Dave Franco, James Franco’s younger brother, asserted in a recent interview with Bustle magazine, “Nobody was going to hire me just because I’m James Franco’s brother.” However, he admitted that having a movie star brother helped launch his acting career.
“If I was bad, I would have disappeared right away,” he said. Regarding their relationship, he added, “At this point, I think he’s just excited to see me try new things and grow.”
Dave Franco’s first notable credit was in the 2006 season 10 episode of the WB drama “7th Heaven.” A year later, he entered the film industry with a bit role in director Greg Mottola’s signature coming-of-age comedy “Superbad.” His star rose in the early 2010s with supporting roles in “Fright Night,” “21 Jump Street” and “Now You See Me.” His recent credits include “Regretting You,” “Together,” and “Love Lies Bleeding.”
James Franco also broke out on the small screen with his first major role in Paul Feig’s cult classic TV show Freaks and Geeks. In 2002, he landed the role of Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, cementing the aging Franco’s status as a Hollywood mainstay. Over the next few years, his notable credits include “Pineapple Express,” “Milk,” “127 Hours,” “Spring Breakers,” “This Is the End,” “The Interview,” and “The Disaster Artist.”
In 2019, James Franco’s career stalled when two members of his acting school filed a lawsuit alleging that he “withdrew opportunities for project roles, sexualized his power as a teacher and employer, and engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexual conduct toward female students.” The lawsuit was settled in 2021 for more than $2 million.
