Franco was born in Palo Alto, California. His mother, Becky F (surname Jules Verne), is a poet, writer, editor, and his father, Douglas Eugene Franco, running a non-profit institutions, a container company; the two met at Stanford University students. Franco's father is Portuguese and Swedish descent, and Franco's mother is Jewish, a descendant of immigrants from Russia. His grandmother, Marjorie (Peterson) Franco, is a published author of young adult books.