Dirty Pop: The Year of Franco, A Chronology

By Amanda

James Franco on Inside the Actor's Studio. Photo © 2010 NBC Universal, Inc.

Last week’s announcement that James Franco will co-host the Oscars in February with Anne Hathaway made me wonder if there is anything Franco hasn’t done lately. After a year of acting, directing, short-story writing, art exhibit planning, SNL hosting, grad schooling and magazine covering, the Academy Awards show is just one more notch on this year’s belt. For me, it’s further proof of why it’s time to pay respect to the first-ever Dirty Pop Overachiever of the Year. Here, I present a chronology of Franco’s 2010 activities.

Dec. 20, 2009: Franco hosts SNL for the second time. Yes, not technically in 2010, but it is within one year of this post, so I counted it. Think of it as the jump-start to his crazy 2010 schedule.

Franco and his anime pillow on NBC's 30 Rock. Photo © 2010 NBC Universal, Inc.

Jan. 14: Franco guests on NBC’s 30 Rock as an anime pillow-lover.

Jan. 21: Howl premieres at the Sundance Film Festival (eventually released Sept. 24). Franco plays the role of controversial poet Allen Ginsberg as he faces an obscenity trial for his poem “Howl.”

February: He wraps his first General Hospital stint, which started in 2009. Franco plays a character named Franco.

March: Franco’s piece of fiction, “Just Before the Black,” is published in Esquire magazine. Consider it practice for his book release (see October).

April 9: In Date Night, Franco plays the criminal Steve Carell gets mistaken for.

April 19: Franco turns 32.

May: The Tribeca Film Festival premieres the Franco-directed documentary, “Saturday Night.”

June: Franco has his first solo art exhibition at NYC’s Clocktower Gallery.

June 30-August 2: Franco (real and character) returns to General Hospital and it was even more confusing the second time around.

August 13: Eat Pray Love features Franco as Julia Roberts’ rebound.

September: The same month Franco covers Esquire magazine, he begins classes at Yale to earn his Ph.D. in English. Add that to his bachelor’s degree from UCLA, his simultaneous graduate classes at “NYU for filmmaking, Columbia for fiction writing, Brooklyn College for fiction writing, and—just for good measure—a low-residency poetry program at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina,” according to New York magazine. Oh, and reportedly he also heads to the Rhode Island School of Design for digital media classes.

Franco plays Aron Ralston in 127 Hours. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

October: Palo Alto: Stories, a debut collection of Franco’s short stories is released. Reviews aren’t great, but come on! Is there anything this guy can’t do? Dressing in drag certainly isn’t something on his can’t-do list.

November 5: He cuts off his arm in 127 Hours. The film first premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September. Oscar buzz begins.

December: GQ names him “Leading Man of the Year” and puts him on the cover. Entertainment Weekly calls him an entertainer of the year, too. He tapes Inside the Actor’s Studio (which played earlier this week. Set your DVRs if you missed it: It replays this Saturday at 2 a.m.). If you did all of this in 2010, wouldn’t you give yourself a little love too?

2011 Outlook: Aside from hosting the Oscars on Feb. 27, Franco will also be seen in Your Highness, Rise of the Apes, and yes, more episodes of General Hospital. I’m not joking. Here’s proof. Don’t be surprised if he starts a 2012 run for president, joins the cast of Jersey Shore for season 3 and Teen Mom as what else—a teen mom. Yes, he’ll only be 34 in 2012, but if there’s one person who can campaign for president early, it’s James Franco.

Your turn, Dirty Poppers: Did I miss your favorite Franco moment? Is there as much love for Franco out there as here? Will it be awkward if Franco wins an Oscar while playing host? Add your Franco Files to the comments or fill the [email protected] inbox.

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