Did James Franco Try to Hook-up With Teen Fan? (& Other Franco News)

Maybe it's research for a new role. Or maybe it's just James Franco being James Franco.

The 35-year-old "Spring Breakers" star is making headlines Thursday after he allegedly tried to pick up a 17-year-old Scottish girl via Instagram's direct message.

The convo apparently went down on April 1 and 2, and according to Jezebel, the girl, named Lucy, took a video of him outside his Broadway show "Of Mice and Men." He then asked her to tag him in the clip and when she did, he sent her a selfie, albeit a pretty weathered Franco selfie, definitely not top tier Franco.

Then he tried to woo the high school student, who said she was visiting New York City with her mom for an 18th birthday present, through a series of curt and no bullshit private TInstagram direct messages.

"Who are you with," Franco, who also asked how old she was, allegedly asked. "Do you have a bf?"

"nearly 18, my mum and not if you're around," the teen, whose Insta handle is lucy_clode, wrote followed by three lovey-dovey emjoies.

Without skipping a beat, Franco wrote, "When is your bday? Where are you staying? What's your #?"

"In May but I have exams then, just off of Times Square in a Hilton, what do you mean #?" she replied.

She soon figured out what "#" means because the next set of screen caps are of Lucy's texts between her and Franco.

"Can I see you?" the actor asks.

"As long as you are james Franco," she replied.

"I am. You're Single? What's the hotel? Should I rent a room?"

"April fools was an hour ago though..." Lucky, I mean Lucy, said.

Franco then sent another terrible selfie, followed by, "It's me. Yes or no? Tomorrow or thurs?"

In the next screen cap, it looks like Franco is giving up and tells Lucy to be well and not to tell her Scottish friends that he hit her up. But before the convo officially ends, Lucy drags the actor in one last time, asking for "proper evidence" that she is talking to THE James Franco.

At first, Franco doesn't bite and tells the girl to text him when she is ready to meet. She then says:

"One second, I will meet you if you write my name on a piece of paper then send it to me with your face also in the picture, please."

And Franco does just that. Another awful, dim-lit selfie.

Rookie moves James...rookie moves.

The images have since gone viral and the actor responded to the convo by briefly by adding "PLEASE DON'T DM IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, THANK YOU," to his Instagram description, Jezebel notes.

Besides trying to get with underage girls, Franco has been a pretty busy bee. Not only is he starring on Broadway's "Of Mice and Men," he is also promoting an upcoming film called "Palo Alto," which is based on the actor's collection of linked short stories published in 2010. The film stars Franco and Emma Roberts and is written and directed by Gia Coppola.

Franco is also set to play "ex-gay" activist Michael Glatze, who founded the Young Gay America magazine and went around the country to make a documentary about LGBT youth before he decided to denounce his sexuality and become a fundamentalist Christian, the Huffington Post reports. The film will be produced by Gus Van Sant, who is openly gay and directed "Milk."

You can read the New York Times article that sparked the movie here.

Watch the "Palo Alto" trailer below: