From the Baldwin brothers to the Hemsworth brothers, several siblings have written their names in the sands of time through entertainment and Hollywood. Well, James Franco and his brothers David “Dave” Franco and Thomas “Tom” Franco are not an exception. They interestingly moved from being children of artists to becoming world-class actors.
Together and individually, they portrayed numerous roles and created many movies and series. Somehow, they have managed to stay out of the shadows of each other despite James Franco being the oldest and most famous. James was born on April 19, 1978. He is an actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter famous for his roles in the Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), and The Disaster Artist (2017).
You may be aware of their lives as stars, but how much do you know about James Franco and his brothers’ entire lives? Rather than focusing on only James or his two brothers alone, here is everything interesting and worth knowing about the three Franco brothers.
The Brothers are From a Family of Artistic People
The Franco brothers were born in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Lou (nee Verne) and Douglas Eugene Franco. They were born into an artistic family. Their mother, of Russian Jewish descent, is a writer known for writing novels, graphic novels, children’s books, and screenplays.
Betsy has also worked with James, Tom, and Dave in different films. Her novels Metamorphosis, Junior Year, and Naked have been adapted into films by Tom.
Their father Doug on the other hand ran a Silicon Valley business.
James Franco’s parents studied painting at the University. Their artistic careers are a major motivation for their three famous sons to become actors.
The artistic path didn’t start in the family with the Franco brother’s parents. Their maternal grandmother Mitzie (Levine) Verne, owned a gallery in Cleveland, Verne Art Gallery. Similarly, their paternal grandmother, Marjorie (Peterson) Franco is an author of young adult books.
James Franco and His Brothers Attended the Same School and Grew Up in California
All Franco brothers were born in Palo Alto, California (James was born on April 19, 1978; Tom was born on April 14, 1980; and Dave was born on June 12, 1985). They grew up together in the city and attended the Palo Alto High School.
James and Tom later attended the University of California, Santa Cruz while Dave attended the University of Southern California.
James Franco’s Brothers Are Famous in Showbiz
The Franco brothers found fame through showbiz. James and Dave juggle acting, directing, production, and screenwriting while their brother Tom is an artist and actor.
James has been in Showbiz for about 4 Decades
The older Franco brother James is one of the most decorated actors of recent times. He has won several awards such as the Golden Globe Awards, Critics Awards, Central Ohio Film Critics, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, and Detroit Film Critics Society.
His career in the limelight started in the 1990s in TV commercials. He had his big break in 1999 when he played a lead role in Freaks and Geeks TV series and Never Been Kissed film.
He has equally produced, directed, and written many works. Some of his famous works include The Deuce (2017–2019), Hollywood Heights (2012), General Hospital (2009-2012), and The Mad Whale (2017).
Tom Franco is a Versatile Artist
Tom is a man of many hats. He is a fine art sculptor and painter, co-founder and director for the Firehouse Art Collective, actor, and producer.
He started his acting career in the early 1990s and soon became a force to be reckoned with in his own right. As an actor, Franco played numerous roles in films and series such as Action Nat and the Cat (2020), The Disaster Artist (2017), Metamorphosis: Junior Year (2017), The Devil Wears a Toupee (2007), A Peace of History (2005), and Basket Case 2 (1990).
The middle Franco proved himself as a producer in 2001 when he produced Miracle Vallet (2021). In the horror and thriller drama, he also played the role of a cult member.
Dave Franco
Dave had spent almost 2 decades in Hollywood. He debuted acting on The CW drama series, 7th Heaven in 2006. He is now an actor, writer, director, and producer with roles in Pam & Tommy (2022), Scrubs (2009-2010), Love Lies Bleeding (2024), Somebody I Used to Know (2023), Zeroville (2019), The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017), and The Disaster Artist (2017).
Dave Franco has received several award nominations such as the Independent Spirit Awards (2022), Primetime Emmy Awards (2022), and MTV Movie & TV Awards (2015).
See Also: Paul Walker: Brothers, Does he have a Twin?
The Brothers were Featured in the Same Film
Although the brothers have individually and independently made names for themselves in Hollywood, they have worked together in the movie, The Disaster Artist (2017). James played the role of Tommy Wiseau in the film while Dave and Tom appeared as Greg Sestero, and Karl respectively.
James’ place in the film was beyond only writing. He also co-produced and directed.
Whatever the case, The Disaster Artist is not the only film the brothers played together. In 2008, James and Dave appeared in Milk. Similarly, James and Tom played roles in Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011.
James Franco’s Brothers Are Married to Renowned Woman
The Spiderman actor James is not married and his sexuality has been questioned severally. Be that as it may, the actor has been in relationships with some famous women. He dated actresses Maria Sokoloff and Ahna O’Reilly.
He has also gained attention over sexual misconduct associations and lawsuits.
This case is not similar to his brothers Tom and Dave as they are both married. Dave is married to actress Alison Brie. They married in a private ceremony on March 13, 2017.
Tom on the other hand has been married twice. He was first married to artist and former lead singer of Exit, Julia Lazar. They married in 2014, shortly before Lazar died the same year.
Tom’s second marriage is to film producer Iris Torres. The couple who married in 2021 produced Miracle Valley (2021) together. Torres also produced Metamorphosis: Junior Year (2017) which featured Tom as Mr.Z.
