Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

The newest entry in the "It ain't easy being the handsome sibling of a talented actor" is Dave Franco - whom we first noticed for his looks, then his talent (which upon realising he had in abundance made us feel very shallow indeed)... and yes, so he happens to be James' hotter little brother (which we do realise is quite the statement to make). Meet the latest of Swide's infatuations.

Sometimes a great gift can come alongside something of a curse: while counting James Franco amongst one's family members might come with numerous perks, one does feel for any sibling who might be willing to embrace the thespian vocation. James was the first to advise his brother to follow is own dreams: "He was indifferent. He said, 'If you have the passion, go for it. If not, do your own thing.' To be honest, I wanted nothing to do with this business for so long."

Younger brother Dave however doesn't seem burdened by any shadow or steps to be followed, and his having chosen a somewhat similar path means that they sometimes cross; one such collaboration was in James' most educative online series, Acting With James Franco, in which Dave was all at once brother, co-star and general guinea pig (in the best possible way).

But for anyone with an eagle-eye for young talent and a taste for smouldering looks and heavy brows (which Swide is very much digging), this online display of fraternal love woudln't have been the first encounter with Dave. In a career of his own that has very much been going from strength to strength, Dave has showcased a variety of skills, although a certain kind of goofy humour might be just up his street.

Instantly one might think of the Apatow connection (well it could be in the genes...), but despite a Superbad cameo (the infamous soccer guy with an incontinence problem) we feel Dave's own brand of funny might be somewhat a little cockier... Possibly verging on the geeky which adds the extra Dave touch. His Scrubs performance as rich medical student Cole is a prime example of that dual brand of humour.

 More than a pretty face on your television set Dave has already made some memorable appearances on the big screen (meaning a much clearer view of said pretty face), as the aforementioned troubled soccer player; as a lactose powder/cocaine sniffer alongside Ben Stiller in the upcoming release (already seen at Berlin's Biennale) Greenberg; alongside Zac Efron in anticipated (by teenage females and actual film fans) film of 2010 The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud; and later on in indie flick Walks, set to be a tale of underground street artists in NYC (a different take on the street art film from Banksy's then).

Even his modelling stunts reveal plenty more personality where it came from; in the lookbook for reinterpreted American classics label Band of Outsiders, he is a total dead ringer for a definitely-not-as-innocent-as-he looks Skins character and we are imagining many exciting things for the future.

A family-loving streak means Dave won't be denying the brotherly connection just yet despite a success of his own, and so the Franco pair should appear in James' (you know, Dave Franco's older brother) on-screen adaptation of Bukowski's Ham on Rye; knowing the ironic trait of this coming-of-age in LA novel, as well as the protagonist's somewhat unsightly appearance allows us to expect the confirmation that Dave is a genuine talent even without the pretty face. Not that we mind it one bit of course...

 

Aurelie Bellavigna

 

Source: GQ

Photo credits: Interview Magazine

TAGS: dave franco actor hollywood james franco acting with james franco greenberg superbad scrubs judd apatow zac efron charles bukowski ham on rye bands of outsiders walks indie film