The Truth Behind James Franco's 'Inside The Actors Studio' Frenzy

Did James Franco really cause a near-riot recently during a taping of Bravo's "Inside the Actors Studio"? Reports over the weekend suggested hundreds showed up for the taping but were rejected and that girls in the audience were so loud host James Lipton had to stop the interview and ask for quiet.

So did Franco really cause such a frenzy? It turns out, he most certainly did, as Lipton told when we caught up with him at the "Black Swan" red-carpet premiere on Tuesday night. There's just one problem with those gossip reports, though: at no point did Lipton actually stop the interview.

"The report was accurate. It was bedlam. But it said I stopped the show and told the audience to behave," he said. "Like hell I did! I was the happiest person in the house. We had a great time together."

Lipton told us that in the nearly two decades since he's been conducting his "Actors Studio" interviews, he'd never witnessed such a commotion. That becomes even more impressive when you consider how many Hollywood celebs Lipton has hosted — everyone from Johnny Depp to Daniel Radcliffe.

"It had never happened before, but I wasn't angry about it," Lipton said. "They made me sound like I was bawling the audience out. What nonsense!"

Days after Franco's appearance on the show, which is set to air this month, news broke that the 32-year-old actor had been tapped to host the Oscars alongside Anne Hathaway. After getting to know Franco during their lengthy interview, Lipton is certain he'll do great.

"It's a slam dunk," he said. "He's very clever. He's got four master's degrees, and he just signed up for his Ph.D. at Yale. He's very funny."

Are you excited for Franco and Hathaway to host the Oscars? Let us know in the comments!