James Franco met the press in Rome on Friday to debate his new movie Hey Joe, which had its world premiere on the Rome Movie Competition. Whereas discussing the movie, wherein he performs a WWII vet who returns to Naples 25 years after discovering out he has a son there, the actor drew parallels to his personal life.
“My character is a person who wasted his personal life,” mentioned Franco. “He catches the event to do one thing optimistic. That was the identical for me as an individual. I modified my manner of seeing issues. I understood that what I actually wished to acquire from success was an precise bond with different folks, a non secular progress. That’s what might give a which means to my life.”
In 2018, 5 ladies accused Franco of sexual misconduct. A category motion lawsuit filed in Los Angeles in 2019 claimed he misused his place, providing performing alternatives in trade for favors. In 2021, Franco agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a category motion lawsuit alleging he pushed performing college students at his Studio 4 Movie College into performing in more and more express intercourse scenes on digital camera.
Since then, Franco has saved a low profile, solely showing within the restricted launch of 2019’s Zeroville, which he truly directed in 2014. He additionally attended the Cannes Movie Competition in Might, the place he was noticed within the VIP space of a Nespresso celebration.
Franco described his character in Hey Joe as somebody whose life is falling aside, however who finds a technique to change. “My character destroyed his personal private life,” he mentioned. “His marriage is in items, he’s alone, he’s turning into an alcoholic. After which, a miracle is available in his life. Some folks might say ‘it’s too late.’ Different folks — like him — might say ‘this is a chance, let’s see the place it takes me.’ There may be at all times the way in which to vary our life.”
The actor additionally mentioned the variations between filmmaking in Hollywood and in Italy.
“For movie lovers, Claudio makes films in a really explicit manner — impressed by Italian neo realism,” mentioned Franco. “For many scenes we solely used two angles. In a typical American film you’re doing a number of protection – the vast shot, the medium shot, the shut up – with Claudio there was solely two set ups. As a result of I used to be the principle character he wished the movie to be from my standpoint, so [the shots] had been both over my shoulder or on my face for the entire scene.”
Hey Joe, directed by Claudio Giovannesi, is about for theatrical launch in Italy on Nov. 28, 2024.