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.

Franco's journey with Hey Joe aligns with his own search for redemption, echoing the themes of personal growth and change that have come to define his life over recent years. Hollywood Hiatus and Career Reset Franco’s hiatus began in 2019 after a lawsuit was filed against him for alleged sexual misconduct,