Dave Franco

David John Franco, born June 12, 1985, is an American actor and filmmaker. He launched his acting career with minor roles in films such as Superbad (2007) and Charlie St. Cloud (2010), alongside a regular role in the ninth season of the comedy series Scrubs. Franco achieved his film breakthrough with a supporting role in the 2012 buddy comedy 21 Jump Street. Over his career, he has appeared in numerous feature films and television shows, later expanding into directing.

Franco was born in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Lou (née Verne), a poet, children's book author, and editor, and Douglas Eugene Franco, who ran a nonprofit agency and a business. His parents met while attending Stanford University. On his father's side, Franco is of Portuguese and Swedish descent, while his mother is of Russian Jewish descent. His paternal grandmother, Marjorie Franco, was an author of young adult books, and his maternal grandmother, Mitzie Verne, owned an art gallery. He grew up in California with two older brothers, James and Tom, who are also actors.

Franco first took an interest in filmmaking at age 14 while working at a video rental store. He attended the University of Southern California, initially planning to become a high school creative writing teacher. During his sophomore year, his brother James's manager guided him toward a theater class. Franco made his acting debut in 2006 on the television drama 7th Heaven. He subsequently appeared in shows such as Do Not Disturb, Young Justice, and Privileged, as well as the film The Shortcut.

In 2009, Franco was cast in the ninth season of Scrubs, portraying Cole Aaronson in all thirteen episodes. He starred in the 2011 film Fright Night, and NextMovie.com named him a "Breakout Star to Watch For." Following 21 Jump Street in 2012, he co-starred in Warm Bodies and the ensemble crime thriller Now You See Me in 2013. In 2014, he featured in the comedy Neighbors, winning an MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo with Zac Efron, and made a cameo in 22 Jump Street.

Franco co-starred in Unfinished Business in 2015 and reprised his roles in Now You See Me 2 and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising in 2016, the same year he starred in Nerve. In 2017, he appeared in The Little Hours and The Disaster Artist. He later starred in the 2018 addiction drama 6 Balloons, had a small role in If Beale Street Could Talk, portrayed actor Montgomery Clift in Zeroville, and featured in 6 Underground.

In 2020, Franco made his directorial debut with the horror-thriller The Rental, which he also co-wrote with Joe Swanberg. His later acting roles included the main cast of the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty and the film Day Shift in 2022. He also starred opposite his wife, Alison Brie, in the body horror film Together, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and appeared in Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025).

Franco began dating actress Alison Brie in 2012. The couple announced their engagement in August 2015 and married in a private ceremony in March 2017.