9:31 pm - 04/17/2012

Quirky actor James Franco defends his General Hospital role: “It Was Just Sort of an Experiment”

General Hospital fans have few fond memories from James Franco’s stints as serial killer Franco. However, months after his last scene on the soap aired, viewers and Port Charles residents are still being plagued by the black marks Franco left behind.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter profiling Francophrenia, the film star talks about his time on General Hospital and audience’s skepticism.

"All I said was I wanted to be an artist and I wanted to be crazy."


He was also interested in exploring the friction between what is perceived as highbrow (film) and lowbrow (soaps) entertainment. The parody in it all, the name Franco and serial killer identity, didn't come from any desire to poke fun at the world -- they came straight from the General Hospital writer's room. If there was any joke, everyone from the show was in on it.


The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 18-29, will feature the North American premiere of Francophrenia (or, Don't Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is).

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chuk_is_dazzled 18th-Apr-2012 03:27 am (UTC)
lmfao, the fuck was that clip?
saltireflower 18th-Apr-2012 03:27 am (UTC)
He is so far up his own ass.
chantemarissa 18th-Apr-2012 03:28 am (UTC)
his character was a flop. obsessed over jason? rme
isntdaveone 18th-Apr-2012 03:30 am (UTC)
today Sam found out that Franco is the father of her baby.
chantemarissa 18th-Apr-2012 03:39 am (UTC)
i need to go watch the scenes. was heather around?
tradskins 18th-Apr-2012 03:30 am (UTC)
oic @ all yalls franco hate

Edited at 2012-04-18 03:30 am (UTC)
chuckisfuckis 18th-Apr-2012 03:32 am (UTC)
"It's a maaad world." @ 1:00 gets me every time.
buttertooth 18th-Apr-2012 03:36 am (UTC)
Ike? Lmao. I couldn't believe how bad this was. I remember cringing so bad when this made it onto the soup.
buttertooth 18th-Apr-2012 03:33 am (UTC)
I'm just glad they had the balls to make him Sams baby daddy. It wouldve been annoying if jason were able to finally have his perfect child. Though it would've been cool to screw with their minds and then he never really slept with her, just making her doubt for years. Oh well.
isntdaveone 18th-Apr-2012 03:39 am (UTC)
whiskybars 18th-Apr-2012 03:44 am (UTC)



i can't deal with this
viakyusu 18th-Apr-2012 03:55 am (UTC)
xcollsangelx 18th-Apr-2012 03:59 am (UTC)
Steve Burton's shining moment

jearsforqueers 18th-Apr-2012 04:14 am (UTC)

AND SHE'S REALLY HAVIN FRANCO'S BABY? UGHHH. I stopped watching so I have no idea what's going on. Franco is so fucking creepy omg.

jenpero 18th-Apr-2012 12:00 pm (UTC)
I read that he didn't really rape her and was just messing with Jason which I always thought.
deethy 18th-Apr-2012 03:40 am (UTC)
I'm pretty positive Heather probably switched the results and Jason's the father. If Franco rly is that's just shitty considering he raped her.
war_machine_rox 18th-Apr-2012 03:39 am (UTC)
I've always wanted to be a soap star. All those crazy stories and secret love bbs.
macking on some hot dudes all the time.

Seems fun.
jello404 18th-Apr-2012 03:46 am (UTC)
Somewqhat OT but

I fucking hate how people thiknk that tV actors or soap actors are somehow less important than film actors. Film sucks right now.Period and it takes a much more harder working actor to be on tv. You have to constantly stay on your toes and do chracter work EVERY WEEK until you reach 20 episodes.Thats 20 hours of filming done in about 4 months while most films take 40 months to make a SHITTY 2 hour movie. You spend more time with actors on tv,develop a more person relationship with a chracter thats CONSTANTLY evolving.You have to get off book for an entire episode in a few days while most actors dont even know their lines for a movie. More diveristy on tv as well.

Well thats me 2 cents. rant over lol
war_machine_rox 18th-Apr-2012 03:49 am (UTC)
You make sense bb.

Tv and movie making are both very different ways of acting and it's hard for some movie actors to make the transition just because of the fast paced world of tv.

Which is why I think the Emmys are becoming more prestigious than the Oscars now, or at least maybe just a little.
deethy 18th-Apr-2012 03:50 am (UTC)
chocolate_ari 18th-Apr-2012 04:05 am (UTC)
i agree. especially these days when i think people aren't buying into hollywood BS as much. and more TV stations are willing to take risks with intelligent and well-written shows.

idk the statistics but less and less people have any sort of TV/cable now and mostly watch stuff on netflix hulu etc. so maybe it's a competition thing? tv stations are losing viewers so they have to improve the quality of their shows whereas film has kind of stagnated over the past decade or so?

(also my 2 cents. lol)
insaynejayne 18th-Apr-2012 04:49 am (UTC)
ia, well said
batty_gal 18th-Apr-2012 05:05 am (UTC)
Agreed. Plus, there's some soap actors that can act rings around most of Hollywood.
steff3 18th-Apr-2012 02:43 pm (UTC)
Yes I agree- how many actor would be really prepared and in character if they had to prepare their character in the blink of an eye (which soap is in its immediacy). Answer: nobody! It is all luck really.

Edited at 2012-04-18 02:44 pm (UTC)
steff3 18th-Apr-2012 02:55 pm (UTC)
wow, I lovde James Franco but do actors have to really take 20 episodes? That seems excessive and awful!

Edited at 2012-04-18 02:55 pm (UTC)
hazel_belle 18th-Apr-2012 03:49 am (UTC)
I actually enjoyed his stint as Franco. I think I might be in the minority in this... but I liked that he screwed with everyone and their minds. And still is screwing with people after he died. He was a bastard, he knew it, reveled in it, and took it to the extremes, and still I enjoyed him because he wasn't able to redeemed into a good guy.
He died as a bastard villain.

Unpopular opinion is unpopular.
maeir 18th-Apr-2012 03:50 am (UTC)
I don't understand why he has to defend ACTING in a soap opera. He's an actor. He's entitled to take any role he wants.
hedgerowbustle 18th-Apr-2012 03:51 am (UTC)
I didn't watch, but my mom loved him on GH.
xcollsangelx 18th-Apr-2012 03:58 am (UTC)
smelltheflowers 18th-Apr-2012 04:05 am (UTC)
Every time I watch that clip, I'm absolutely flabbergasted. I can't believe it was filmed in earnest.

Not that I would expect anything better from James Franco. To say I'm not a fan would be putting it lightly.
jearsforqueers 18th-Apr-2012 04:12 am (UTC)
lol he was SO bad on GH.

i srsly though he was there to fuck jason tbh. when jason had that head trauma or w/e, i was expecting him to say "omg where's my lover? franco?"

and then i stopped watching lol.
goldengal1193 18th-Apr-2012 04:18 am (UTC)
Was this an experiment too? Or?

isntdaveone 18th-Apr-2012 04:21 am (UTC)

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