James Franco's Father Doug Dies at 63

USMagazine, Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 4:44pm (PDT)

James Franco is mourning the loss of his father Doug Franco, 63, who passed away sometime last week.

"It is true that my sweet, generous husband passed away. He gave so much to his three sons and me, and to many other people, too," Franco's mother, writer and actress Betsy Franco, tweeted Monday.

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Betsy, who met Doug while she was a student at Stanford University, did not reveal the cause of her husband's death.

James has spoken fondly of his father over the years, often crediting the Silicon Valley businessman for giving him an offbeat sense of humor.

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"I'm not serious all the time," James told The Guardian in 2006. "It's not like I grew up in a house full of jokes, but my dad did turn me on to Monty Python."

In addition to James, 33, Doug -- who had a Harvard MBA -- leaves behind two other sons: Dave Franco, an actor, and Tom Franco, an artist.

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