James Franco shows up in Rome to talk about new film “Hey Joe.”

James Franco met the press in Rome on Friday to talk about his new film Hello Joewhich celebrated its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival. When discussing the film, in which he plays a World War II vet who returns to Naples 25 years after discovering he has a son there, the actor drew parallels to his own life.

“My character is a man who has wasted his own life,” Franco said. “He takes the opportunity to do something positive. It was the same for me as a person. I changed my perspective. I understood that what I really wanted to achieve through success was an actual connection with other people, a spiritual growth. That could give my life meaning.”

In 2018, five women accused Franco of sexual misconduct. A class action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles in 2019 alleged that he abused his position and offered acting opportunities in exchange for favors. In 2021, Franco agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging he pressured acting students at his Studio 4 Film School to appear in increasingly explicit sex scenes on camera.

Since then, Franco has kept a low profile and only appeared in the 2019 limited edition Zerovillewhich he actually directed in 2014. He also attended the Cannes Film Festival in May, where he was spotted in the VIP section of a Nespresso party.

Franco described his character in Hello Joedirected by Claudio Giovannesi, as someone whose life is falling apart but who finds a way to change. “My character destroyed his own personal life,” he said. “His marriage is falling apart, he is alone, he is becoming an alcoholic. And then a miracle happens in his life. Some people might say, ‘It’s too late.’ Other people – like him – might say, ‘This is an opportunity, let’s see where it takes me.’ There is always the opportunity to change our lives.”

The actor also discussed the differences between filmmaking in Hollywood and in Italy.

“For film lovers, Claudio makes films in a very special way – inspired by Italian neorealism,” Franco said. “We only used two angles for most scenes. In a typical American film there is a lot of reporting – the long shot, the medium shot, the close-up – in Claudio there were only two shots. Since I was the main character, he wanted the film to be shown from my point of view, so (the shots) were either over my shoulder or on my face throughout the scene.”

Hello Joedirected by Claudio Giovannesi is scheduled to hit cinemas in Italy on November 28, 2024.