Daniel Franzese

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Daniel Franzese
Daniel Franzese May 2015 (cropped).jpg
Franzese in May 2015
Born (1978-05-09) May 9, 1978 (age 43)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • activist
Years active2001–present

Daniel Franzese (born May 9, 1978) is an American actor, comedian and activist best known for his roles in director Larry Clark's Bully and as Damian in Tina Fey's 2004 feature film Mean Girls.[1][2][3][4] Franzese is the creator of several live comedy shows, including the 2011 rock opera Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin' Rock Opera![5][6] and his one-man stand-up performance I've Never Really Made the Kind of Money to Become a Mess in 2013.[7]

After coming out as gay in 2014,[8] Franzese became more active in the fight for civil and human rights in the LGBTQ community;[9] and through his portrayal of the HIV-positive character Eddie in the second season of the HBO series Looking, and its subsequent series finale television film, Looking: The Movie, he has become a well known AIDS activist in the United States.[10] In 2015 he became an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.[11]

Early life[]

Franzese was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, the son of Denise, a cafeteria worker, and Ralph "R. J." Franzese, a lounge singer.[12] Franzese attended Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida from 1992 to 1996. His mother was a cafeteria worker at the school.

Career[]

Actor[]

Daniel Franzese has appeared in numerous feature films, including Bully, Party Monster, Mean Girls, Bristol Boys and War of the Worlds.[13] He has also guest starred on several television series, including The Comeback, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Burn Notice, Party Down, and the web series Foodies. He also had a main role in the 2010 film I Spit on Your Grave.

In 2015 he was cast as Eddie in the HBO series Looking;[14] and in 2016 he landed the role of Vern Testaverde in ABC Family's Recovery Road.[15][16] In 2016 and early 2017, he portrayed Jackson Morrison in ABC's legal drama Conviction.[17]

Comedian[]

Franzese has written, directed and performed several live comedy productions, including his one-man Off-Broadway show, I’ve Never Really Made the Kind of Money to Become a Mess, which premiered in New York in 2013 at The Players Theater,[18][19] and his 2011 rock opera JERSEY SHORESICAL: A FRICKIN ROCK OPERA!, which also premiered in New York at The Fringe Festival[20][21] before its run in Los Angeles at the Hayworth Theatre.[22] Franzese is also an emerging stand-up comedian, and has performed on stages across America at clubs like Stand Up Live in Phoenix and the Comedy Store in Hollywood.[23][24]

Franzese has been a guest panelist on the Logo TV comedy game show Gay for Play Starring RuPaul[25] and was the host of Gay Skit Happens, a comedy sketch show, also on Logo TV.[26]

Franzese's stand up comedy tour, YASS You're Amazing!,[27] is playing colleges, clubs and theaters around the world. He has also headlined The Burbank Comedy Festival, The Ruby LA Queer Comedy Festival. In 2019, Franzese performed his hit New York comedy show Danny Franzese and The House Of Glen Coco at SF Sketchfest[28] featuring his pick of the best and brightest in queer comedy.

Curator[]

On October 12, 2007, Franzese curated his first art show called Halloween, a multi-artist show which examined celebrity, vanity, money, and the titular holiday.[29]

On April 25, 2008, at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Los Angeles, California, Franzese curated an art show called depARTed. The show featured art inspired by famous personalities from Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, James Dean and Anna Nicole Smith to notable figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., to artists such as Keith Haring and Isabella Blow. Artists included Ron English, Keyth Ryden (also known as KRK Ryden), and Jessicka.[30][31]

Franzese's show, Crusaders and Haters, at Royal/T gallery showcased an assortment of work from artists from all over the world, depicting superheroes and villains in pop culture. The show opened July 17, 2009.[32]

Outreach[]

Controversy was sparked after Franzese posted a video about how he was in talks with Walsh University to host an event, but was later told that the university was no longer interested. Franzese alleged that he had been fired from the event for being homosexual and the university being Catholic. This caused LGBTQIA+ students on the university campus to speak about their (largely negative) experiences. Franzese outreached to the students to show support.[33]

Activist[]

