James Franco Teases Screen Time With Rihanna

Actor reveals he almost co-starred in 'We Found Love' clip and may appear with Ri in new Seth Rogen film.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

James Franco
Photo: Neilson Barnard/ Getty Images

James Franco recently made headlines when he posted a video of himself singing Rihanna's Dr. Luke joint "You Da One" on the Internet. The clip was short, sweet and a bit out of nowhere.

But if you think that Franco was in one of his performance-art moments when he created the viral video, think again. It turns out he's just a fan of the colorful singer. "[It] didn't take a lot of work [to lip-synch to her song]," he confessed to MTV News at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday. "But I do like Rihanna."

In fact, his biggest confession about his connection to the singer came next. It seems the two were thisclose to working together on her 2011 "We Found Love" video. As the story goes, before male model Dudley O'Shaughnessy landed the role as Ri's troubled leading man, Franco had the opportunity to be cast as one-half of that rocky romance.

"She actually asked me to be in that video, the one with the relationship that gets crazy," he dished. "I couldn't do it. But, I guess, I hope that that means there's mutual love between us."

Well, apparently these two are getting a second chance to work together, and this time it's on the big screen. Franco teased that Rihanna may appear in pal Seth Rogen's flick "The Apocalypse," which follows a slew of celebs playing themselves. They're partying at Franco's house when they learn the apocalypse is coming.

"I think she's gonna be in the new movie that I'm doing, Seth Rogen's directorial debut," he shared. "I think she has a little part in that."

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