Actor, director, producer, author of several books, art historian. He does what he wants without caring about the opinions of others. The same is true of the protagonist of the film Why Him? Layard played by James Franco. He is smart, rich, eccentric, and this annoys the father of his beloved. We talked to the actor about how he feels about the hero of the film and about himself.
The main character trait of your character Layard is the inability to lie and pretend, just to please others. Even to the father of his beloved, Ned …
James Franco: Yes, and that’s why the movie is so popular! We raised an important issue that is relevant to everyone and is as old as the world — the conflict of generations. The film shows that the eternal conflict of fathers and children lies in the unwillingness to accept each other. It’s not even that my character Layard doesn’t fit Ned’s daughter (Bryan Cranston) at all. In fact, I’m very good for her. It’s more that Ned doesn’t understand me.
I felt that this is where the conflict lies. Layard is actually honest and loving, but he does things in such a way that it seems very different. And it wasn’t easy to play.
If it had been clear from the beginning that he was a good person, if it had been obvious to Ned, there would have been no film. Therefore, Layard cannot look calm and gentle. Perhaps there was just a generation gap between these two people. During family viewing, fathers will be on Ned’s side, and Layard will surely enjoy the kids.
Was it difficult to figure out how to emphasize the comedy of your antagonism with Brian?
D.F.: It was very simple. Brian (Bryan Cranston — the performer of the role of Ned. — Approx. Ed.) Is so good that he feels these things. He perfectly understands the intricacies of partnership work, especially in comedy, where there is a lot of improvisation. If your partner has such a flair, it is as if you are creating music, playing jazz. You understand and complement each other.
Despite the fact that the characters in the film do not understand each other and because of this they are constantly in conflict, they need each other. My character’s behavior depends on Brian’s character. I need him as an obstacle to overcome. Layard needs Ned’s approval to marry his daughter.
Brian also depends on me: my character should upset and annoy him, because his daughter is marrying a guy who is completely unsuitable for her. If I do not play this absent-mindedness and stupid behavior, he will have nothing to react to. And just like that, if I don’t have an obstacle in the form of a father who is unwilling to consent to the marriage, I won’t be able to play my part.
You say «we» as if you don’t separate yourself from the hero. There is indeed a similarity between you: you follow your convictions in art, but you are often criticized and misunderstood. Layard is also a nice guy, but Ned doesn’t see that…
D.F.: If you draw such a parallel, then yes, I cannot completely control my public image. It is only partly related to what I do, but largely based on other people’s ideas about me. And these representations are woven from my roles and information from magazines and other sources.
At some point, I stopped worrying about what was beyond my control. I can’t make people look at me differently. And I began to take it calmer and even with humor.
In End of the World 2013: The Hollywood Apocalypse, we played ourselves, which was easy for me. I was told that other actors told the director at least once that they wanted to play in this or that episode. I didn’t have that. It was easy for me because I don’t take my public persona seriously.
You are a successful director, you have diverse interests in art. Do these interests help in understanding the work of an actor?
D.F.: I believe that everything I do is connected. I like to think that all these activities help me work with the content. If I have an idea, I consider and analyze it from different positions and I can come up with an optimal implementation for it. For some things, one form is needed, for others, a completely different one. I like it when I have the opportunity to make decisions myself and implement them.
Everything is interconnected. When you edit a film, you understand what acting looks like from the outside, what techniques are used and why. When you write a script, you learn to build storylines, find the main thing and change the structure depending on the meaning. All these skills complement each other. I believe that the more interests, and preferably diverse, the better a person manifests himself in each of them.
To them
James Franco: «I love this zone — between»
“I lived in a serious, stable relationship for five years. She is also an actress. Everything was amazing. We lived together in Los Angeles. And then I went to New York for two years to film school and decided to stay in New York for the university for another two years. And this, apparently, was the end of the relationship for her. She no longer came to see me and avoided meetings when I ended up in Los Angeles. It is impossible for her to be together without being together physically… But for me it is not so. Together means together. No matter where. The same goes for professional and personal. Everything is personal, only distributed over different life zones. There is no separation in life — this is me at work, but this is me with the one I love. I am always me.»
Read James Franco’s thoughts on life without a purpose, the essence of acting and teenage problems in our interview. James Franco: «I love this zone — between.»