Julia Lazar Franco was a Vienna-born musician, publicist, and arts administrator best known as the lead singer of the California rock band Exit and as the wife of actor and artist Tom Franco.
She later channeled her creative energy into culinary arts and nonprofit work, becoming co-director of the Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley before her death in 2014.
Who is Julia Lazar Franco?
Julia Lazar Franco wore many roles across her life: musician, camera operator, publicist, culinary student, and nonprofit arts administrator.
She came from a culturally rich background in Vienna, Austria, and spent decades building an artistic life across California, India, and France.
Tom Franco, the youngest of the Franco brothers and founder of the Firehouse Art Collective, picked her as one of the organization’s first executives.
That professional connection deepened into a romantic partnership, and the two married on July 28, 2014, just weeks before her death.
She passed away on August 25, 2014, at the age of 56, following complications from liver cancer, hepatitis C, and kidney failure.
Early Life of Julia Lazar Franco
Julia Lazar was born on November 7, 1957, in Vienna, Austria. She was the only child of her parents. Her father, Imre Lazar, worked as a filmmaker and director.
Her mother, Marika Nagy, was a visual artist known for her painting and drawing.
Growing up in Vienna’s cultural environment, Julia absorbed an early love of both visual arts and music.
Her parents’ creative backgrounds shaped her approach to life and work. She studied Painting and Life Drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and she also briefly studied fashion at the Hetzendorf Modeschule.
While still in Vienna, she met composer and musician Richard Schoenherz. After finishing her formal education, the two relocated to Bolinas, California, in the 1980s.
There, she entered an artistic community quickly and co-founded the rock band Exit, serving as the group’s lead vocalist.
Julia Lazar Franco Age / Birthday
Julia Lazar Franco was 56 years old at the time of her death on August 25, 2014, having been born on November 7, 1957.
Her zodiac sign was Scorpio, a sign often associated with intensity and transformation.
She spent the last decade of her life actively working in arts administration in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Julia Lazar Franco Ethnicity and Nationality
Julia Lazar Franco held Austrian-American nationality, having been born in Vienna and later settling in the United States.
She was of Hungarian and Austrian descent. Her family background was deeply rooted in Central European artistic and intellectual culture.
Julia Lazar Franco Height and Weight
Julia Lazar Franco’s exact height and weight are not publicly confirmed. She maintained a lean build throughout her adult life.
Her physical presence on stage as a vocalist drew notice during her years performing with Exit in California.
Julia Lazar Franco Education
Julia studied Painting and Life Drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. She also attended the Hetzendorf Modeschule in Vienna for a brief period, where she studied fashion design.
Later in life, after her time at an ashram in India, she traveled to Paris to attend the Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute.
She completed her culinary studies there and brought that training back with her to California in the 2000s.
That combination of fine arts, fashion, and culinary training reflected the range of her curiosity and skills.
Julia Lazar Franco Career
Julia Lazar Franco’s career took several distinct turns across four decades, moving from music to spirituality to culinary work and finally to arts administration.
Music Career and Rock Band Exit (1980s)
After arriving in Bolinas, California, in the 1980s, Julia founded and fronted the rock band Exit. The group quickly gained a local following, and she served as lead vocalist during their active years.
Her experience in the Austrian arts scene had already prepared her to move in creative circles, and Exit gave her a platform for that musical energy.
Alongside her work with the band, she also worked as a camera operator and publicist.
Those skills later proved valuable when she began documenting and promoting the Firehouse Art Collective’s shows and exhibitions.
Spiritual Journey and Culinary Training (1990s)
In the early 1990s, Julia traveled to Ganeshpuri, India, in search of spiritual growth.
She joined an ashram there and took on responsibility for the community’s kitchen and food preparation. That practical role sparked a serious interest in cuisine and cooking.
Her passion for food led her to Paris, where she enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy.
She completed her studies and returned to California in the 2000s. Back in the Bay Area, she joined the SYDA Foundation and served as its Food Service Manager.
Firehouse Art Collective (2005–2014)
Tom Franco founded the Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley, California, in 2005.
The nonprofit organization provided affordable studio and exhibition space for artists and aimed to create a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration.
He chose Julia as one of the organization’s first executives, and she brought her background in photography, publicity, and arts management to the role.
She photographed the collective’s shows and produced online presentations of the work, helping expand its reach and visibility.
As she and Tom grew closer through the organization, she became a central figure in its operations. She served as co-director alongside Tom until her death in 2014.
Tom Franco: Julia Lazar Franco’s Husband
Tom Franco is an American actor, artist, and the founder of the Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley, California.
His full name is Thomas Andrew Franco, and he was born on April 14, 1980, in Palo Alto, California. He is the brother of actors James Franco and Dave Franco.
Tom studied Fine Art at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and later enrolled at the California College of the Arts, where he studied ceramics.
He appeared in several films, including The Disaster Artist (2017), where his brothers James and Dave played the lead roles.
Julia and Tom reportedly met around 2003 at an ashram in the Bay Area, where she worked in the kitchen and he ran family retreats.
Their shared interest in art and spiritual practice brought them together. By the time Tom founded the Firehouse Art Collective in 2005, Julia was already a key part of the organization.
Their relationship deepened over the following years. When Julia’s health deteriorated due to liver cancer, hepatitis C, and kidney failure, Tom married her in the hospital solarium on July 28, 2014.
She died less than a month later, on August 25, 2014. In 2021, Tom married film producer Iris Torres.
Julia Lazar Franco Death
Julia Lazar Franco died on August 25, 2014, at the age of 56. Her death resulted from liver failure caused by hepatitis C, liver cancer, and kidney complications.
According to Wikipedia’s entry on Tom Franco, the two married in a hospital solarium about a month before her death.
The ceremony on July 28, 2014, took place in the hospital where Julia was receiving treatment.
Tom Franco has spoken publicly about how important that final commitment was to both of them. She passed away just 28 days after the wedding.
Her co-directorship of the Firehouse Art Collective ended with her death, leaving a visible gap in the organization she helped build.
Julia Lazar Franco Net Worth
Julia Lazar Franco’s estimated net worth is $1 million as of 2026. Her income came from multiple sources across her career, including her work as a musician with Exit, her role as a publicist and camera operator, and her position as Food Service Manager at the SYDA Foundation.
Her later work as co-director of the Firehouse Art Collective was with a nonprofit organization, but her administrative and creative contributions there reflected the depth of her professional background.
The combination of her performing career, culinary training, and arts management work formed the foundation of her estimated earnings.
Julia Lazar Franco Social Media
Julia Lazar Franco passed away in 2014, before the widespread adoption of many current social media platforms. No verified personal social media profiles for her are publicly documented.
Conclusion
Julia Lazar Franco lived across multiple worlds, from the stages of California to the ashrams of India to the culinary schools of Paris, and brought each of those worlds into her final work at the Firehouse Art Collective.
Her partnership with Tom Franco, both creative and personal, and their hospital wedding just weeks before her death in August 2014 remain the most widely remembered chapter of her life.