James Franco Goes Back To Daytime

In another bizarre career move, James Franco is headed back to daytime television. The multitasking actor will reprise his role as performance artist and murderer Robert "Franco" Frank on ABC's General Hospital in September — this time reportedly for a "long term" story arc, a rep told TVGuide.

Many Hollywood stars get their start on daytime television, but once they make it big (e.g. headline blockbuster hits, produce their own films, host the Oscars, etc.), they usually don't go back. Franco, 33, however, has proven himself the exception to many Hollywood rules. The Oscar-nominated actor, who is also a writer, producer and Ph. D. student at Yale, made cameo appearances on General Hospital in 2009 just as his film career was blowing up into A-list status.

What Franco will do next is Hollywood's most elusive guessing game. He accepted the offer to co-host the 2011 Academy Awards (along with actress Anne Hathaway, in February), but his apathetic performance garnered him the worst reviews of his career, which he shrugged off. "It was never on my list of things to do. It doesn’t mean I didn’t care and it doesn’t mean I didn’t try, right?” he told David Letterman.

Franco will appear opposite Freida Pinto in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, opening August 5, and is the writer-director of Sal, a biographical film about the murder of gay actor Sal Mineo. Shooting also recently began on Oz: The Great and Powerful, which co-stars Mila Kunis and features Franco as the titular character.