James Franco meets with media in Rome on Friday to discuss his new film Hey Joewhich had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival. When discussing the film, in which he plays a World War II veteran who returns to Naples 25 years after discovering he has a son, the actor drew parallels to his own life.
“My character is a man who is wasting his life,” Franco said. “He took the opportunity to do something positive. It was the same for me personally. I changed the way I looked at things. I learned that what I really wanted from success was a real connection with others, a kind of spiritual growth. .This is what gives my life meaning.
In 2018, five women accused Franco of sexual misconduct. A class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles in 2019 alleges that he abused his position by offering performance opportunities in exchange for favors. In 2021, Franco agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused him of forcing acting students at his Studio 4 film school to perform increasingly explicit sex scenes in front of the camera.
Since then, Franco has kept a low profile, only appearing on a limited-release album in 2019. zerovillewhich he actually directed in 2014.
Franco described his character in the book Hey Joe As someone whose life was falling apart but found a way to change. “My character ruined his own personal life,” he said. “His marriage was falling apart, he was alone, and he was becoming an alcoholic. Then, something magical happened in his life. Some might say it was ‘too late.’ Others – like him – might say “Here’s an opportunity, let’s see where it takes me.” There are always ways to change our lives.
The actor also discussed the differences between Hollywood and Italian filmmaking.
“For film lovers, Claudio made films in a very special way – inspired by Italian neorealism,” Franco said. “For most scenes, we only used two angles. In a typical American movie, where you have a lot of coverage—wide shots, medium shots, close-ups—Claudio only had two sets. Because I was the protagonist. , he wanted the movie to be from my perspective, so [the shots] Throughout the scene, it was either on my shoulders or on my face.
Hey JoeDirected by Claudio Giovannesi, it is scheduled to be released in Italy on November 28, 2024.
