The Evolving Roles Of Dave Franco: Beyond 21 JUMP STREET & IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Dave Franco’s cinematic odyssey has been an intriguing one, beginning with stints on short-lived TV shows and roles in gruesome b-movies. Later on, he would go on to find viral success with a series of Funny or Die videos, then move on to starring roles in both blockbuster films and indies. Along the way, he would star in a series of Madden commercials, voice characters from both Marvel and DC Comics, and co-launch his own wallet company as well as a production company. Franco’s project list is akin to a bag of trail mix, of which the components are all different flavors, but they all still taste good…with the exception of a few raisins that you’d like to pick out and cast aside. I’m sure Franco‘s pretty aware of the raisins in his career, just like anyone else. 

Known primarily for his roles in 21 Jump Street, Scrubs, and Neighbors, Dave Franco’s role in If Beale Street Could Talk was certainly a departure from the image he’s cultivated. If you’ve been following his career closely, Franco’s been carefully curating his career trajectory, aiming for roles that are outside the box. Over the past decade, he’s chosen to break out of the mold set for him by the industry and audiences alike. In the past couple of years alone, Franco has been involved with acclaimed directors such as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Marja-Lewis Ryan, Jon M. Chu, and most recently, Barry Jenkins. 

Drug dealers, drug addicts, green ninjas, and actors playing actors

Based on his youthful appearance and comedic background, Franco could easily ride the wave of raunchy bro comedies and dystopian YA novel adaptations, or whatever is hip with the kids and greedy executives these days. However, Franco has opted to diversify his filmography and surround himself with major industry talents, friends, and family. In the past two years, he has played a hired hand pretending to be a deaf mute, joined the Lego universe as a teenage ninja, a real life actor in one of the worst movies ever made, a young man trying to balance running a Chicago brewery with fatherhood, and even a relapsed heroin addict. As Franco‘s career progresses, it becomes more of a roller coaster ride, as I wait to see what he will do next. 

When you think about the movies that matter to you the most, it’s not always about how “good” they are, it’s about how they made you feel. I could describe Dave Franco as part of that phenomenon. For years, I’ve grown with Franco’s films and television appearances- enjoying his performances in varying stages of my life. While undergoing my own cinematic journey, he provided some moments of cheer regardless of how I was feeling. It is a strange feeling knowing that Dave Franco’s cinematic journey will be forever intertwined with mine, a permanent reminder of my youth, impending old age, and the little victories and failures I endured along the way. 

Unfinished Business happened to be the first film I paid to see alone. Up until that point, I would sneak off to my college’s makeshift theater. That particular night, I was feeling down because I was rejected from a dream job, and I remember staring into the screen, his bright smile larger than life. I heard him utter the words,

“Slow down and enjoy the moment, because everything is going to be OK.”

And indeed everything would be OK.

After Unfinished Business, Franco seemed to fall into more admirable roles. He appears as a neon-lit dream in Nerve, a source of comfort and liberation for the film’s heroine (Emma Roberts). At the close of last year, Franco once again served as a voice of hope during the finale of The Disaster Artist. As Greg Sestero, he consoles the crying Tommy Wiseau (James Franco):

“You made that. And like you said, you did that all by yourself. You know how special that is? Hey, it’s f*cking incredible. How many people can say they’ve done something like that?”

Even in a Christian Bale-esque transformation in 6 Balloons, with his body and mind in a frail state, he still manages to be likable on screen. Though he is a perfect stranger to audiences, his smile is oddly familiar and welcoming and he still radiates a pleasantness. For over a decade, Dave Franco has brought laughter and solace to audiences in his performances. 

The long journey from Jump Street to Beale Street

One of Franco’s greatest strengths as an actor is his ability to evoke optimism and joy. While Franco became notorious for his portrayals as The Handsome Asshole early in his career, he felt he exhausted the stereotype and moved on to better things. Franco was able to transition from inherently unlikable pseudo-villains to the everyman, unconventional heroes, and some bizarre characters sprinkled in between.

One of this year’s most buzzed about films is Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk. The film is stacked with talent such as Regina King, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, and alluring newcomer KiKi Layne – just to name a few. There also happens to be an “unexpected”, yet delightful appearance by none other than Dave Franco. In his brief, albeit important screentime, Franco emerges as Levy, a young Jewish landlord. Levy happens to be the only landlord in Harlem that decides to rent to a resilient Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James).

Director Barry Jenkins utilized the role of Levy to reconnect to James Baldwin’s novel. Coincidentally, Levy, a surname of Hebrew origin, means “joining”. The novel places an emphasis on the different types of motherhood, and the impact of nature versus nurture. Franco’s cameo brings the novel and film fill circle, providing a brief ray of hope. Hidden in plain sight in a seventies time warp, Franco does what does best.

To conclude…

Dave Franco‘s career continues to be interesting, with his next film slated to be Netflix’s elusive 6 Underground (directed by Michael Bay). He has also mentioned a foray into producing, his first feature credit being The Disaster Artist. It is under Ramona Films, the production company he co-founded. A new species of role, producing will allow Franco to take better control of his cinematic narrative and also pave the way for other artists’ narratives. Regardless of where his career goes next, Franco has had a fair amount of successes along the way. If he counts it as an accomplishment, he has even managed to make quite a few people smile, including me.