Tuesday, July 14, 2026

James Franco’s Father Passes Away Suddenly

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Doug Franco, actor James Franco’s dad, passed away suddenly last week. He was 63. The news was just released by the family late tonight. Doug had a Harvard MBA and was a long time entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley. He leaves his wife Betsy, mother of James, actor Dave and brother Tom. Doug Franco, who was of Swedish and Portugese descent, was one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. He was also extremely proud of his sons. He told me during Oscar week how awed he was by James’s recent accomplishments and whirlwind of activity– a nomination, the hosting, the school stuff, all of it. And it was with Doug that I happened to walk up the stairs to the stage of the Kodak Theater when the Academy Awards ended this year. He was so eager to congratulate James and take family pictures. A lovely guy, gone way too soon. Condolences to the Franco and Verne families.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009, where he covered Michael Jackson, and previously wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine in the mid-1990s, where he covered the O.J. Simpson trial. He also edited Fame magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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