James Franco's Kiss For David Letterman (VIDEO)

"Milk" actor James Franco (he plays boyfriend Scott Smith to Sean Penn's Harvey Milk) went on "The Late Show" Friday night to promote his new film, opening November 26.

As almost every interviewer does, Letterman asked at length about Franco's extended onscreen liplock with Penn for the film. "Do you really want to be good at kissing a guy?... How drunk are you?"

Franco, smiling and laughing with Dave's questions, described not only the kiss but all the compliments he got after shooting it from all the people on set who watched the take.

He also offered Dave, "If you want it, I'd be willing to kiss you right now" and leaned in for a peck.

WATCH:

Comments

[JudyBFree]

I have loved David Letterman throughout his entire career. Like me, he is a product of the Midwest and the 1950s values from that period. He, like most men of his age and upbringing, is probably homophobic on a personal level. I would have loved to have seen James Franco turn Dave's head and give him a full kiss on the lips, but Dave might have suffered a heart attack. I'm a straight woman, but I personally don't see what the big deal is -- whether male or female, they're just two human lips.
BTW, Craig Ferguson, whom I also love, is Scottish, not Irish ... though he's now a naturalized American citizen. :-)

[IronMikeHouston]

I knew there was a reason that I haven't watched Letterman, ever. Seriously, who wants to talk/watch about kissing especially man-on-man. Why don't they create a gay channel and funnel all this stuff to that channel.

[Eric8869]

There is LOGO and HERE for gay programming.

Sorry homophobe - gay men exist and deserve to have their own storied portrayed.

You are the reason Letterman gets away with this insulting homophobic stuff.

You're a tool

[IronMikeHouston]

I'm the reason? I don't watch Letterman. I certainty don't watch any gay programming. I'm glad they have their own cable channel. Now network TV has a reason to portray straights in a good light.

I'm straight and I'm proud!

[SouthJerseySteve]

Don't worry Dave, most gay men like myself have NO DESIRE to kiss you either!

[samguy]

Sean Penn. Letterman. Has Franco ever kissed a good looking guy?

[fentondem]

Mr Letterman....that piece was as insulting as anything Ive seen from a past middleaged SINGLE man

[MadamRoma]

Very immature conversation from both the "Milk" actor and Letterman, in fact it bordered on bigoted . This little conversation makes me believe Letterman will stop at nothing for a laugh. Unfortunately making fun of an oppressed group of people is nothing to laugh about, grow up Letterman you look rather stupid and intolerant. As a gay American I found both men offensive, or should I say both "little jerks".

[chagedorn]

Not very mature or sophisticated on Letterman's part, but consider his audience...the whole thing seemed a little uncomfortable from both sides (I suppose as it usually does with straight guys who really aren't that uncomfortable but in front of strangers.)

[grantlingel]

Looks like Franco smoked some pineapple express before going on
http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[Dehrenstein]

Will everybody PLEASE lighten up. James Franoc is Beyond Adorable. And it's perfectly obvious that Dave was very impressed by "milk."

[Eric8869]

When you have your civil rights taken away on election day and then a movie about your slain civil rights leader is fodder for jokes - YOU lighten up.

[Snowspot]

Oh eric stop being such a queen

[Tamoomoo]

I love James Franco.

[SamiSam]

James Franco can kiss me anytime!

[Michael45]

I will never forget David Letterman's constant on-air juvenile attempts to belittle the film Brokeback Mountain when it was being considered for a Best Picture Oscar in 2006. And now it seems he's trying to do the same with this film. David Letterman should be ashamed of himself. And CBS should tell Letterman to stop his on-air bigotry or say goodbye to his show!

[bwilder]

It's called humor :-) Get some.

[antaeus]

The line between funny and insulting changes with time. Compared to his competition, Letterman is very sharp and very funny most of the time, but it's also true that he crosses over into a*hole on occasion.

[Eric8869]

If gay people were offended every time there was a gay joke we would be constantly offended. We have great senses of humor. It sometimes crosses the line.

You have to ask yourself why there were more online parodies of Brokeback Mountain than any other film?

[brandon102]

I think Letterman's homophobia is on full display here. Agreed, he should make fun of everything. Asking "Don't you WANT it to be awkward, kissing another guy?" isn't funny, he's saying "You're straight and isn't it naturally gross to kiss a guy."

Notice how he pulls back when Franco offers him a peck on the cheek.

No, Dave is a liberal and funny and all, but when it comes to gay people he's only intellectually a liberal, but on a deeper level he can't get over it.

[jerrycurls]

Well it is naturally gross to kiss a guy when you're straight. Just as, I would assume, that it is naturally gross to kiss a girl if you're gay.

Isn't that the whole idea?

There's no need to get defensive about it. Maybe Letterman's schtick was a little outdated in the times we live, but nevertheless it is a natural opinion.

There's no need for gay men to become defensive about the fact that 99% of straight men would be uncomfortable kissing a guy. It isn't homophobic for a man to not want to kiss another man. A straight man can still be accepting towards gay men (and support them) and still find the idea of being romantic with another man personally repellant.

[antaeus]

99% of straight men aren't ACTORS. Haven't actors always taken roles that diverged from their inner selves, often widely?

[Eric8869]

It's not gross to kiss a girl when you're a gay man. It just doesn't feel "right".

I wouldn't make jokes about how gross it is to kiss a girl or constantly make it a joke.

Got it?

[useyourbrain]

not even close to 99%. if you have been outside of the US you would know that it is quite common for men to kiss each other on the check when greeting each other or leaving them. Gay men can kiss women and vs. versa. Social kissing. Deep kissing is a romantic thing bi, straight or gay.

[newpotusplease]

when Drew Barrymore jumped on Dave's desk and flashed him and he turned pink

now, that was funny

this Franco thing is just ODD

[unfettered]

Straight = funny
Gayish = odd

Someone's insecure and it's not James Franco.

[NewArtz]

I have a lot of respect for James Franco as an actor while he described his motivation when kissing Sean Penn. Men who are gay but live straight become great kissers because their motivation in the process is the mastery of technique. Erotically speaking, however, Franco's discription of kissing Sean Penn was also quite hot.