Acting helped James Franco kick addictions

It seems like James Franco (above) is opening about the troubles of his youth. According to E! Online, the 39-year-old actor, who is slated to star in an upcoming series, called The Deuce, feels that acting helped him overcome certain kind of addictions.

He said, “I have a very addictive personality. When I was a teenager, I got over certain addictions, and that’s when I started acting, at age 17. I really threw myself into it, and that became everything, to the point where I didn’t even socialise.” He added, “And then after, like, 10 years of that, at age 27, I realised, ‘Man, I’m so depressed.’ On the surface, my life seems pretty good... but I feel isolated.” The actor said, “I’ve started a new chapter of my life. I was very workaddicted, and addicted to other things — not substances, I got over that a long time ago — but I’ve recently changed my life.”

Working behind the camera on the series, Franco was in the awkward position of directing a sex scene with Maggie Gyllenhaal. He says, “Maggie Gyllenhaal, in addition to being just an incredible actress, is fearless, and she really led the charge with how she handled the sex scenes and how she handled herself, and set the template for everyone else.”

JAMES FRANCO, WHOSE ACCLAIMED FILMS INCLUDE 127 HOURS, SAYS THAT HE HAS TAKEN UP SURFING AS A FORM OF THERAPY

PHOTO: CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION/AP