James Franco met the press in Rome on Friday to discuss his new film Hey Joe, which had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival. While discussing the film, in which he plays a WWII vet who returns to Naples 25 years after finding out he has a son there, the actor drew parallels to his own life.

James Franco is tucked away in the corner of a five-star hotel lobby on Rome's Via Veneto, sipping an Americano coffee. Wearing a chocolate brown hoodie he proudly says he co-designed, the actor and filmmaker looks relaxed and flashes his signature smile.

It’s been almost exactly five years since James Franco was sued by two former students of his acting school, who accused him and his partners of sexually exploitative behaviors toward the students in their charge.