Table of Contents
James Franco is pulling back the curtain on his fallout with Seth Rogen, revealing that their two-decade friendship is officially “over. In a recent chat with Variety, the 46-year-old actor opened up about the challenges he faced and the changes he underwent during his hiatus from the spotlight, since the sexual misconduct allegations in 2018 that changed the trajectory of his career.
As he prepares for his comeback in the Italian film Hey Joe, he’ discussed renewed outlook on work and life, saying he’s “grateful to be working” and “proud of the person” he’s becoming.
James Franco and Seth Rogen’s friendship is over
Franco, widely recognised for his roles in Pineapple Express, Spider-Man, and more, spoke about his friendship with longtime collaborator Seth Rogen. In 2021, Rogen stated he had “no plans to work with Franco again” after allegations surfaced accusing Franco of coercing his film students into performing explicit scenes on camera. “No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over,” Franco told Variety when asked if he had since communicated with Rogen. “ And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me,” he added.
Also read: Barron Trump to join Chance Combs, Isabella Damon at NYU family event: Whose parents will attend?
At the time Rogen who headlined with Franco in films like The Interview, This is The End, Sausage Part, Disaster Party, and many more also said, “I despise abuse and harassment and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that,” referring to the claims.
What happened to James Franco?
The Spider-Man star faced serious accusations from several former female acting students, who alleged that he exploited his celebrity status and his now-closed film school to engage in inappropriate and sexually charged behavior.
The women claimed Franco used his influence as a teacher and potential employer to pressure them with promises of roles, leading them to feel intimidated and objectified. He engaged in “widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects,” Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal said in a complaint statement submitted to LA County according to Fox news.
Also read: Liam Payne was ‘texting’ Pussycat Dolls alum before he died: ‘It was her idea to…’
Alleging they were victims of fraud, the students said they paid $300 monthly for the acting school Franco founded with his business partner, Vince Jolivette, in 2014.
James Franco ‘grateful’ to be working again
“I’m so grateful to be working,” said Franco, all set to step in the shoe of American WWII veteran. “I did go through a lawsuit, and during that lawsuit I wasn’t working. But then COVID hit, so everybody wasn’t working. So, I don’t know, it was all… I mean, we were all kind of in it. So it was sort of like, ‘I don’t know what I am.’”
Reflecting on his time away from Hollywood, Franco revealed that he used the break to undergo a self transformation, shifting his mindset and working to address deeper issues. Though he once had a booming career, he admits that his relentless drive to work left him unable to savour his successes—whether it was audience praise or award nominations, it never felt like enough. Now, having embraced this period of self-reflection, he feels proud of the internal progress he’s made, viewing it as a foundation for a more balanced and fulfilling path forward.
“So now, after having the pause and, I think, changing priorities, I guess what I seek to fulfill me in life [is different],” he added. “Ultimately, I think I’m kind of grateful because it did afford me a chance to just do whatever private work and really change what I need to change. So now that I am working, I can just be there for the project. It’s not about me trying to fill some hole with work, it’s just about, ‘Wow, I have a really great life. I’m very grateful, and I hope to serve whatever project I do.’”
