James Franco answers phone to Kiwi live on Conan O'Brien

James Franco answered the phone to Kiwi Steve Newall while live on Conan O'Brien's talk show. Photo / screenshot

A Kiwi man had a surreal phone conversation with actor James Franco after calling a number listed on the billboard for his new film.

Steve Newall, editor of New Zealand film website Flicks, phoned the number listed on the billboard for Franco's new film The Disaster Artist while on his lunch break.

Franco answered, and Newall discovered he was calling during a live interview on Conan O'Brien's late night talk show in the US.

Franco answered the phone in character as Tommy Wiseau, the director of the cult film The Room, whom he plays in The Disaster Artist.

"Hey this is Steve, I'm just having lunch in Auckland, New Zealand. What are you guys up to?" Newall can be heard saying.

When Franco asks if he knows Conan O'Brien, Newall asks if he means Conan the Barbarian or New Zealand musician Connan Mockasin - which O'Brien mishears as "Conan Washington".

After the call, Franco explains that he has been answering the phone in character as Wiseau.

"We did our own billboard based on that, and it's my face, and we have a number and it goes right here. We've gotten over 200,000 calls.

"And you talk to these people yourself?", asks O'Brien. "As Tommy," confirms Franco.

I see you, #TheDisasterArtist. If it worked for Tommy... (hot tip: call the number) 🥄🏈 pic.twitter.com/nAWh0ZSvin

— jen yamato (@jenyamato) October 24, 2017

In a blog post on flicks.co.nz, Newall explained how the bizarre phone call happened.

"As part of the promo for The Disaster Artist, the film a billboard went up in Hollywood mimicking the original set up to promote The Room," he wrote.

"I'd been trying to get through to Franco/Wiseau for weeks... I'd pretty much given up, and then in the middle of an Important Work Lunch I went to play my fellow diners the answerphone message, but something was different. Franco had picked up.

"And of all the times to get through to him… It was right at this moment."

On Twitter, he described it as "one of the strangest phone calls I've had in a while."

One minute you're having lunch, and the next min you're talking to "Tommy Wiseau" and @ConnanMockasin, er, Conan O'Brien https://t.co/rdagL1u3LL

— Steve Newall (@STIVVY) December 13, 2017

This was one of the strangest phone calls I've had in a while. https://t.co/AkqBeNbkcN

— Steve Newall (@STIVVY) December 13, 2017

Mockasin later tweeted O'Brien with a reminder that he had once performed live on his show.

remember me @ConanOBrien ? connan washington pic.twitter.com/AvaSNtFWEy

— Connan Mockasin (@ConnanMockasin) December 13, 2017

The Disaster Artist, based on the making of The Room, is currently screening in New Zealand.