Thursday, February 24, 2011

James Franco's a fitting host for Oscars


LOS ANGELES — Deep inside the Kodak Theatre, Oscar co-host James Franco is on a short break from rehearsal for Sunday's show. Amid the hubbub of pre-show activity, a long rack of suits (and a few dresses) sits outside his dressing room door (opposite co-host Anne Hathaway's, which has a "Please Do Not Disturb" sign taped onto it).

As Franco's door swings open, the sound of Tom Petty's Here Comes My Girl spills into the hallway.

A first step into Franco's small dressing room reveals countertops with coffee, a fruit tray, pomades, sprays and a candy dish. In a span of seconds, Franco brushes his teeth, checks his iPhone, pops a few M&Ms and says hello, ready for the first fitting of four Gucci outfits he'll don for the show.

Franco, 32, arrived in Los Angeles at 3:30 a.m. and started rehearsal just five hours later.

"We've done some script readings, but they haven't finalized the script," he says while slipping into the first of four looks, a classic black Gucci Marseille two-button tux. His nerves, for now, are at bay. "For me and Anne, I think it will feel like it went by really fast by the time that we're done. There's a lot to do, and when you do live shows, it goes by really fast."

Gucci, which has been dressing Franco for two years, custom-made four tuxedos for the actor (who is also the face of Gucci by Gucci men's fragrance). Each pocket inside the black, cream, charcoal and burgundy jackets is carefully inscribed with Franco's name.

"They've been incredibly supportive," says Franco, who is so enamored by the Italian fashion house, he pitched Gucci creative director Frida Giannini about making a documentary on how she works. "I think what they do over there is so interesting and has got such a great spirit." Giannini says she wanted Franco to look like a classic Hollywood star for the Oscars. "But at the same time modern and sharply tailored," Giannini says by e-mail. "He is natural and effortless in whatever he wears, very much the Gucci man, and I was able to play with color and fabrication as additional options to the traditional tuxedo."

"I love movies. I like the idea that I can do this at a time when no one expected me to do it," he says. "Movies are changing, the way you watch entertainment is changing, and honestly I don't know how much longer we'll love movies the way we do now. So it's nice to be a part of this while movies are still a really important part of our world."



Read More

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2011-02-25-franco25_ST_N.htm

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