James Franco

James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor.

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April 19 - 1978 - American - Actor

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He was born and raised in Palo Alto, California of Spanish and Jewish descent, and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996. He enrolled at University of California, Los Angeles as an English major, but dropped out after his freshman year to pursue acting. After studying with Robert Carnegie at Playhouse West, Franco got his first break in 1999 when he landed a leading role on the short-lived but highly praised TV series Freaks and Geeks.

Related Topics:
Palo Alto - California - Spanish - Jewish - Palo Alto High School - University of California, Los Angeles - English - Freaks and Geeks

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Franco's reputation grew after playing James Dean in the TNT network's 2001 made-for-television movie titled simply James Dean; he won both the Golden Globe Award and the Screen Actors' Guild Award for his performance.

Related Topics:
James Dean - TNT network's - Golden Globe Award - Screen Actors' Guild

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For the film of Spider-Man, Franco was originally considered for the lead role of Peter Parker. Eventually passed over in favor of Tobey Maguire, Franco was cast in the role of Harry Osborn, the son of the villainous Green Goblin. The huge successes of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 have elevated Franco to a new level of recognition with movie audiences around the world.

Related Topics:
Spider-Man - Tobey Maguire - Harry Osborn - Green Goblin - Spider-Man 2

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