James Franco might be one of the first high-profile casualties of cancel culture, and well, rightfully so, and, he seems to own it now. His career took a nosedive during the peak of the #MeToo movement.
But instead of wallowing in it, the Spider-Man star now expresses gratitude for that particular unexpected twist.
James Franco Is Over Hollywood and His Cancellation!
After lighting up the big screen in numerous feature films, James Franco largely vanished from the spotlight in 2019 when he faced a lawsuit over alleged misconduct involving women from his acting class. The fallout from this lawsuit, which has since been settled, cost him almost his entire career.
In a candid moment during a 2021 interview on Jess Cagle’s podcast, Franco opened up about his past, admitting that he had been involved with some of his students and sought treatment for s-x addiction post everything. Recently, speaking to Variety about being essentially blacklisted from Hollywood, the actor opened up, and quite honestly stated,
I mean, it is what it is. I’ve honestly moved past it. It was dealt with, and I got to change. So that’s it, it’s over. I mean, I’ve worked in the U.S. too. So I’m just trying to move on.
He further explained that he feels somewhat grateful for the entire ordeal. He acknowledged that the way he was living his life could have led to a much worse outcome. In the end, he’s glad about how everything turned out. He said,
Yes, of course rejection is painful, being told you’re bad is painful. But ultimately that’s kind of what I needed to just stop going the way I was going.
The actor is now making a comeback, but not in Hollywood. He’s venturing back into the limelight at his own pace and isn’t rushing to return to the glitz and glamour anytime soon.
James Franco Is Making a Return to Cinemas, But Not in Hollywood
The actor, even if he’s not the Hollywood leading man he once was, is slowly by steadily making his comeback in front of the camera. His new film, Hey Joe, is set to premiere at the Rome Film Festival, marking his first foray back into the festival circuit since 2019. A film called Alina of Cuba, where he plays Fidel Castro, has been shot but is still waiting for its release.
Moreover, he also teamed up with Tommy Lee Jones for the action thriller The Razor’s Edge, currently in post-production. To top it off, he confirmed his role in The Policeman, a serial killer thriller recently filmed in Portland, Oregon. In short, he is booked, and busy! Speaking of this new era, he said,
I’m so grateful to be working, Up until, let’s say the past eight years [before the hiatus] I had a good career. But it was very hard for me to enjoy it. I was a workaholic;
I was going all the time. And even when there were good moments – like a movie that people liked or, I don’t know, [being] nominated for an award or whatever it might be, whatever good moments along the way that I wish I could have appreciated – I just didn’t because I had this weird thing where it was just like, I always need more.
This time around, he’s decided to take a more laid-back approach, focusing on savoring all the positive experiences and genuinely enjoying his craft rather than fixating on a specific goal. With nothing to lose, he is for the time being enjoying the ride!
