James Franco Wishes He Were Gay

Actor James Franco wishes he were gay.

The 35-year-old prolific actor and director said as much in a wide-ranging interview with The Daily Beast. Franco premiered his latest directorial effort, an adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel Child of God, at the Toronto International Film Festival.

When asked about gay jokes during cabler Comedy Central's recent Roast of James Franco, Franco said he didn't mind if people think he's gay.

“There's two sides to what happened in the roast,” Franco said. “If that's what they were going to make fun of me for, I was like, 'Great! Bring on the gay jokes!' because these aren't insults at all. I don't even care if people think I'm gay, so it was like, 'Awesome!' I mean, I wish I was … I wish I was gay.”

“Why?”

“I mean … we don't have to go into it. But as far as that larger phenomenon that you're talking about that happens to other actors, part of it is that movies are a place where people can project things and identify with characters, and it's the same thing with actors outside of their roles – and it's been that way since Hollywood was around. That's why there's a lot of conjecture. That's been one of my things, too. My relationship with my public image over the past four or five years has just become weirder and weirder, because I look at it and it's me, and it's not me, so if other people want to use that for their own purposes or needs, I'm fine with it.”