Portrait of James Franco

Birthday profile

James Franco

James Franco, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Born
April 19, 1978
Age in 2026
48
Zodiac sign
Aries
Birth year
1978

About James Franco

James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat Pray Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He has collaborated with fellow actor Seth Rogen on multiple projects, including Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), The Interview (2014), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Franco's performance in 127 Hours (2010) earned a Best Actor nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards. In his first prominent television role, Franco played Daniel Desario on the short-lived ensemble comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), which developed a cult following. He portrayed the title character in the television biographical film James Dean (2001), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, and received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Franco had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital (2009–2012) and starred in the limited series 11.22.63 (2016). He starred in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce (2017–2019). In 2014, a 17-year-old girl posted several screenshots of messages she said had been exchanged between her and Franco on Instagram. The messages showed that Franco, then aged 35, tried to meet her in a hotel room even after she told him she was only 17. In 2018, the Los Angeles Times reported that five women had accused Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior while Franco was serving as their acting teacher or mentor. A lawsuit filed by some of Franco's former acting students alleged sexual harassment and fraud. The suit was settled for $2.2 million in 2021.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

James Franco timeline

  1. In his first prominent television role, Franco played Daniel Desario on the short-lived ensemble comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), which developed a cult following.
  2. He portrayed the title character in the television biographical film James Dean (2001), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, and received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
  3. He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat Pray Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).
  4. He has collaborated with fellow actor Seth Rogen on multiple projects, including Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), The Interview (2014), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
  5. He starred in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce (2017–2019).

The world when James Franco was born

James Franco was born in 1978. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1978

  • #1 song"Shadow Dancing" – Andy Gibb
  • Top movieThe Deer Hunter
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe World According to Garp – John Irving

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMuhammad Ali wins heavyweight title for the third time
  • Top headlineCamp David Accords — Egypt and Israel sign peace agreement
  • Technology milestoneFirst spam email sent
  • Defining fadDisco and Saturday Night Fever
  • Notable inventionGarfield comic strip debuts
  • World population4.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonWashington Bullets (NBA)
  • U.S. population222.6M

1978 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in James Franco's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19782026
Gas$0.63$3.45/gal
Average home$55,700$435,000
Average income$17,730$67,500
Minimum wage$2.65$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.34$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population222.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.