Tom Franco Biography: Wife, Age, Art, Net Worth, Height, Movies, Brother

Tom Franco is an American actor, artist, and founder of the Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley, California.

As the middle brother of actors James Franco and Dave Franco, he has carved a niche in both acting and visual arts, focusing on ceramics and community-driven art projects.

Profile

• Full Name: Thomas Andrew Franco
• Stage Name: Tom Franco
• Born: April 14, 1980
• Age: 45 years old
• Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: American Actor, Artist, Producer, and Founder of Firehouse Art Collective
• Height: 6 feet 1
• Parents: Betsy Lou Franco (née Verne, writer and occasional actress), and Douglas Eugene Franco (businessman, d. 2011)
• Siblings: 2, James Franco (older brother, actor), and Dave Franco (younger brother, actor)
• Spouse: Julia Lazar Franco (m. 2014, d. 2014), and Iris Torres (m. 2021–present)
• Children: None
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $500,000–$10 million

Early Life and Education

Tom Franco was born on April 14, 1980, in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Lou Franco, a writer and occasional actress of Russian Jewish descent, and Douglas Eugene Franco, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur of Portuguese (Madeiran) and Swedish ancestry who died in 2011.

Growing up in a creative household, Tom was immersed in art from a young age, with both parents having studied painting at Stanford University. His maternal grandparents ran the Verne Art Gallery in Cleveland, further embedding the family in the arts.

As the middle child between James and Dave Franco, Tom attended El Carmelo Elementary School and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1998. He pursued fine arts at the University of California, Santa Cruz, graduating in 2002, and later studied ceramics at the California College of the Arts in Oakland but dropped out due to dissatisfaction with the teaching methods.

As a child, he took figure-drawing classes, sometimes sketching nude models, which he found amusing, and developed a lifelong passion for painting and sculpture.

Career

Tom Franco began his acting career with a minor role as Frog Boy in the comedy-horror film Basket Case 2 (1990) at age 10. He appeared sporadically in films like A Peace of History (2005), The Devil Wears a Toupee (2007), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, as a police officer), Spring Breakers (2012, as a thug), and Metamorphosis: Junior Year (2017).

His most notable acting role was as Karl in The Disaster Artist (2017), a biographical comedy directed by his brother James Franco, which received critical acclaim.

He also appeared in the horror film Miracle Valley (2021) as a cult member and in the TV series Action Nat and the Cat (one episode). Beyond acting, Tom is a prominent artist and founder of the Firehouse Art Collective, established in 2008 in Berkeley, California, with additional studios in Oakland, Point Richmond, and Reno.

The collective fosters collaboration among multidisciplinary artists, inspired by Andy Warhol‘s collaborative spirit. Tom‘s artwork, including ceramics and sculptures, has been featured in magazines like Vogue and InStyle, and he has collaborated with his mother, Betsy, illustrating her books Naked and Metamorphosis.

He serves on the board of his brother James‘s Elysium Bandini Studios, a philanthropic film studio. His art often explores technology and innovative mediums, and he has organized exhibitions, including “A California Childhood” with James in 2015.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @tom_franco
• Facebook Handle: Tom Franco

Personal Life

Tom Franco, resides in California, primarily in the Bay Area, where he runs the Firehouse Art Collective. He married Julia Lazar, a collaborator and artist, on July 28, 2014, in a hospital solarium as she battled liver cancer, hepatitis C, and kidney issues.

Julia, 23 years his senior, passed away a month later on August 25, 2014. In 2021, Tom married Iris Torres, a producer who worked on Rise of the Planet of the Apes and joined James Franco‘s Rabbit Bandini Productions in 2010.

They have no children and maintain a low-profile relationship. Tom is passionate about surfing, which he says provides peace and adrenaline for his art, and he meditates daily, having met Julia at a meditation retreat.

He is fond of dogs, having owned pets named Malibu, Moksha, and Dharma. Known for his reserved nature, Tom avoids the Hollywood spotlight, focusing on art and philanthropy.

His family remains close, often collaborating on creative projects. No major controversies are associated with him, though his brother James faced sexual misconduct allegations in 2018, which Tom has not publicly addressed. X posts praise for Tom‘s art and his role in The Disaster Artist.

Filmography

• Basket Case 2 (1990) – Frog Boy
• A Piece of History (2005) – Short
• The Devil Wears a Toupee (2007) – Short
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – Police Officer
• Spring Breakers (2012) – Thug
• Metamorphosis: Junior Year (2017) – Role unspecified
• The Disaster Artist (2017) – Karl
• Miracle Valley (2021) – Cult Member
• Action Nat and the Cat (TV series, undated) – One episode
• Harumi (documentary, undated) – Appearance
• Roast of James Franco: Red Carpet Pre-Show (TV special, undated) – Appearance
• Comedy Central Roast of James Franco (TV special, undated) –

Net Worth

Tom Franco‘s net worth is estimated at $500,000–$10 million. Estimates vary widely: Celebrity Net Worth, citing his acting and art career, while AffairPost and CafeCloudy claim $10 million, likely inflated and possibly including family wealth or speculative assets.