James Franco, a talented actor, was born on April 19, 1978, in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Franco, a writer, artist, and actress, and Douglas Eugene "Doug" Franco, who ran a Silicon Valley business. His mother, of Jewish descent, and his father, of Portuguese and Swedish ancestry, shaped his early life.
Growing up with two younger brothers, Dave Franco, also an actor, and Tom Franco, James attended Palo Alto High School, graduating in 1996. He then pursued higher education at UCLA, majoring in English. To overcome his shyness, James got involved in acting while studying at UCLA, a decision that, much to his parents' dismay, he left after only one year to focus on his passion.
After 15 months of intense training at Robert Carnegie's Playhouse West, James began actively seeking roles in Hollywood. His hard work paid off, and he landed a starring role on the TV series Freaks and Geeks (1999). Although the show didn't gain popularity at the time, it has since become a cult classic.
Before joining Freaks and Geeks (1999),Franco appeared in the TV miniseries To Serve and Protect (1999). He then had a starring role in Whatever It Takes (2000). Although he had been working steadily, it wasn't until the TNT made-for-television movie James Dean (2001) that James rose to fame and showcased his talent.
Since then, James has been working non-stop. After losing the lead role to Tobey Maguire, James was cast as "Harry Osborne," Spider-Man's best friend, in the summer 2002 major hit Spider-Man (2002). He reprised the role for the next two films in the trilogy.
Next, James appeared in Deuces Wild (2200) and City by the Sea (2002),in which Robert De Niro personally selected him for the role after seeing his performance in James Dean (2001). He was also seen in David Gordon Green's Pineapple Express (2008) opposite Seth Rogen, in George C. Wolfe's Nights in Rodanthe (2008),starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, and in Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah (2007),starring Tommy Lee Jones.
James also starred alongside Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant's Milk (2008),earning him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. As he continues to grow out of his shyness, James Franco is establishing himself as a legendary actor.
