James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, and painter. He began acting during the late 1990s, appearing on the short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and starring in several teen films. In 2001 he played the title role (James Dean) in Mark Rydells television biographical film James Dean (James Dean (film)), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film (Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film).

Franco achieved international fame as a result of his portrayal of Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy (Spider-Man film series). Since then, his films have included the war film The Great Raid (2005), the 2006 romantic drama Tristan & Isolde (Tristan & Isolde (film)), and Justin Lins drama Annapolis (Annapolis (film)) (2006). In 2008, Franco starred in the comedy stoner film Pineapple Express (Pineapple Express (film)) and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy). He played a prominent role in the 2008 biographical film Milk (Milk (film)).