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James Franco: ‘General Hospital Role Was an Experiment’

Posted by Adam

Saturday December 19, 2009

SGY-0155052JAMES Franco says he took a role on American daytime soap opera General Hospital because he’s conducting a “performance art” experiment.

The Spider-Man star insists his stint on the show isn’t a serious acting move.

“I have been obsessed with performance art for over a decade, so I decided to experiment with the form myself when I signed to appear on General Hospital as the bad-boy artist ‘Franco, just Franco’,” James told the New York Times newspaper.

“I disrupted the audience’s suspension of belief, because I was going to be perceived as something that doesn’t belong in the stylized world of soap operas.

“Everyone watching would see an actor they recognize, a real person in a made-up world. It would be about inserting myself in a familiar space in such a way that it becomes stranger than fiction.

“In performance art, the outcome is uncertain. If it all goes to plan, it will definitely be weird, but is it art?”

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  • The Hangman

    Art? No. Lame? Looks like you’re off to a good start!!

  • tim

    performance art? totally! go james go

  • http://NONE brian

    WOW, NOW THAT I READ THAT IT MAKES EVEN LESS SENSE. GET OVER YOURSELF

  • SteelHottie

    His teeth always seemed yellow on GH–and quite frankly, the supernatural characters on Days of Our Lives are more believable than this guy. His character HAS disrupted GH but not in a positive way….just another Hollywood loser that thought this was a good idea, has now been ridiculed by the “Hollywood Elite” (whatever the hell that means), and is attempting to come up with a clever explanation for agreeing to perform on a “lowly” soap. Idiot, you will NEVER be as large as Mr. Heston, Liz Taylor, Billy Dee Williams, or Rock Hudson–all of whom did soaps and owned up to it without excuses. Get over yourself fool!

  • http://Yahoo.com Stacy Murrell

    Hey, it’s pretty wicked, and why not- Franco’s hot!

  • jm loveland

    Ha! To begin with, the regulars on GH are ALL better actors than Franco. Secondly, Elizabeth Taylor, Milton Berle, and Rick Springfield (amongst others) have all played characters on GH. Those three “disrupted the suspension of disbelief” more than Franco ever will. Thirdly, we GH fans, are used to having our “SOD” disrupted every sweeps period when trains crash, monkeys carry jungle fever, or a Cassadine threatens world domination by controlling the weather. (And we loved every minute of those crazy rides.)

    I am a straight, married, college educated, white collar, 50 year old man–who rarely missed an episode of GH (Thanks to SoapNet). Franco need to get over himself, leave Port Charles, and gpo back to Hollywood.

  • Daniluv

    I love his character on the show because their hasn’ ever been one like him. His characterr is like really really crazy. I love it.
    Even though the movies is were he belongs because honestly as I love soaps the actors there aren’t that great. There is some that are more believable than others, I can always tell that they are acting but man his character Franco is really twisted. Thats so cool. Soap opera in a small way is almost like broadway that is what he means by performance art. It is different than the movies. It is so different because your watching it five times a week.

  • http://Yahoo Jackie Stalcup

    Don’t read the comments below this as a Longgggg and devoted General Hospital fan I’m really enjoying this story. The tension between Jason and Franco are electric. Love GH and hope Franco stays around for awhile longer.
    Thanks GH for some intrigue
    JACKIE

  • dsfdsfsdgfgsdds

    Let’s face it, Soaps have a tendency to be perceived as corny and overdone. Go ahead and defend your soaps, but I only watch them to ridicule it and have a good laugh.

  • Alida

    Elizabeth Taylor made a crazy impact on GH when she played Helena Cassadine. She was badass! It’s interesting to see James Franco on GH but I don’t see the impact that Madame Taylor made.

  • Margo C

    James Franco has an enormously high opinion of himself. A lot of actors got their START on soaps, i.e., Demi Moore, Meg Ryan, etc., etc. Liz Taylor watched and love General Hospital and loved that they wanted her on the show. I never saw Spiderman and frankly, had NO idea who James Franco was until just before he made his appearance on GH. He’s not bad looking, but I’d take Maurice Benard (Sonny) over him anyday. Plus Maurice is a better actor!

