon on Franco's reputation as a multi-tasker: "I was a bit nervous about his focus. I talked to people who told me, 'Great actor, but God help you if he loses interest or gets preoccupied with something that fascinates him more.' Other producers and directors would praise the talent in one breath and then tell you a story about him falling asleep between camera setups with some annotated copy of a Faulkner novel in his lap. But then he came to work, and he had both of his characters surrounded. He didn't let slip a line or a gesture."
Seth Rogen, on Franco's work ethic: "James would rather make a movie with me than go to Hawaii with me for a week."
Seth Rogen, on what Franco is like in real life: "On paper, he's the douchiest human being on the planet, but as soon as you meet him, he's very disarming. He's almost embarrassed by what you assume he's like. I think that's why audiences like him, because he's weird and he does all this stuff that's so fascinating and bizarre, but onscreen he seems like your silly friend you hang out with, who'd pull his pants down to make you laugh. And he is that guy!"
Director John Hamburg, on how Franco spends down time: "On comedies, usually everybody's f*cking around between takes, but that's not James' process. He's making use of every single moment. The other day he was in hair and makeup, typing on a laptop. I said, 'What are you doing, writing a novel?' He said, 'Yep.' And he actually was!"
