COMEDY CHAMELEON

DAVE FRANCO IS A SCUMBAG. IN HIS NEW FILM, IDIOTS, THAT IS. A LOSER WHO HITS ROCK BOTTOM AND TAKES A JOB AT A TRANSPORTATION SERVICE FOR DRUG-ADDICTED RICH KIDS IN THE NEW SLAPSTICK COMEDY MOVIE, WHICH HE ALSO CO-PRODUCED. IT'S A RAUCOUS AND WILDLY ENTERTAINING DESCENT INTO MADNESS FOR THE 21 JUMP STREET, SUPERBAD, TOGETHER AND THE DISASTER ARTIST STAR. HERE, HE TELLS US ABOUT HIS FIRST MOVIE LOVES, HIS TRANSITION TO DIRECTING AND FARTING BIRD TATTOOS.

Right Coat, pants and shirt **Burberry**, tie, glasses and gloves stylist’s own, shoes **John Lobb**, watch **Jaeger-Lecoultre**

You’re known for playing quirky, dark and weirdly eccentric characters. I'm curious to know what books you were reading as a kid; did anything inspire the dark side?

One of my favourite authors growing up was Roald Dahl; what he was writing was so dark and different to the standard kids’ stuff around. That preface to his book, The Witches, oh man! I mean, it read something like, "Witches are everywhere, they look like you and me, even your teacher reading this passage could be a witch," and that’s such a dark way to start a children's book! But it aligns with everything I've done so far in my work in terms of being subversive and different. I also watched a lot of R-rated movies earlier than I should've, having grown up with two older brothers, and so I've always been drawn to this darker sensibility that informs all the work I do today.

And it all started with a job in a video rental store.

Yes, I was only 14, and it was illegal for me to be working there, so they paid me by allowing me to take home as many movies as I wanted. And in a way, that became my film school. It also happened to be the year 1999, which is now regarded as one of the best movie years of all time, with 30 seminal films released which were important for one reason or another – Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, The Blair Witch Project, American Beauty, American Pie… The list goes on! All of that is the reason why I’m doing this: finding my way into the film business one way or another, and it happened to be through acting, but I knew in the back of my head that one day I would also expand my repertoire and step behind the camera and start producing and directing.

Which of those films you've just mentioned grabs you the most?

Being John Malkovich and Fight Club were so experimental, with no traditional structure or narrative – you can't predict where they’re going. Those types of movies inform my own sensibilities; I'm drawn to movies that keep you guessing and give you something you’ve never seen before. That’s the criteria for how I choose the projects I do; I want to bring something new to the table.

Did you have any movie heroes?

Always looked to Joseph Gordon-Levitt because he was really doing so many different types of projects, from starting in the comedy sitcom Third Rock from the Sun to the gritty, dark indie film Mysterious Skin and then Christopher Nolan's Inception, and then he started writing and directing. He's someone I've always admired from afar, someone you couldn’t pin down within his work, and always bringing something unexpected.

Left Full look **Louis Vuitton**,
Right Jacket, pants, t-shirt and belt **Prada**, shirt, bag and tie stylist’s own, shoes **John Lobb**, watch **Jaeger-Lecoultre**

Speaking of heroes, you're an icon to lots of burgeoning actors, including Mason Thames. Do you like casting and mentoring younger talent?

I've had a couple of people tell me The Disaster Artist is the film that made them want to act, which makes sense to me, as my character is a budding actor in the film and doing everything he can to make his dream happen. I love mentoring young actors, and Mason's got such a great head on his shoulders. He’s so talented, and I just want to be there to help make his journey as smooth as possible. It's nice to step into the big brother role for the first time too! I have two older actor brothers, so it's just nice to be able to impart my knowledge that I've learned over the years.

You always play in or produce/direct these great character-driven stories. What are you looking for now in a project?

The main things I look for now are: do I like the people involved? Am I going to have a good time with them? And can I do something impactful with this role? I like being on sets with people I admire and trust and feel comfortable with, so that enables me to take huge risks. That’s when the best things come. I've had a lot of luck in recent years, building these smaller films from the ground up, and it's a lot of work, but at the end of the day I have more control and can bring in the people I want – when you don’t need to appeal to an entire audience, you can take these massive swings and do something subversive.

As a director and producer, who informed your own approach to being behind the camera?

Barry Jenkins, who I worked with on If Beale Street Could Talk. I remember going into that experience feeling anxious because I wanted to do a good job, and I was also a huge fan of his. The moment I stepped on set, I felt so at ease because he creates this environment where everyone feels safe. He's the type of director who can give you the simplest and most poignant direction that changes the whole performance.

I've also worked on and off with Seth Rogen for nearly twenty years since Superbad and what I’ve taken from him is just how much he loves collaboration, and how he wants to hear ideas from every person on set – he has this motto, "The best idea wins no matter who it’s coming from," so it makes everyone on set feel invested and part of it and contributing to it. It’s about surrounding yourself with kind people, and since I directed my first film, The Rental, I just want to find universally talented, kind and funny people to work with, almost like this sleep-away camp family environment where we're able to do good things together.

Left Shirt, jacket and tie **Dunhill,** vintage glasses and collar bar
Right Pants, t-shirt and belt **Prada**, shirt and tie stylist’s own

Is there an actor on your 'I must work with them’ bucket list?

Catherine Keener. She’s an icon; she can do no wrong. When I was much younger, and things weren't really working out for me in this business, my brother [James] had just worked with her, and he told me to email her for advice. What I always remember from her is that she told me, “If you're not having fun with it, you shouldn't be doing it. You need to change your mentality and let go and have a good time,” and that’s always stuck with me.

Speaking of good times and bad, let's talk about your latest film, Idiots, as this is one hell of a ride as a dark, violent comedy, but with a story of friendship at its core.

That's exactly it. I want people to feel they’re on this wild, chaotic road trip with us, where every new chapter of the story is more insane than the last, and you don’t know where it's headed! There is laugh-out-loud humour and shocking and violent set pieces, but there is still a beating heart underneath it all, and that's what will shock people the most.

I loved playing this role as I'm known for being quite a clean-shaven guy, so just on the surface, it was quite exciting to be this guy with a disgusting, straggly beard and neck tattoo and a bicep tattoo of a dainty little bird singing the words, "Who farted?" I like playing these roles where, on the surface, they’re not sympathetic or likeable, and I like the challenge of trying to get the audience to understand who the guy is, where he’s coming from and at the end of the film you're rooting for him.

A tattoo of a bird singing, “Who farted?” You know this movie is comedy gold already.

Right!! It was our director Macon Blair's idea; I think we’re actually going to pass out stick-on "Who farted?" tattoos at the premiere. [Laughs]