In any creative endeavor, you do have to sort of take your shots. Nobody is going to beg you to go into the creative arts. So, if you want to pursue a career in something like acting or writing, the motor and the drive have to come from you. And that does take courage because, A, a lot of people want to do it, and B, it's hard. So, you have to have the guts to put yourself out there and go for it in spite of the world saying, "You know, it would be so much easier, if you didn't pursue this." So, it does take guts.
James FrancoI loved the book [The Adderall Diaries] I optioned it, I think some years ago. But there's a lot of different threads in the book. It starts off as one thing, where he's trying to cover this murder trial, and then his own life starts to impinge on that, so it becomes something else. I found that fascinating.
James FrancoQuite Franc-ly, I think I am an asset to this world we live in. I know that if I didnโt exist, there would be some truly upset people just waiting for me. A life without Franco is like a kitten without fur. Thatโs what my reflection told me.
James FrancoI put out a lot of different kinds of material, and maybe people read that as egotistical. Or maybe, since a lot of it does involve some aspect of me, they find it self-aggrandizing. But thereโs a long tradition of artists using themselves. Look, I know Iโm not perfect. And, who knows, maybe a part of it has to do with self-obsession. But itโs also about using this weird thing that is a public persona as raw material for creative projects.
James FrancoCreate your world around your work. Create your work around your life. Let other people help you shape it.
James Franco