Top 30 James Franco Quotes

The general view is that actors start on soaps and then maybe graduate to prime-time television or film; normally you don’t see a film actor going to do a soap.

The new critique you’re gonna start hearing about James Franco, is ‘He’s spreading himself too thin.’

Directing, editing, and everything about filmmaking has definitely changed me as an actor.

Reviews about film acting are very… tricky, because movies are such a collaborative thing.

When I research a role it does get a little crazy and maybe even a little stupid.

I’m going to try to not let anyone put me in a box, and that certainly applies to the things I do outside of acting.

You work really hard to make it, and maybe you get some acclaim, but then you realize there are certain limitations as an actor.

I guess what I enjoy most is directing, because it incorporates all aspects of filmmaking. Directing is in the same line as acting – both are popularity contests, and in both you’re trying to tell a story through the film as a medium.

When I was starting out, doing guest spots on TV, and even commercials, I would go in with a whole crazy wardrobe and some terrible accent. Obviously, I was doing too much. If you bring too much flavor to it, it’s absurd. There’s something to just being spontaneous.

There’s a tendency, when you’re directing yourself, not to give the performance as much care, because you feel like there’s too much focus on yourself, or that all these people are just standing around setting everything up, waiting for you.

My job is what I love. I don’t need an escape from it.

I’m starting to teach now: I teach in the graduate film program at NYU and next year I’m going to be teaching at Los Angeles at the film program and English program at UCLA.

I become kind of obsessive about research.

There’s a tacit belief that actors shouldn’t write books, they’re sort of allowed to direct movies but there will be a lot of skepticism, and they shouldn’t do artwork or music. There are these invisible roadblocks to gain entree to these areas for actors, and you kind of have to crash through those invisible barriers.

I feel like because I’ve done more gay characters, gay scenes, or gay projects than most straight actors, people see it as some sort of mission. It’s more of a case-by-case basis, and just trying to capture figures that I love. I guess that a lot of the figures that I love were gay.

If I’m working on a film, I’ll do sit-ups for before I shoot. Like, 100 in the morning or something.

Because acting was my only professional outlet, I put a ton of pressure on the roles that I did. I overstepped my bounds, I tried to control things that were out of my purview as an actor and in some cases even tried to direct my scenes because I felt I knew how they should run rather than trust the director.

One of the things I’ve learned as a filmmaker is to have some aspect of the movie be something that I admire greatly, whether that’s an actor I’m working with, the subject matter, or a book.

It feels really sad, to me, to go to a dark bedroom. It’s like surrendering to the night or something.

I needed an outlet in high school and came across painting. I’ve actually been painting longer than I’ve been acting. A movie is a collaborative effort, and with painting you just have yourself.

Acting is an art form and you want to take roles that are challenged and it’s more of a challenge I think to play dark characters. Not that I want to always play those, but it is a challenge and challenges are rewarding and fun.

In the end, I do have a group of friends and teachers whose opinions I respect, and so I guess I just have to be content with their feedback.

I was an English major at UCLA when I was 18, and then I left after a year to start acting. I was educating myself during that time.

I don’t go on vacation. I don’t really need vacation.

When I sign on for a project, I’m there to give the director all the material he or she might need to tell their story, and that’s the number one priority.

When I was a child, I wanted to be an actor, but I had really bad buckteeth. I didn’t want to get braces, but my mom said I couldn’t be an actor if I didn’t get the braces. So, I got the braces.

I was kind of scared of failing at acting.

I’m a huge Cormac McCarthy fan and have read every book of his.

I might have to stumble a little bit more in public than others, but that’s fine, I don’t mind, I’ve developed a thick skin.

I used to read a lot about myself and the projects I was doing. When I was only acting, I wouldn’t read any reviews because I didn’t find them to be very helpful.