James Franco says ‘I had to change my whole way of life’ after accusations

James Franco comes to terms with his past.

During an interview with Varietypublished on Friday, October 25 ahead of his film’s premiere at the Rome Film Festival Hey Joe, Franco, 46, spoke a lawsuit he handled in 2021, after he was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by five women, four of whom were his acting students.

Records obtained by PEOPLE at the time showed that he agreed to pay $2.235 million in the settlement.

“Being told you’re bad is painful,” he said Varietyseemingly grateful for the wake-up call. “But in the end, that was exactly what I needed to just stop the way I was going.”

“So now, after a break and, I guess, changing priorities, I think what I’m trying to fulfill in life (is different),” Franco added about life since the controversy.

His first film released since 2019 was this year’s French thriller The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure. Although it debuted in France in July, there are currently no plans for a US release.

“At the end of the day, I think I’m kind of grateful because it gave me the opportunity to just do my private work and really change what I needed to change,” Franco continued. “So now that I’m at work, I can just be there for the project. It’s not about me trying to fill a hole with work, it’s just about, ‘Wow, I really have a great life. I’m very grateful and hopeful whatever project I do.” ”

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor also talked about what it was like to go from a beloved star to a Hollywood outcast.

“I mean, it is what it is. I honestly passed it by. It was dealt with and I had to change. So that’s it, it’s over. I mean, I’ve worked in the US too. So I’m just trying to move on,” he said.

Franco’s allegations and lawsuit had a lasting impact not only on his career, but also on his friendships.

“I haven’t talked to Seth yet. I love Seth, we had twenty wonderful years togetherbut I think it’s over,” he said of his relationship with Set Rogen.

Rogen and Franco worked together on projects such as Freaks and nerds, Pineapple Express, This is the end And The disaster artist.

Never miss a story – sign up PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

‘And not because he didn’t try. I told him how much he means to me,” Franco added.

Hey Joe is directed by Claudio Giovannesi.

In the Italian drama, Franco plays the role of “American sailor Dean Barry, 23 years old, who lands in Naples in 1944. Dean develops feelings for the native Lucia, with whom he has a son. Dean is forced to leave them, but eventually returns to see his family again, in a changed city,” he says synopsis.