Did Dave Franco ride on James Franco’s coattails? Actor opens up about early Hollywood struggles and career milestones

TV Academy
Dave Franco at the TV Academy's Inaugural Televerse Festival (Image via Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Dave Franco dispels rumors that he has been riding his older brother James Franco's coattails. While his older brother got his start in Hollywood first, Dave said that his brother was not the only reason he achieved success in show business.

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In an interview with Bustle, published on October 28, Franco didn't entirely reject accusations that he's a nepo-sibling, but he said that he worked hard to prove his worth in the business.

"No one was going to hire me because I was James Franco's little brother. If I sucked, I would have disappeared very quickly."
Dave Franco at the "Regretting You" premiere (Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Dave Franco at the "Regretting You" premiere (Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

That said, Dave Franco mentioned that his older brother helped him start his career by securing an agent and establishing a presence in the industry. Some of his early TV roles include Greek, Privileged, and Scrubs. He later found greater success on the big screen, starring alongside Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street.

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He continued to appear in movies like Now You See Me, Now You See Me 2, Neighbors, Nerve, Regretting You, Love Lies Bleeding, and more. Additionally, Dave Franco received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Pam & Tommy and The Studio.


Dave Franco will next star in Now You See Me: Now You Don't

Dave Franco will reunite with the original members of 'The Four Horsemen,' including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher, in the third installment of their heist-thriller franchise, Now You See Me. It has been nearly a decade since the second movie and 12 years since the first film wowed audiences with its complex storytelling and elaborate magical tricks.

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Franco will return as Jack Wilder, who began as a pickpocket and street magician, specializing in sleight of hand and lock picking, before joining the team. Although Isla Fisher was not in the 2016 film, with Lizzy Caplan joining the Four Horsemen, Fisher will be back in Now You See Me: Now You Don't. Caplan will also return alongside Morgan Freeman.

A few new faces will appear in the third movie, including Dominic Sessa, Justice Smith, and Ariana Greenbalt, who will be part of a new group of three magicians. Another newcomer is Rosamund Pike, who will play a villain and portray the leader of the Vanderberg crime family.

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It was initially reported that Jon M. Chu, who directed the second film, would also direct the third, but Ruben Fleischer has replaced him. He previously worked with Harrelson and Eisenberg in Zombieland: Double Tap. Lionsgate released the official trailer for Now You See Me: Now You Don't in April, showing the Four Horsemen in action again.

Danny (Eisenberg) wants to steal the Heart Diamond and is recruiting younger illusionists to help. While he claims that the other Horsemen are "dead" to him at the start of the trailer, it doesn't take long for them to appear during the heist to save him when things go wrong.

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Now You See Me: Now You Don't arrives in movie theaters on November 14, 2025.

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Edited by Kinette Sumadia
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