James Franco
Stylish red carpet comeback in Cannes
James Franco and Izabel Pakzad in Cannes.
© Olivier Borde/Bestimage/Action Press
James Franco is back in the spotlight. The actor made another red carpet appearance in Cannes after five years.
James Franco is working on his return
Franco chose a black tuxedo with a bow tie and wore a white shirt underneath. Trendy sunglasses and shiny patent leather dress shoes provided additional highlights. Friend Pakzad also came in a black pants suit decorated with gold chains. She wore nothing under the blazer and showed off a deep cleavage. As shoes, she chose open peep-toe pumps with a black and white pattern. She gathered her hair into a sleek ponytail. The two have been a couple for seven years.
Franco is visiting Cannes to promote the joint film project “The Razor’s Edge” with Tommy Lee Jones (77). In the new action thriller he plays one of the main roles, as recently announced.
His career took a turn five years ago
It’s the first time in quite some time that James Franco has made a red carpet appearance. The actor retired in 2019 after several women accused him of sexual harassment a year earlier. In addition, the practices of his acting school also made negative headlines.
Students at the now-closed Studio 4 film and acting school accused the actor and his partners of pressuring them into increasingly explicit sex scenes. In 2021, Franco agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle the lawsuit.
In a detailed conversation with Jess Cagle, 58, from SiriusXM radio, Franco explained that at the time he thought his actions were okay because the sex was “consensual.” “I admit that I slept with female students (…) and that was wrong,” he said. He was “not clear-headed” at the time.