Happy Birthday, James Franco!

Today, we're celebrating the 34th birthday of Academy Award-nominated actor James Franco. He got his acting start in made-for-TV movies in the late 1990s, but it wasn't until 1999's Never Been Kissed that he managed to score a role in a feature film. In 2002, Franco took on a career-making role in Sam Raimi's Spider-man, propelling him into mass public consciousness. From there, he's appeared in films like 2005's The Great Raid and 2008's Pineapple Express, and he has reprised his Spider-man role twice since the first film was released. In 2010, Franco nabbed his sole Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Aron Ralston in 127 Hours. Most recently, audiences have seen him in 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and they'll next be able to see him in the 2012 films Cherry, Maladies, Tar and Lovelace. And so, to celebrate his birthday, I've created a list of my five favorite of Franco's performances. I hope you enjoy the list! Once again, happy birthday, James!

5. Taste
Date Night (2010)


*****

4. Joey
City by the Sea (2002)


*****

3. Scott Smith
Milk (2008)


*****

2. Saul Silver
Pineapple Express (2008)


*****

1. Aron Ralston
127 Hours (2010)