Popular actor, writer, director and producer to speak at OSU

Thursday, April 7, 2016

He is known for his acting role in the television program “Freaks and Geeks” and the movies “James Dean” and “Spider-Man.” Now, this American actor and filmmaker is headed to Oklahoma State University as a part of the Student Government Association’s SGA Speakers Board series to share some of his background.  James Franco, who is known for his acting, writing, directing and producing, comes to Stillwater April 13 for a moderated question and answer session to share the different aspects of his life.

Franco won a 2002 Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the iconic actor in “James Dean” and has also been nominated for numerous other awards, including an Academy Award. In addition to his career in acting, Franco also spends his time teaching filmmaking and production classes at universities and high schools. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California in Los Angeles, Franco went on the complete his Master of Fine Arts from Columbia and is currently a Ph.D. student at Yale University.

Kyle Lake, Speakers Board director, said the Speakers Board plan on having questions that balance his career in Hollywood as well as his studying and teaching at prestigious universities.

“Speakers Board is very excited about having James Franco visit campus,” Lake said. “We brought him in because of his experience in the entertainment industry as well as his interest in academia.”

The OSU Speakers Board will host James Franco at Gallagher-Iba Arena at 7 p.m. on April 13. Admission is free for OSU students, faculty and staff with a valid OSU ID.  General admission tickets are available for the public for $10. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and sign interpreters will be available for a reserved section at the event. For those interested in submitting questions for Franco, they can tweet them to the Speakers Board (@OSUspeakers).

The OSU Speakers Board is a sector of the Student Government Association that works to bring top-notch speakers to the Oklahoma State University campus. SGA allocates funds to clubs and organizations for events that can be enjoyed by the entire student body. It also designs programs to better the OSU campus, community and most importantly, students’ way of life.