After penning a coming out letter to his Mean Girls character Damian in 2014, in which the actor spoke of his admiration for the courage Damian displayed as an openly gay teenager and referring to him as an icon for gay youth, Franzese became an influential voice in the LGBTQ community.[34][35] When he became an official ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, organizations such as GLAAD invited Franzese to host their 2015 gala in San Francisco.[36] He also presented the GLAAD playbook on HIV and AIDS to MSNBC on behalf of the organization.[37] His reputation as an activist grew after he was awarded the role of Eddie, an HIV-positive activist for a non-profit organization, in the HBO series Looking. During his time on the series, Franzese used his celebrity to promote messages of acceptance and understanding for people living with HIV[38][39] at special events, through media appearances, and a speeches at college campuses, including the University of Wisconsin in April 2016.[40]

Franzese is also an ambassador for LAMBDA Legal,[41] which is dedicated to decreasing the stigma associated with people living with HIV, and changing current HIV-related laws.[42][39]

On March 22, 2019, Franzese partnered with Lonely Whale and Bacardi for a campaign urging Unicode to remove all emoji plastic straws called "The Future Doesn't Suck".[43][44]

In September 2019, Franzese was an ambassador and the host for the AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run,[45] a fundraising and awareness campaign that raises funds to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to provide critical social services and healthcare for people living with HIV. He was also the captain of his team for the event: Team Glen Coco.

Personal life[]

In 2016, Franzese proposed to his boyfriend of two years, stylist Joseph Bradley Phillips, at a Starbucks in North Hollywood, California.[46][47][48][49] They called off their engagement in July 2018.[50]

Filmography[]

"Daniel Franzese in Lights" Photo by Tommy Agriodimas
Year Title Role Notes
2001 Bully Derek Dzvirko
2002 Hometown Legend Abel
2002 Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat Altar Boy
2003 Party Monster The Rat / Dallas MC
2003 Queens Supreme David Episode: "Pilot"
2004 Mean Girls Damian
2004 Stateside Danny Tripodi
2004 Soleado Bar Friend
2005 War of the Worlds National Guardsman
2005 The Comeback Mr. Hollywood Episode: "Valerie Relaxes in Palm Springs"
2005 Cruel World Claude Markham
2005 Bristol Boys Jake
2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dean Harden Episode: "Fannysmackin'"
2006 Big Clive
2006 The Iron Man Valeah
2008 Bar Starz Big Mikey
2008 Killer Pad Doug
2009 The Missing Person Agent Craig
2009 On the Inside Paul Warren
2009 Kill Theory Freddy
2010 Party Down Ziggy Chorofsky Episode: "Cole Landry's Draft Day Party"
2010 I Spit on Your Grave Stanley
2010 Burn Notice Dougie Episode: Noble Causes
2011 Foodies Danny Domenica
2012 Electric City
2012 Foodfight! Twinkleton (voice)
2015 Looking Eddie Series regular (season 2), 8 episodes
2015 Mind Puppets
2016 Recovery Road Vern Testaverde 10 episodes
2016 Looking: The Movie Eddie TV film
2016-2017 Conviction Jackson Morrison 7 episodes
2018 The Con Is On
2020 RuPaul's Drag Race Himself Guest Judge, Episode: "Snatch Game"

References[]

