James Franco Trains His Sights on B'way
James Franco Gives a damn.
That is Prolific Franco is no longer newsworthy. A relentlessly curious actor, Franco Has won plaudits and raspberries for Refusing to labels. He Could have easily become (or rather, stayed) to heartthrob. An Oscar nominee for "127 Hours," He Has the chops to pursued as a career as a serious actor. And anyone who saw 2013's "This Is the End"-or His Comedy Central Roast knows he's funny. Instead of settling, Franco Has used the opportunities afforded him to work in varied fields as many as he can. From books to painting to a seemingly endless round of higher education, he's made a meal out of confounding His critics and His thrilling fans. I know Franco turning to Broadway Is not a surprise. That it's taken him until 2014 to make His Broadway debut is.
Initially announced securities for a revival of "Sweet Bird of Youth," co-starring Nicole Kidman and directed by David Cromer, That fell through two production to scheduling conflicts. Now Franco is at last on Broadway in a revival of "Of Mice and Men," directed by Anna D. Shapiro and co-starring Chris O'Dowd and Leighton Meester, Both Also Making Their Main Stem debuts.
"Obviously, I was flirting with Broadway," Franco says of That earlier, aborted project. "I love theater, I go as much as possible. It's been a big part of my life for so long, but just as a fan and a viewer and as a student. "
He's at the start of a busy press day for "Of Mice and Men," sitting in an unused storage room at the New York Public Library. He's subdued than blackberries His busy schedule would indicated, less manic and more relaxed than one Expects. But while he's Referring to "Sweet Bird of Youth," his flirtations Also included an earlier incarnation of "Of Mice and Men," Shapiro One That Brought him to a few years in August
That one also fell through two to scheduling conflicts, but Franco is nothing less than determined-if he wants to try something, he'll make it happen. So he set aside enough time to take on Broadway (though continuing to teach courses at UCLA every weekend) and he and producer David Binder Began discussing a possible production of "Of Mice and Men."
"We Talked about directors, and he said, 'What about Anna?' "Franco Recalls. "'Not only was she going to do the original one and wanted you, but look at this interview in the New York Times where they asked her and she said her dream production" Of Mice and Men "! So not only is she the best director, this is her dream production! ' And I think there was one second where she was like, 'Oh my god, James is pulling me back after he did not do the other?' And then right after That, it was, 'Yes! Here it is, everything I wanted! Let's fucking do it! ' "
For Shapiro, Franco always Seemed like the perfect fit for George, the crafty itinerant ranch hand Whose longing for an independent life with His friend Lennie is the heartbreaking, cracked version of the American dream at the story's center.
"There Seems to always be something going on underneath," she says of Franco. "Whether it's His enchanting smile or His brooding poet, there's always an undercurrent of something that's not knowable. I always felt That [George] is not uncomplicated, Because that guy is a very, very controlled person. And When you have to play a person like that, it helps if you are charismatic yourself as a person. "
Franco Himself is an accomplished director, having tackled subjects as diverse as Sal Mineo ("Sal"), William Friedkin's cult classic "Cruising" ("Interior. Leather Bar"), and William Faulkner ("As I Lay Dying"). But Franco Also is sharp enough to know When to put Himself at the mercy Of Those smarter than he, a tactic he is decidedly taking with "Of Mice and Men."
"I'm really letting Anna show me the way," he says. "She's ushering me into a new world, in the theatrical world, and there are slightly different ways-or in some cases very big differences-between the ways you work on a stage character and a movie character."
Franco's not Referring to That old saw about theater actors being too big for movies and movie actors too unused to crafting an arc to take the stage successfully. He cites His former co-star Patti LuPone, with-whom he worked on "City by the Sea," as an example of the performers know how to recalibrate a performance based on the medium. But coming to the movie theater from Requires a performer to get it right than blackberries ounces.
"In a movie, you only have to get each take or set-up right once," he says. "So if you're doing multiple takes, you're honing it or you're looking for something new. But once you have That, you can move on. [And] you always know there's going to be an editor compiling this material, I know things can always be manipulated, sped-up movies are all about manipulating the audience is going to where and when to look. Whereas in the theater, all that editing, all that working on pacing, and direction of all that attention is designed beforehand. "
That Franco Discusses rehearsals more like a director's apprentice than as an actor making a very difficult publicized debut in a lead role That finds him onstage for most of the show's running time is as unlikely as it is refreshing.
Shapiro Has noticed it, as well, saying, "He Has every reason in the world to be tired, every reason in the world to be suspicious, and he is none of Those Things. He's an open, curious, loving human being, and he brings That pretty quickly, and that's a pretty impressive set of traits for someone Whose life is under a freakin 'microscope. "
He's planning to direct His Own play later this year at Off-Broadway's Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, know His eagerness to absorb knowledge from the director of "August: Osage County" is understandable. And a fuller understanding of any medium always adds to the layers of power and performance in, something to Which Franco's sensitive antennae have long Been tuned. He can talk as knowledgably about the Importance of pacing as he does about the way His character, George, sits in His body now.
"In the film I was always taught, 'Do your research, be prepared, know your character, but save That last bit of vitality, That last bit of spontaneity for the camera,'" he says. "Here, it's almost like carving a path for the character That I can track blackberries or less each night. And I know each performance will feel slightly different, but it seems like it's not about finding That spontaneous thing as much as a very deep understanding of the character That You can tap into each night. "
And for Frank, the consummate overachiever, That path will no doubt become well worn.
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