Dave Franco on Life as James Franco's Little Brother: "No One Was Going to Hire Me Just Because"

Dave Franco has been famous for a while now, but he’s never forgotten what it felt like to be known only as somebody’s little brother. On Monday’s episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the 41-year-old actor opened up about growing up in the shadow of James Franco, his older brother and one of the biggest stars of the 2000s. Dave said he loves his brother and still values his advice, but he made a point of saying he worked for everything he has.“No one was going to hire me just because I was James Franco’s little brother,”he said.

That work paid off. Dave broke through with roles in 21 Jump Street, Neighbors, and Now You See Me, and he says people have finally started giving him his own due. His story lands on a familiar question, the same one people ask about any family business, whether it’s Hollywood or a small-town shop. Does a famous last name open doors? Sure. Does it keep you in the room? That part you have to earn yourself.

Dave also talked about staying off social media. He said it leaves him feeling a little isolated from trends, but it protects his mental health from the daily negativity. It’s a tradeoff a lot of folks have wrestled with. What do you think? Could you walk away from social media for good, or would you miss it too much?