James Franco was on set in Johnny's Pizzeria in Sunset Park on Thursday night.
The multi-faceted actor, who is in the middle of producing and starring in "The Deuce," an upcoming HBO drama about prostitution and overall raunchy-ness in 1970s New York, set up shop in the pizzeria for two scenes.
According to John Miniaci Jr, the owner of Johnny's Pizzeria, Franco had also filmed at nearby watering hole Irish Haven earlier in the day and walked around the set wearing a green "Irish Haven" T-shirt. The whole crew arrived in the neighborhood with a truck full of props and equipment at around 8 a.m. They began filming at 7 p.m. and finished at 1 a.m.
"It was a really big production, you have arts department, you have hair and makeup ... there were so many people," Miniaci said.
It took the crew around six hours to turn the pizzeria into a 1970s replica of itself — it first opened in 1968. They brought in fixtures, changed lighting, and even had fake brick walls and vintage menus to complete the look. Miniaci was also involved in a scene in which he served pizza to the actors.
"I did what I do every day, what I do best, be myself," Miniaci said. "It's very easy to play yourself."
Miniaci said customers were especially excited to see Franco in the area — as nearby residents kept walking by to catch the actor in action.
"It was great because [Franco] was a down to earth guy, very simple to work with," said Miniaci. "When it comes down to action, he puts the game face on, like really stern and, like focused. But when the cameras are not rolling, he's a hell of a guy to work with."
"The Deuce" is going to be aired on HBO in 2017. It's co-created and co-produced by David Simon, the showrunner behind "The Wire." The show was also spotted shooting at various locations in Washington Heights.
