from geeks to ginsberg

A few stories about actor James Franco circulating cyberspace today. I have to agree with SlashFilm's Russ Fisher - the guy's career has evolved in a pretty remarkable way. Sure, I thought he was pretty dreamy when he was in "Freaks and Geeks" - but would I really have thought he'd be playing Ginsberg 10 years later? EW has the first still from Howl (as seen above), a film adaptation of one of the poet's most controversial and important works. I can think of few other actors who are as versatile as Franco, who has a resume that features a major action franchise in the Spiderman trilogy, an uber sappy period romance in Tristan + Isolde, an uber hilarious stoner comedy in Pineapple Express, and a key supporting role in an Oscar winning film with Milk.

As if this dizzying number of directions his career has taken isn't enough, he has aspirations to direct -- and has even taken the serious route about it. With already 5 directorial credits to his name, he is in the process of building himself up a decent amount of indie cred. And he has just completed his first year at NYU's graduate directing program, which basically makes him legit.

I would imagine that the fact that one of his professors, Jay Anania, has cast him in his own indie project (via Variety) has less to do with the fact that he's a teacher's pet and more that he is a famous face that will attract interest. But if you think Franco has started to settle in on more serious, artistic fare, think again -- he's going to wrap up summer vacation by reteaming with Danny McBride and director David Gordon Green on another comedy for Universal.

I find this kind of flexibility incredibly impressive. When crafting an acting career, there is always the risk of getting pigeon-holed into a particular genre or choosing a project that could ruin you forever. And while Franco has tempted both of those fates, he has emerged as a respectable and well-liked player who almost any audience can appreciate. Why is this so hard for most actors? And what exactly did Franco do right?