Paul Rust Remembers ‘Upset’ James Franco’s Outburst over 2011 Oscars Evaluations

• Comic and actor Paul Rust recalled watching James Franco “flip out” after they filmed a CollegeHumor sketch collectively in 2011, simply days after Franco’s notorious 2011 Oscars internet hosting gig with Anne Hathaway.
• Rust advised his With Gourley and Rust podcast cohost Matt Gourley that Franco “was in a foul temper” whereas filming the sketch, mumbled his method via his strains and grew acidic to different actors on set earlier than finally storming off with the piece unfinished.
• “I have been on completely different units the place individuals go slightly nutty, and also you go ‘Okay, I am not going to speak about that in public,’ however I am keen to stay my chin out for the canceled James Franco,” Rust mentioned.

Paul Rust is sharing an expertise he had working with James Franco shortly after the actor’s notorious 2011 Academy Awards internet hosting stint.

On the Friday, Dec. 27 episode of the With Gourley and Rust podcast, the comic and actor, 43, mentioned he was reminded of an expertise he had working with Franco, 46, as he and podcast cohost Matt Gourley mentioned how and when individuals within the leisure business select to debate others’ unhealthy conduct.

“That is me now telling a narrative about any individual who’s been ostracized and so it would haven’t any repercussions seemingly on my profession,” Rust mentioned. “Okay. I noticed James Franco flip out as soon as.”

Rust recalled that he acted in a CollegeHumor sketch filmed as a part of a publicity marketing campaign for Franco’s 2011 film Your Highness, which he costarred in with Danny McBride. As Rust remembered, he was portraying one amongst “a bunch of nerds taking part in Dungeons & Dragons” with McBride, 48, and Franco. Whereas Rust mentioned McBride proved “very cool, no shock,” he mentioned that the video shoot occurred “actually two days after [Franco] had hosted the Oscars with Anne Hathaway.”

“He was in a foul temper,” Rust shared. Franco and Hathaway’s Oscars internet hosting stint was extensively panned on the time, and Rust remembered that Franco “[had] his head down and he is mumbling all of his strains and it is unusable” as they tried to movie the sketch.

PEOPLE has reached out to Franco’s representatives for remark.

Based on Rust’s story, Franco grew extra visibly upset after the shoot’s director confronted him about mumbling his dialogue and started “going off-script.” 

“The joke that he is in all probability bored with which is like ‘James Franco, Renaissance man,’ ” he mentioned. “So the premise is that every individual picks their character and goes, ‘My character is Skippy the Nice and he is a warlock who has these powers,’ after which it cuts to James Franco and he goes, ‘My character is James Franco and he is been entering into cooking chorizo.’ So he must be self-effacing right here, and that is additionally a part of the issue. So he begins doing ad-libs about different issues individuals say about James Franco, however within the mumble voice, he is nonetheless doing the mumbling factor.”

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“So he is obtained his head down and he goes ‘James Franco was excessive on heroin when he was internet hosting the Oscars final night time,’ ” Rust added, recalling that even Franco’s publicist confronted him following the outburst.

“I faintly keep in mind when the time got here out persons are like, ‘What is that this man, excessive the best way he is performing?’ ” Rust mentioned. “I do not know in the event that they have been saying he was excessive on heroin, and for the file, I do not assume he was excessive. James Franco, I do not assume, lives his life in a method that he could be doing medicine.” 

Rust additionally mentioned that Franco began behaving poorly towards the opposite actors within the scene with him whereas “in character,” calling them “you f—- nerds.”

“It reaches the purpose the place I see James Franco get up, kick a chair and storm out of the stage,” he mentioned. As Rust recalled, Franco by no means returned to the set and the sketch was seemingly by no means launched.

After relaying the story, Rust admitted that he feels individuals in Hollywood usually do not “inform tales out of college” as a result of they don’t need to be seen as somebody who finds open secrets and techniques. 

“I have been on completely different units the place individuals go slightly nutty, and also you go, ‘Okay, I am not going to speak about that in public,’ however I am keen to stay my chin out for the canceled James Franco telling that story,’ ” he joked.

Franco’s Hollywood profession was offset within the late 2010s after he was accused of sexually inappropriate conduct by 5 girls, 4 of whom have been his performing college students. (Franco settled a lawsuit with two of the ladies in 2021.) In 2024, he appeared in three motion pictures, his first initiatives to launch as an actor since 2019.

“I imply, it’s what it’s,” Franco advised Selection throughout an October interview, when requested if he felt what occurred to his profession “was unfair.”

“I’ve actually moved previous it,” he mentioned on the time. “It was handled, and I obtained to vary. In order that’s it, it’s over. I imply, I’ve labored within the U.S. too. So I’m simply making an attempt to maneuver on.”