James Franco dove right into his latest photo shoot, getting sexy and soaking wet for the September issue of GQ. His comedic performance in Pineapple Express opened to decent reviews, a welcome change of pace for James, who has struggled in his career in the past. In the article, he gets serious about his method acting, his bad reputation, and why everyone just wants to get high with him. Here are highlights:

• On making bad movies: “I put a lot of time into it. I wanted to be the best actor that I could be. It’s just sad for me, because I know I worked so hard, and I just feel like in some ways I kind of blew it. It’s just hard to get away from what I see as the stain of these bad movies.”
• On why he didn't get along with some of his Freaks and Geeks costars: “I’ll admit I was not a team player. A lot of it, I think, just had to do with being obnoxious when the camera was on someone else. Maybe I’d eat a banana in the background that would take focus away from other actors. I didn’t think about it that way, but now I could say, ‘Look, the scene’s not about me, it’s about them, just chill out, James. Don’t eat a f*cking banana.’”
• On how people have responded to Pineapple Express: “Already, I have had people come up to me in cafés and say, ‘Hey, you’re James Franco, right? Hey, I can’t get hold of my guy—do you know where I can buy some good weed?’ Even in class I’ve had someone come up to me and be, ‘Hey! What’s up, man?’ and give me a handshake and palm me a little bag of weed. I haven’t done drugs, I haven’t even smoked pot, since high school.”

To see what else James had to say about locking lips with Sean Penn, just read more

Jennifer Garner and Violet Affleck were little rays of sunshine around LA at the beginning of this week. Yesterday the girls paid a visit to Huntington Botanical Gardens, while today they were at Giggles N' Hugs for lunch together. They may not be the most exciting photos in the world, but what's to complain about with this adorable duo taking advantage of a perfect Summer day?

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After jetting to LA on her day off to support Tom for the big red carpet premiere of Tropic Thunder last night, Katie was back in Manhattan bright and early this morning. This superwoman sure knows how to live the bicoastal life in style, keeping it casual and comfy with her skinny jeans and white top on her way to rehearsal. Maybe instead of Tom's pants Katie has moved on to wearing his shirts, although with her jet-setting ways, seems like the actress doesn't need his wardrobe to keep close to Tom.

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Paris Hilton has been away from home for the last few weeks to work in Denmark and Las Vegas, so now that she's back in LA it's time to stock up on some essentials. Never one to underdo things, Paris picked up an overflowing cart full of groceries before buying bagfuls of sporting equipment, including a pink bike. She'll probably want to use her newly-acquired tennis rackets to play with a pal, even though her doubles partner of choice may no longer be Benji Madden.

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Lauren Conrad was full of smiles even up bright and early in LA today. While this may mean last night wasn't a late one for LC, she has been causing some rumors recently spotted out around town with My Boys actor Kyle Howard. While Lauren denies that they're dating, we're all for a fresh romance in her life. Whether or not she's just playing coy, all the girls have promised lots of new drama and new boys when The Hills returns in less than a week!

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