Actor James Franco has won critical raves for his performances in films such as the 2008 stoner comedy "Pineapple Express" and the Oscar-nominated drama "Milk." But this spring, when he agreed to deliver a commencement speech at UCLA, Franco received a thumbs-down from many members of the student body.
"[We] don't feel he is as esteemed as a commencement speaker of UCLA's caliber should be," said an editorial in the Daily Bruin.
Earlier this week, and just days before the ceremony, the actor announced he was dropping out as keynote speaker. "I deeply regret not being able to keep my commitment to giving the commencement speech at UCLA's graduation this year," the actor said in a statement issued by the university, adding that the June 12 graduation date "conflicts" with pre-production demands for his next film.
But in Westwood, many wondered if Franco's decision was based more on external pressure than scheduling conflicts. Had a months-long effort involving more than 600 protesters clamoring for the actor's ouster -- the Facebook group "UCLA Students Against James Franco as Commencement Speaker" -- finally eroded his will to address the College of Letters and Science's graduating class?
Both Franco and UCLA officials declined to comment for this article. But messages on the Facebook page speak to the emotion surrounding his selection.
"I am writing to ask you to please not have James Franco be our keynote speaker this year at graduation," petitioner Sana Soni wrote on the page's discussion board. "He is a fine actor . . . and a very good-looking guy, but it should take more than that to be keynote speaker at such a prestigious university's graduation ceremony."
A Golden Globe-winning actor, Franco, 31, is best known for his supporting role in the globally popular "Spider-Man" film franchise. He is also a UCLA alumnus who first enrolled at the university in 1996. He went back in 2006 and graduated last year with a degree in creative writing. The actor would have ascended the podium as the youngest person and most recent graduate ever selected to deliver a commencement speech at UCLA, a university spokeswoman said.
Soon after the commencement announcement in March, UCLA senior Erin Moore put up the Facebook page with humble intentions, hoping to enlist a few classmates to petition for a more experienced speaker. But within months, the number of Facebook friends of "Students Against James Franco" swelled into the hundreds. Moore estimates that about 80% are UCLA students.
