Claim: Tom Franco's family acts.

James Edward Franco -LRB- born April 19 , 1978 -RRB- is an American actor and filmmaker known for his work in both comedic and dramatic films and TV shows . For his role in 127 Hours -LRB- 2010 -RRB- , Franco was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor . He is known for his roles in live-action films such as Milk -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , Pineapple Express -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , Rise of the Planet of the Apes -LRB- 2011 -RRB- , Spring Breakers -LRB- 2012 -RRB- , Oz the Great and Powerful -LRB- 2013 -RRB- , This Is the End -LRB- 2013 -RRB- , Goat -LRB- 2016 -RRB- , and Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy , while also voicing characters in the animated films The Little Prince -LRB- 2015 -RRB- and Sausage Party -LRB- 2016 -RRB- .   Franco is also known for his work on television ; his first prominent acting role was the lead character Daniel Desario on the short-lived comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks , which developed a cult following . He also portrayed the title character in the TV biographical film James Dean -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , for which he won a Golden Globe Award . He had recurring roles on the soap opera General Hospital and sitcom Angie Tribeca and starred in the 2016 limited series 11.22.63 . He will star in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce in 2017 .   Franco volunteers for the Art of Elysium charity , and has also taught film classes at New York University , the University of Southern California , UCLA , Studio 4 , and Palo Alto High School .