It's time to buy some tickets and put on your theater best because James Franco has officially confirmed that he will be starring in Broadway's Of Mice and Men revival as the George to Chris O'Dowd's Lennie.
"I am going to do a play on Broadway," Franco revealed at Live Talks Los Angeles at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Calif. on Oct. 20. "I am going to do Of Mice And Men with Chris O' Dowd, directed by this amazing director, Anna Shapiro, who won a Tony for the stage version of August: Osage County. So that will be my Broadway debut."
In the play, based of the iconic John Steinbeck novel of the same name, George is a smart migrant worker who helps his large but mentally challenged friend Lennie through the Great Depression in California.
Franco, 35, doesn't seem anxious to take on this iconic role, but did admit that his previous performances have defined the public's views of him.
"As an actor, you are perceived through your roles. People read into you," he said during the live Q&A. "Everyone thinks I'm a pothead. A lot of people think I'm gay. A lot of kids come up to me and say, 'wow, your arm grew back.' So you're perceived through your characters. You're perceived through your interviews."
The Oscar-nominated actor has more than 10 film projects in the works, including his role as an evil meth cooker named Gator in the movie Homefront costarring Jason Statham, Wynona Ryder, and Kate Bosworth.
But the Broadway rookie — who also has a series of academic degrees and just published the book Actors Anonymous — is also looking even more into the theatre than just his upcoming acting role.
"As far as writing a play, I have this idea, I haven't been able to figure it out yet," he revealed. "I've done little versions of it, but I wanted to do a dramatic version of Three's Company. Those characters, the way it's so dated, and somehow, make it a drama. So, that's what I'd like to do. I know somebody's gonna steal that idea, but I get to meet with the Three's Company people so you don't have the rights to."
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