James Franco is not ‘gay-baiting’ claims King Cobra director
Justin Kelly has defended the star of his recent film, claiming the actor is actually ‘wildly progressive’.
Justin Kelly – director of recent adult film drama King Cobra – has spoken out in support of James Franco’s “relationship” with the gay community.
The new film – based on the real life murder of gay porn baron Bryan Kocis – premiered during this year’s Tribeca Film Festival to rave reviews.
Despite the film’s success Franco has received criticism for his role, after claiming his only “a little gay” and a “cock tease” in a recent interview.
Kelly said that before he met Franco he had “heard the conversation from within the gay community, which was typically very negative and skeptical.
“That he’s taking roles from gay actors, or what have you.”
However, the director claims the gay community should be grateful that an actor like Franco is taking such roles and not be so quick to attack him.
“For an actor of his caliber to say that he picks roles based on character and story, and sexuality is secondary, is a good thing. It’s wildly progressive,” Kelly told Daily Beast.
“The whole point of what I feel like the gay community’s goal [is], to be quote-unquote ‘normal’, is having actors do what he does.”
Franco has repeatedly discussed his “obsession” with telling LGBT stories on screen – specifically that of gay men.
The star has also starred in Kelly’s biopic ‘I am Michael’, which tells the controversial true story of gay activist Michael Glatze, who rejected his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor.
Last year, the actor, director-turned-poet also released a book titled ‘Straight James / Gay James’.
The synopsis for the book reads: “Franco writes about life as an actor, sexuality, questions of identity, gender, family, Gucci, Lana Del Rey, James Dean, and Hollywood.
“His poetic style varies from the imagistic to the prosaic. The chapbook also contains an interview of ‘Gay James’ conducted by ‘Straight James.’
“Yes, Straight James asks the question: Let’s get substantial: are you gay or what?”
