In addition to winning accolades for his portrayal of Scott Smith in the Gus Van Sant biopic Milk, he's also taking graduate-level courses at New York University and Columbia University.

But that busy study schedule didn't stop the 30-year-old actor/scholar from granting an extensive sit-down interview with BlackBook magazine, which slaps Franco's pretty mug on its latest cover.

The lead story covers a broad range of topics, ranging from Franco's TV days on cult classic Freaks and Geeks to his current efforts to juggle schoolwork and cinema. Excerpts from the interview:
 
On his physical fitness regimen (or lack thereof): "When I was in sixth or seventh grade, I remember thinking that I wanted to be really buff, and work out a ton. That seemed really attractive to me. And now, I f*cking hate to work out. I hate spending time on anything physical like that."

On playing gay characters (in addition to Milk, Franco will play gay beat poet Allen Ginsberg in an upcoming film): "As soon as I got out of high school, I was like, I don't care if anybody's gay. It doesn't matter. Doing Milk, I don't know if it broadened my mind at all. I like to think that I was as open as I could be at that point."

On the success of stoner comedy Pineapple Express: "I find it ironic that I did a lot of serious movies that I worked hard on, and now I'm getting the most response to the movie where I roll a cross joint."

On what higher education is bringing to his life: "School offered a way to focus on something that had a new criteria for success, and its own rewards. It's the reward of knowledge and learning things that I'm interested in."

The rest of Franco's perfectly entertaining interview can be read at BlackBook's Web site.