Dude, I think James Franco got high and forgot he’s a damn movie star. In the weirdest, most amazing what-the-hell news today, James Franco has signed on for a temporary role on ABC’s General Hospital. It’s not just one guest appearance either – he’s going to be playing a “mystery person” for nearly two months! What. The. Hell?
James Franco will guest star on ABC’s “General Hospital” for a lengthy story arc this fall.
The “Pineapple Express” and “Spider-Man” actor will play a mystery person who comes to the soap opera’s town of Port Charles. The recurring role will begin Nov. 20 – to coincide with November sweeps – and will last about two months.
Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps says it’s “an honor that an actor of Franco’s caliber would choose to spend some of his valuable time in Port Charles.”
The 31-year-old Franco will star as Allen Ginsberg next year in the film “Howl.”
[From Huffington Post]
Maybe I’m being snobby and elitist (true story), but I really think James is totally above a character arc on a soap opera. Yes, it’s a funny, kitschy career move that will probably introduce him to a new fan base. But he’s a movie star, for goodness sake! He’s got no fewer than four films coming out next year, including the highly anticipated Howl, in which James plays poet Allen Ginsberg. He’s also filming a supporting part in Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts – he’s playing David, the guy Elizabeth Gilbert moved in with right after her marriage ended. Perhaps working with Julia turned James off of acting in films? If so, Julia will have a lot of explaining to do.
Over the past year, I’ve been paying more attention to James, and that boy has really started to grow on me. Before, if I ever thought about him at all, I had him pegged for some kind of trendy poseur. But this past year, I saw his two completely underrated performances from 2008 – one a brilliant comedic turn as the sweet stoner/drug-dealer Saul in Pineapple Express, the other as Harvey Milk’s soulful lover, a genuine and unaffected supporting performance in Milk, for which James was robbed of an Oscar nomination (he ended up with a Golden Globe nomination, and he won an Independent Spirit Award and a Critics Choice). I honestly and truly don’t know what would possess an actor of James’s caliber to do a soap opera stint, but bless his heart. When he finds out what he signed on for, it’s going to kill his buzz.
Here’s James filming “Eat, Pray, Love” on August 4th. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .
Just like Liz Taylor!!!
I think is great James is taking a role , you can’t sit on your ass until you get a good enough role. The only actor that counts to me are the working ones.
He can do no wrong in my book. Love the Franco.
What is so difficult to understand??? He did it because he is not stuck up on the idea of being a movie star. He may have several films coming out, but this is a guy who took a few years off after the first Spiderman movie to get a degree in English Literature. Maybe versatility is what he is aiming for in life, instead of the shallow, phoney life of a “movie star”…
I can’t wait to watch GH now! I support this decision. It’s only a couple months people.
The only time I have ever watched soap operas was when I was in the hospital for several weeks after spinal surgery – whichever one Deirdre Hall was on, back in the late 80s (Days of Our Lives?)
I never understood why people get into them.
maybe he is friends with one of the producers or something!!
Probably watched it back when he was struggling and thought it would be fun. Which it probably will be.
I don’t see what the big deal is. Maybe James really likes the soap or he just wanted to do something different. Just because it’s a soap doesn’t mean he can’t learn anything and stretch as an actor.
General Hospital is a great soap with some fantastic actors. I have been a James Franco fan from way back. I even saw a play he wrote directed and starred in, in Los Angeles. It was in a small venue. This was after he started doing the Spiderman movies. He is apparently doing his own thing, which I applaud him for.
How the mighty have fallen. Does anyone else get him confused with that stick of wood who played Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels?
*OMG stupid filter, was it the word ‘fallen’ this time ? *
Maybe he has bills to pay?
In all honesty, while pinapple express was a fun movie~HE didn’t “make” the movie any more funny. His character could have been played by several actors out there. As for spiderman movies? Ya those movies are the worst superhero movies!!!!! Seriously.
I wouldn’t call this guy a MovieStar quite yet. Maybe a working actor though
Just b/c a person appears in a movie doesn’t make them a “star”.
What the hell is he thinking! This is like when Cher did the infomercial as a favor to a friend. It nearly killed her career. Talk about career suicide. Somebody needs to tar and feather his publicist, manager, everybody!