James Franco has stunned U.S. TV soap fans by signing up for a two-month stint on cheesy daytime drama General Hospital.
The super-serious method actor reportedly asked the producers of the show if there was a role he could play in the long-running soap and they have cast the 31 year old as a mysterious new character.
General Hospital executive producer Jill Farren Phelps tells SoapNet.com, "It's an honour that an actor of James' calibre would choose to spend some of his valuable time in Port Charles (the fictional town where the show is based)."
The actor has worked steadily since 1999 moving between movies and television with the likes of Spiderman, In the Valley of Elah and Tristan & Isolde under his belt.
But 2008/9 have been a huge success of the actor as he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his brilliant performance in comedy Pineapple Express.
He followed this up with the role of Scott Smith the critcally acclaimed movie Millk, which saw Sean Penn pick up the Best Actor Oscar.
Howl and Date Night are currently in post-production and he is working on Your Highness and Eat, Pray, Love.
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