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James Franco’s glittering career first showed signs of faltering in 2014, when a 17-year-old girl shared messages the then-35-year-old sent her on Instagram, trying to coerce her into showing up at his hotel despite
knowing her age. At the time, Franco brushed off his behavior, saying he“used bad judgment.” But in 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, multiple women came forward toaccuse Franco of sexual misconduct at his former acting school, Studio 4, which eventually led to a class-action lawsuit and a multi-million-dollar legal settlement in 2021. Though Franco admitted to having sex with his students and previously undergoing treatment for sex addiction, he did not address any allegations of sexual exploitation or misconduct. Since then, the now 48-year-old has mostly remained out of the spotlight.
Now, just like other previously canceled men who are making comebacks — including Louis C.K., Jonathan Majors and Kevin Spacey, among others — Franco has re-emerged in the Shortical microdrama “Love, Lies & Frank.” In the series, he plays Jimmy Frank, a dejected ad agency CEO who is millions of dollars in debt to a pack of unsavory werewolves donning terrible prosthetics who are threatening the company Jimmy’s father built from the ground up. Across 46 episodes, ranging from 40 seconds to two minutes, Franco appears alongside established vertical actors Eric Guilmette and Neela Jolen. Guilmette, playing Jimmy’s stepbrother Cameron Frank, and Jolen, who stars as Daniella Hansen, a junior creative at the company determined to rise in the ranks, embrace their roles with gusto despite a predictable plot and having to act through werewolf fangs.
Franco, however, appears to be sleepwalking through his lines. Though he’s playing a man running from his past demons and poor choices, he shows little emotion. Even in some of the more violent and heated scenes of the series, Franco acts more like a prop than the lead character whose actions drive the overall narrative. He seems to want to be anywhere else, despite — or maybe because — Franco is now one of the biggest names to headline a low-budget microdrama, following Taye Diggs’43-part series “Off Limits and All Mine” on CandyJar. Yet, unlike Diggs, who enthusiastically dove into his role as a music mogul who finds himself romantically entangled with his best friend’s adult daughter, Franco portrays Jimmy with wooden apathy.
Franco’s fall has been precipitous, but he initially rose to fame at the turn of the 21st century in NBC’s cult-classic TV teen drama “Freaks & Geeks.” Though the series was short-lived, his starring role in TNT’s “James Dean” biopic was so magnetic that it earned the then-23-year-old actor a Golden Globe for best actor in a TV movie. From there, Franco became a box office phenom in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” film trilogy alongside Tobey Maguire. Though Franco originally auditioned for the role of Peter Parker, his performance as Harry Osborn, Peter’s resentful best friend turned nemesis, was an effective emotional anchor across the films. Following “Spider-Man,” Franco continued to showcase his versatility in everything from the period drama “Tristan & Isolde” to playing Harvey Milk’s long-time lover, Scott Smith, opposite Sean Penn in his Oscar-winning performance in “Milk.” Beyond drama, he also teamed with his former friend and frequent collaborator Seth Rogen in several comedies, including “Pineapple Express,” “This Is the End” and “The Interview.”
Still, it was Franco’s work in 2010 in Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours,” in his role as real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston, a man who was forced to amputate his own arm, that earned him praise for his visceral intensity, and an Academy Award nomination for best actor.
Which is why it’s jarring to see Franco put so little energy and care into his “Love, Lies & Frank” performance. Previously known for his range, Franco never shied away from taking creative risks and experimenting with different forms of media. He had a recurring role on the beloved soap opera “General Hospital” from 2009 through 2012, played himself on “30 Rock,” directed, produced and starred in the 2017 film “The Disaster Artist”(with his performance winning him his second Globe) and even went back to school to earn a Master of Fine Arts in acting at NYU mid-career. It makes sense he’d see the microdrama space as a way to begin rebuilding. After all, as Hollywood and television continue to transform, microdramas clearly aren’t going away, and a well-done series in this format would allow Franco the opportunity to shield himself from those who are well aware of his past behaviors while platforming him to a younger generation who might not recognize him at all. Either way, it’s startling to see a once celebrated actor seemingly completely stripped of his talent.
“Love, Lies & Frank” is one of the first shows made underSAG-AFTRA’s Verticals Agreement, which establishes standards for minimum compensation, working conditions, rest periods and safety protections. Still, like other emerging mobile-focused platforms, it’s clear that Shorticals shows are produced without the bells and whistles of traditional television series across streamers and networks. The story, written by Melissa Lynn Moore and directed by Eric Wang Schwager, flows haphazardly from one episode to the next, lacking delineated cliffhangers to keep the audience engaged and even a coherent narrative arc for Franco’s character.
As a newer medium, microdramas aren’t trying to foster critical acclaim (at least not yet). Still, they do offer actors a certain amount of freedom to play, and use their craft in ways that may not align with traditional forms of storytelling. Across his career, Franco has been daring in his choices, which is why it’s especially baffling to see him move so stiffly and with forced emotion throughout the series.
But perhaps that is the point, if “Love, Lies & Frank” is merely his relaunching pad. In May, Franco attended the Cannes Film Festival, during which Varietybroke the news that he’d have a small role in Lionsgate’s upcoming “Rambo” prequel, “John Rambo,” opposite Noah Centineo and David Harbour — his first studio project in years. The movie is slated for release in 2027. But considering his performance in “Love, Lies & Frank” and his past behaviors, it seems unlikely this will be the resounding comeback Franco is seeking.
