James Franco to Play Jenna's Boyfriend on 30 Rock

30 Rock never wastes a good guest star. Salma Hayek’s six-episode arc last season as Jack Donaghy’s girlfriend was rapaciously sharp-edged and clever. Will Arnett’s appearances as Jack’s closeted nemesis who sexually harrasses Kenneth is always squirm-worthy and hilarious. And hey, even that ridiculously unfunny comedian with the hatemonger puppets was well placed in last week’s episode.

So the news that James Franco will guest-star on the sitcom can only mean a suitably absurd plotline and premise for the episode.

Although not too many details are out yet, Entertainment Weekly reports that Franco is confirmed to guest-star on 30 Rock this season. He will play himself and will become involved in a high-profile fake romance with Jenna (Jane Krakowski) that is arranged by their publicists. Sounds promising enough to us—a good foundation for something fittingly bizarre to take place behind the scenes of TGS.

News of Franco’s upcoming appearance wasn’t a total surprise. In a red-carpet interview at the Emmy awards in September, Tina Fey had already hinted that a “very handsome, very funny” young movie star would guest star on the show in Season Six.

Franco’s appearance will follow his several-episode stint on daytime soap opera, General Hospital, that begins airing Nov. 20.

Franco starts shooting his episode of 30 Rock this week.

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