Actors Anonymous

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Cover art

Actors Anonymous is a novel by American author and actor James Franco.[1][2][3] Published in 2013 by Little A/New Harvest, the novel is a series of connected short stories about actors in Los Angeles.[4] The chapters follow the 12 Steps and the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.[5]

On 11 October 2013, James Franco appeared in a book trailer along with actors Jim Parrack, Scott Haze, Stacey Miller and Mia Serafino to promote the release of the book.[6][7][8]

Reception to Actors Anonymous was mixed. Critics complained that the otherwise interesting and well-written stories were marred by name dropping and references to the author's own career and personal philosophy.[9][10]

Film adaptation[edit]

In 2017, Franco's book was adapted into a feature film, Actors Anonymous, starring James Franco, Eric Roberts, Emma Rigby, Scott Haze, Jake Robbins, Carmen Argenziano, and Horatio Sanz.[11][12] The film was produced by Rabbit Bandini Productions in collaboration with USC's School of Cinematic Arts and screened at the Cinequest[13] and Newport Beach Film Festival.[14][15]

The film had an unconventional development process, crafted by a collective of eight writers (Elizabeth Eccher, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Halla, Kaela Rae Jensen, Josh Litman, Theodore Martland, Alex Parslow, Osahon Tongo) and twelve directors (Melanie Aitkenhead, Abi Damaris Corbin, Shaun Duffy, Justin S. Lee, Kelly Luu, Kevin Luu, Jess Maldaner, Leandro Tadashi, Juel Taylor, Jay Wolff, Kerry Yang, Julio Vincent Gambuto), all graduate students at USC's School of Cinematic Arts.[16]

The project was supervised by John Watson, with James Franco playing a pivotal role not only as a cast member but also in a mentorship capacity.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Book review: 'Actors Anonymous' by James Franco
  2. ^ Connelly, Sherryl (14 October 2013). "Real life and real hype blend in James Franco's first novel, 'Actors Anonymous'". New York Daily News. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  3. ^ Longworth, Karina (11 October 2013). "Like a King That Orders One Thing Then Orders the Opposite Thing". Slate. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  4. ^ James Franco's 'Actors Anonymous' says a lot about James Franco - latimes.com
  5. ^ Donoghue, Steve (11 October 2013). "Book review: James Franco's 'Actors Anonymous'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  6. ^ Lee, Stephan (10 October 2013). "See James Franco star in the book trailer for 'Actors Anonymous': 'I Am The Actor' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  7. ^ Spargo, Chris. "James Franco Wrote A Book, "Actor Anonymous," And Made A Pretentious Book Trailer To Go With It: WATCH". New Now Next. Logo Digital. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  8. ^ Actors Anonymous by James Franco - review | Books | Entertainment | Daily Express
  9. ^ Book review: ‘Actors Anonymous’ by James Franco - Books - The Boston Globe
  10. ^ Actors Anonymous by James Franco – review | Books | The Guardian
  11. ^ Raup, Jordan (2015-03-23). "Exclusive: First Images From Adaptation of James Franco's 'Actors Anonymous'". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  12. ^ Aitkenhead, Melanie; Corbin, Abi Damaris; Duffy, Shaun (2017-03-05), Actors Anonymous (Drama), Scott Haze, Jake Robbins, James Franco, Elysium Bandini Studios, RabbitBandini Productions, retrieved 2024-03-28
  13. ^ Correspondent, Randy Myers | (2017-02-27). "Cinequest 2017: Don't miss these films at San Jose's huge fest". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  14. ^ Penaloza, Si Si (2017-04-29). "The Newport Beach Film Festival Goes Deeper". JetsetMag.com. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  15. ^ copland, ruth (2017-04-15). "Arts Interview: Chris Abernathy, Jake Robbins and Tim Astor from 'Actors Anonymous' Cinequest World Premiere Film". It's A Question of Balance with Ruth Copland. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  16. ^ Staff, Crossfader (2017-04-30). "Newport Beach Film Festival 2017 Coverage". Crossfader. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  17. ^ Radio, Southern California Public (2015-03-10). "James Franco's USC filmmaking class breaks ground by, you know, making a movie". Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-03-28.