14 DAY TRIAL // James Franco knows of the persistent rumor making the rounds according to which all his girlfriends were only beards because he wasn’t and would never be into women. He does nothing to deny it – but he doesn’t confirm it either.
Speaking with The Advocate, perhaps the biggest publication for the LGBT community, the actor refuses to admit that he’s gay, saying there’s nothing to the rumor but speculation.
He’s not bi either, he insists, going into a lengthy explanation of how he’d probably want to keep his orientation a secret if that were the case, thus adding more fuel to the fire.
Judging by his past acting record, it’s no wonder the rumor got started in the first place, The Advocate says. It’s like he specifically asks for roles for gay men.
Yet, the reality is far from that, Franco explains: he thinks the traditional man-woman relationship has been done and overdone in film, which is why he’s looking to work on something that was never in the centerfold to begin with.
“It’s so hammered, so done. It’s just not that interesting to me. It’s more interesting to me to play roles and relationships that haven’t been portrayed as often,” James explains.
“Sure, I’d tell you if I was,” he goes on to say when pressed with questions about his orientation.
“I guess the reason I wouldn’t is because I’d be worried that it would hurt my career. I suppose that’s the reason one wouldn’t do that, right? But no, that wouldn’t be something that would deter me,” the actor assures the interviewer.
“I’m going to do projects that I want to do. Everyone thinks I’m a stoner, and some people think I’m gay because I’ve played these gay roles. That’s what people think, but it’s not true. I don’t smoke pot,” he adds.
Neither is the other rumor true – but he does admit that there’s something in these roles that deeply appeals to him on a very personal note.
He’s also willing to admit that he knows he had a certain ability to pull them off in a very convincing manner, which is perhaps what’s making people speculate about his orientation.
In the same interview, Franco also talks about his writing, his studies and negativity in the media (especially directed towards him). In the end, he says, none of this matters because he gets to do only the projects he wants to do.
See here for the full Advocate piece with James Franco. He can currently be seen in “127 Hours,” for which he’s already getting Oscar buzz for Best Male Performance.