James Franco: What hasn't he done?
Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that actor James Franco has gotten involved with ... well, pretty much everything. As Joshua Mohr wrote in a article in 2010, Franco鈥檚 鈥渁mbition over the past few years has manifested almost as performance art.鈥�
This past weekend, the movie "Spring Breakers," starring Franco and Disney stars like Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, made its debut in theaters nationwide. The movie, along with the Disney film "Oz the Great and Powerful," which was released earlier this month, has thrust Franco back into the limelight again, as Hollywood鈥檚 Renaissance man. Check out this rendition of what might be on Franco鈥檚 bucket list if he created one 鈥� and how much he's already completed.
鈥� Get a degree
For Franco, this actually means get multiple degrees from multiple universities all at the same time, from Yale University to Columbia University. In 2012, a former professor of his alleged that he was fired from New York University because he gave the actor a D grade, according to magazine. In 2009, Franco was caught on camera sleeping in a Columbia class. His response? According to , he said, 鈥淚t was this extra thing, it was 10 at night, it wasn鈥檛 a class.鈥� 聽
鈥� Use degree(s) to teach college-level courses
Perhaps Franco really believes in the saying 鈥渒nowledge is power鈥� because he decided to not only obtain these degrees but also use the degrees to teach. A University of California, Los Angeles, student who recently took Franco鈥檚 screenplay/creative writing workshop told that Franco 鈥渄efinitely cares a lot about teaching and it鈥檚 not just something he鈥檚 just doing.鈥� The student also said Franco holds office hours and 鈥済ives five or 10 minutes of feedback every week鈥� to each student.
鈥� Guest-star in a soap opera
On 鈥淕eneral Hospital,鈥� Franco plays a character named Franco, an artist who also happens to be a serial killer. In 2010, the actor told 鈥溾�� he decided to play in the soap opera because 鈥渋t鈥檚 a different form of entertainment that I have ever worked in.鈥�
鈥� Write a book
鈥淢any of the stories end in nihilistic violences and gratuitous gore, which, let鈥檚 admit, can be entertaining... yet many of these tales have no emotional payoffs,鈥� wrote Mohr in his review of Franco鈥檚 book 鈥淧alo Alto鈥� in 2010.
鈥� Stay awake as long as possible
鈥淚 don鈥檛 get much sleep,鈥� Franco told 鈥溾�� in 2010. 鈥淚 am very busy.鈥� This is obvious because it seems as if no human being with a normal sleep cycle could cram all the activities Franco does into his or her schedule.
鈥� Get nominated for an Oscar
Franco got the nod from the Academy after his portrayal of outdoorsman Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle鈥檚 film "127 Hours," in 2010. The film, based on a true story, follows Aron, a solo hiker, after he falls into a ravine in Utah and is trapped for five days, out of human view and with limited supplies. 鈥檚 review called Franco 鈥渢horoughly captivating.鈥�
鈥� Host the Oscars
Franco co-hosted the 2011 ceremony with Anne Hathaway, but many critics responded negatively to the ceremony. wrote in its review that Franco 鈥渟eemed distant, uninterested and content to keep his Cheshire-cat-meets-smug smile on display throughout.鈥�
鈥� Star in a Disney movie
In "Oz the Great and Powerful," Franco plays the wizard who falls into the land of Oz and must help save it from destruction. Franco received mixed reviews 鈥� most, like , called him out for a poor performance, with the Globe writing that Franco was 鈥渢oo callow, too feckless, too much the dude for this role.鈥� However, some like argued, 鈥淔ranco makes it his own, and again proves his can be an underestimated leading man.鈥� Whether his portrayal of the great wizard was good or bad, it is still an interesting move for Franco to go Disney, especially considering the film was released around the same time as the racy, polar-opposite "Spring Breakers."
鈥� Star in a movie with Disney stars
In "Spring Breakers," directed by Harmony Korine, Franco is almost unrecognizable in his role as Alien, a rapper/gangster who sports beaded cornrows and tattoos. He plays the not-so-great influence on already-rebellious college students (played by Hudgens, Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine) who venture to Florida for their spring break.
The 34-year-old has already done so much that you have to wonder, what could possibly be next?
Saba Hamedy is a Monitor contributor.
