James Franco, who showed off a fake tattoo of "A Place In The Sun" stars Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor on the back of his newly shaved head Friday, Sept. 5, has used his Visionary Award ceremony at the Venice International Film Festival to film a scene for his new film "Zeroville."
Before the real ceremony started, the phrase "35th: 1977 Venice Film Festival" flashed on the screen prompting festival director Alberto Barbera to start acting the part for the said upcoming movie. Speaking in Italian, Barbera said that he was awarding a special jury prize to celebrate an incredible contribution to the art of editing to Franco's "Zeroville" character, "Isaac Jerome," The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Franco, who was wearing a '70s-style open-breasted velvet suit, then came to the stage to accept the fictional award, saying, "That's not my name."
After two takes, the 36-year-old Golden Globe-winning actor informed the crowds of their cameo. Standing on the Lido to accept his Jaeger-LeCoulture Glory to the Filmmaker 2014 prize, Franco said, "It's a little movie we're doing. Maybe we'll show it here in Venice next year," according to Entertainmentwise.
"What we mostly admire in James Franco is that even if he could just be fully satisfied with his huge success in the USA, nevertheless he exposes himself to further challenges," said Barbera during the actual prize ceremony. "James Franco is omnivorous. It is a total performance, based on his curiosity and cleverness."
"Zeroville" is based on Steve Erickson's 2007 novel of the same which follows Ike "Vikar" Jerome, a 24-year-old scholar who arrives in Hollywood in 1969 with the goal of breaking into the movie industry, which is currently in the middle of a seismic shift as the fall of major studios results inthe ascension of independent directors. Jerome eventually becomes a successful film editor, but it is a journey that ends in both tragedy and discovery, according to Variety.