James Franco Calls One of His Movies a “Big Mistake”

James Franco once opened up about what he now calls a “big mistake” in his acting career: starring in the 2006 film Tristan & Isolde. The epic romantic drama, directed by Kevin Reynolds and produced by Ridley Scott, cast Franco as the legendary Tristan opposite Sophia Myles.

Despite the high-profile team behind the project, Franco admits that looking back, he regrets taking the role.

In a piece for The Daily Beast, Franco explained that he was eager to make great movies as a young actor. “I was an overzealous young actor and wanted to make great movies. I read the script and wasn’t sure about it, but my acting teacher said it was a role that a young Brando or Olivier would do. I thought, ‘OK…I guess’,” he wrote.

Franco recalled intense preparation for the film, including sword-fighting training in his girlfriend’s backyard and horseback riding in Griffith Park. But when filming in Ireland began, the script had been altered, removing large battle sequences in favor of stealthy murders. “All the training I did was useless,” he said.

The experience taught him an important lesson about choosing projects. “I will never do a movie again that I don’t have a special feeling for. I know now that you feel it somewhere in your gut when you believe in a movie, and that’s why you should do it. Don’t do a movie you wouldn’t see or don’t believe in, because movies can be hell to make,” Franco said.

Tristan & Isolde had a limited box office impact, opening in 1,845 theaters in North America and earning $6.5 million in its first weekend. The film ended its run with around $28 million in domestic revenue.

Critical reaction was mixed. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 31% approval rating, noting that while competent, the film “doesn’t achieve the sweeping romanticism that it aims for.” Metacritic gave it a score of 49 out of 100, indicating average reviews. The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis described the movie as “pleasant…delivers exactly what it promises, no less, no more.”

Despite its flaws, Franco values the lessons the project taught him and continues to reflect on it as a pivotal experience in his career.

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