  • Chris92SE

    Wow, a lot of bad vibes in the comments. Not that I know James Franco, but maybe he just wanted to try something different and have some fun? Putting him down is like putting down LeBron James for deciding to play a pickup game at the local YMCA. Everyone has a good time and no harm is really done. All acting is considered “art” in my book. Every role is different and sometimes the actor shines and sometimes they don’t.

  • lauren

    i love james franco, job well done! bitches hush, dont be a hater!

  • Denise

    I agree with Chris92Se and I think that the actors on there aremuch better actor then this Franco dude.

  • Chet Suabo

    The actors in the low budget porno “Genital Hospital” are better
    than those in the real show. Franco was in an awesome show called FREAKS AND GEEKS. GH is a show for bored housewives.
    It is as predictable as a verbal miscue was by Dubya.

  • Lisa

    Didn’t and still don’t know who Franco is, but I love him on GH. He is definitely a cutie to look upon. And I’ve been watching GH for years and have enjoyed every episode! Love, love, love all of the characters.

  • karen

    I just wanted to say how rude some of these comments are. I just don’t get that. I know personally JF and he is such a nice guy. When i heard he was going to do GH i thought wow. This character he plays is wicked and crazy, you got to love it. He wanted to try something different,and i commend him for it.

  • Louise

    I have watched General Hospital for years and when I hear that James Franco was going to be on it I had never hear of him and had to goggle him to find out who the hell he was. His acting was not that great on GH. Many soap actors can act the pants off many other so called movie actors.

  • Carla

    I personally like the Franco character. He is giving the almighty Jason a run for his money. He is shaking up the soap that should be called Mob World or Sonnyville, because the show has become more about the mob than the hospital. I think JF is coming off as arrogant, b/c they think he is putting down being on a soap. He obviously wanted to try something different and he did. He’s done movies, he’s done t.v. shows, and now he is trying out soaps. What’s wrong with that? If he it turns out he is a little arrogant than so what. There are plenty of actors who are arrogant. Many would never even consider going on a soap, because they deem it degrading and beneath them. He can’t be all that arrogant if he is willing to try it when he obviously doesn’t have to.

  • wafflechick

    Well said @SteelHottie. The demon posession on DOOL could’ve been performance art but JF is just another actor doing his job. He’s not say Angelina Jolie who is famous for stuff besides acting. And yeah I was bothered by his teeth too….

  • boliver89

    To the person who just watches soaps to ridicule them, I guess you don’t do anything else besides sit around and watch stuff you don’t like because you can’t move off the couch. James Franco is supposed to be weird on the show, so I am sure most of you just made his day when you said stupid stuff about him. I have been watching GH for 22 years now. The only show I watch. Good luck to you bad mouthers. Surprises me that people who do not care about the show sure do invest their time posting hate notes. I always look at things I like, not things I hate. So now we all know what you guys do all day.

  • Whatever

    Wow all you guys going on and on about James Franco and what a loser he is should really take a look in the mirror. You guys are all obsessed with a soap opera….and are so bent out of shape that someone came along and disrupted your make believe little world. Take a breath count to ten and realize it is not the end of the world. Soon enough you can go back in your mothers dark basements while collecting welfare, get even more fat off of greasy fried chicken, while watching your little daytime tv….now stop crying youselves to sleep!!

  • Sandy

    I have watched GH for 30 plus years, and I am tired of the MOB storyline. GH is getting boring…. Can’t stand the Franco storyline. Seems stupid to me and he looks equally stupid as the part he is portraying!

  • Ciera

    Holy. You people are so ignorant! James Franco is a very good actor, which you would know if you saw any of his movies other than Pineapple Express! He isn’t making excuses for appearing on a soap you complete morons! He’s telling why he decided to accept the role because the interviewer probably asked him that question!
    James Franco is so good in this part. GH was getting dull and boring with the smae old, same old and with him coming on the show as Franco, it really spiced it up! You people should find something better to do than complain and be jealous of someone because he’s trying to bring you entertainment and I think it’s great that he’s experimenting by going on the show. If I were that famous of an actor I would do it too! Grow up. Seriously.

  • Ciera

    Losers.

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