Dave Franco knows exactly what his fraternity pledge name would have been: “Vertically Challenged.” Luckily, what the 5-foot-7 actor — starring as a loutish frat brother in Friday’s rowdy comedy “Neighbors” — lacks in inches, he makes up for in self-deprecating humor.
Chalk up the defense mechanism to growing up under the thumb of a sadistic older sibling: James Franco.
“I’d be screaming and crying, and he just happened to be the best tickler of all time.”
Now that Dave’s all grown up, he’s finally out of his big brother’s shadow and grabbing some of the spotlight himself, thanks to flicks like “21 Jump Street” (he also has a part in “22 Jump Street,” out in June) and his cult “Funny or Die” videos.
In “Neighbors,” Dave plays Pete, a seemingly dim wingman to Zac Efron’s frat president. The two, and their pals, are responsible for terrorizing a pair of new parents (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) who move in next door with their baby.
It’s Dave’s second film with Efron (the first was 2010’s “Charlie St. Cloud”) — but all that time spent acting together hasn’t rubbed off on Dave in the abs department, according to the Los Feliz, Calif., resident.
“I don’t think I can compete. That guy has an eight-pack on each ab of his eight-pack,” says Dave.
And viewers will see plenty of Efron — and everyone else in the film, which carries a well-earned hard “R” rating. “I think every male character in the movie shows their front or back at some point,” Dave says. “I can’t think of a movie that has more male nudity aside from gay porn.”
Nudity doesn’t shock him, but fame still does.
“It’s obviously very flattering, and the fact that I’m getting recognized a bit more is technically a good thing,” he explains. “[But] I still have a freak-out moment every few months where I take a step back and question if this is the lifestyle that I really want to lead for the rest of my life,” adds Dave, who’s reportedly been dating “Mad Men” actress Alison Brie for more than two years. (He declined to comment on his love life, but did specify that any girl he dates must love cats — specifically, his two 17-pound felines.)
“It’s just tough when I want to go see a movie or grab a quick bite. Not that I’m the most recognizable person . . . and I hate that I am aware of it. But it is something that I deal with.”
It’s a stark contrast to his brother’s hectic, multi-hyphenated life (movie star/grad student/artist/novelist).
“My brother’s idea of fun and relaxation is working nonstop. I’m happy to live a slower life,” says Dave, who grew up in Palo Alto with James; middle brother Tom, a sculptor in Berkeley; and their parents, who were Stanford sweethearts. (Dave, who didn’t join the Greek system while attending the University of Southern California, is three credits short of graduating.)
Despite their differences, the Franco brothers’ lives do overlap at times, like when James recently painted graphic nude portraits of their mutual co-star Rogen — “I’ll be sure to rush and check those out,” says Dave.
But his participation would stop there: “I will go with an astounding no for posing for my brother nude,” he says with a laugh.