  1. ^ Rosen, Christopher (August 11, 2014). "This 'Mean Girls' Reunion Is Not Like A Regular Reunion". Huffington Post.
  2. ^ Scott, A. O. (July 13, 2001). "FILM REVIEW; Deadpan Decadence, With a Sneer of Disgust". The New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  3. ^ Harvey, Dennis (July 6, 2001). "Review: 'Bully'". Variety.
  4. ^ "'Mean Girls' star Daniel Franzese on coming out and joining season two of HBO's 'Looking'". Entertainment Weekly.
  5. ^ Ciriaco, Michael (April 9, 2012). "Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin' Rock Opera Arrives in L.A., Co-Written by Danny Franzese (aka the Gay Friend in Mean Girls)". LA Weekly.
  6. ^ Rancilio, Alicia (September 2, 2011). "Jersey Shoresical' pokes fun at MTV reality series". today.com.
  7. ^ Cain, Bryan (June 17, 2014). "The Many Faces of Daniel Franzese". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "'Mean Girls' Actor Daniel Franzese Comes Out". ABC News.
  9. ^ "Out100: Daniel Franzese". Out.com. November 9, 2015.
  10. ^ Reynolds, Daniel (March 20, 2015). "Daniel Franzese: How a Mean Girls Teen Became an HIV Activist". The Advocate.
  11. ^ Loftus, Patrick (November 19, 2015). "Daniel Franzese, host of the #glaadgala SF, takes a stand against HIV and AIDS". GLAAD.org. Retrieved July 3, 2021. Whether it be through his role as Eddie in the hit TV series Looking or his activism with The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, he has taken it upon himself to advance the acceptance of an entire community through various channels.
  12. ^ "Daniel Franzese Biography (1978–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  13. ^ "The Verdict is in – I Spit on Your Grave 2010 Review". Dread Central. October 15, 2012.
  14. ^ Ianucci, Rebecca (August 27, 2014). "Mean Girls' Daniel Franzese Lands Looking Role — Who Will He Court?". TVLine. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  15. ^ "Recovery Road: Production Begins on New ABC Family TV Series". TVSeriesFinale.com. April 24, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 10, 2015). "ABC Family Series Recovery Road Tweaks Cast; Jessica Sula To Play Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  17. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 29, 2016). "Conviction: Daniel Franzese Joins New ABC Legal Drama Series In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  18. ^ "Daniel Frances's I've Never Really Made the Kind of Money to Become a Mess to begin 12/19 Off-Broadway". broadwayworld.com.
  19. ^ Bojarski, Jackie (January 23, 2016). "Exclusive Interview with "Recovery Road" Star Daniel Franzese". talknerdywithus.com.
  20. ^ "Introducing The Jersey Shoresical!". perezhilton.com. August 26, 2011.
  21. ^ "GLEE-SIDE HEIGHTS". intouchweekly.com.
  22. ^ "'Jersey Shore' goes from MTV to theater stage". Los Angeles Times. May 24, 2012.
  23. ^ "Daniel Franzese". standuplive.com.
  24. ^ "Daniel Franzese". thecomedystore.com.
  25. ^ "About The Series". logotv.com.
  26. ^ "Daniel Franzese: What To Expect On Logo's 'Gay Skit Happens'". Access Hollywood.
  27. ^ Daniel Franzese Talks about his "Yass! You're Amazing! Comedy Tour", retrieved 2019-10-09
  28. ^ "Daniel Franzese's schedule for SF Sketchfest 2019". sfsketchfest2019.sched.com. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  29. ^ "Daniel Franzese Presents a Halloween Themed Art Show in Hollywood". Lastheplace.com. October 6, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  30. ^ "The Working Actor Sits Down With: Daniel Franzese at The Working Actor". Theworkingactor.net. June 16, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  31. ^ Sabancontact, Stephen (April 26, 2008). "Photos from The DepARTed exhibition". Worldofwonder.net. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  32. ^ zippercut (2009-07-09). "Sneak Peek Crusaders and Haters art show". Zippercut.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
  33. ^ https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/03/19/actor-comedian-daniel-franzese-claims-walsh-university-fired-him-because-hes-gay/4763640001/
  34. ^ "Daniel Franzese Comes Out as Gay in Touching Letter to His Mean Girls Character Damian". US Magazine. April 22, 2014.
  35. ^ Sieczkowski, Cavan (April 22, 2014). "'Mean Girls' Star Daniel Franzese Comes Out As Gay". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  36. ^ "Daniel Franzese host of the #glaadgala SF, takes a stand against HIV and AIDS". edgemedianetwork.com. November 17, 2015.
  37. ^ "Daniel Franzese on 'Looking,' TV's HIV+ Characters and More". edgemedianetwork.com.
  38. ^ "'Mean Girls' star breaks barriers again as HIV-positive character". MSNBC. March 22, 2015.
  39. ^ Jump up to: a b "'Looking' Star Daniel Franzese Defends Danny Pintauro After His HIV Reveal". towleroad.com. October 19, 2015.
  40. ^ "An Evening with Daniel Franzese". union.wisc.edu/.
  41. ^ Marquina, Sierra (July 19, 2016). "Mean Girls' Daniel Franzese Engaged to Boyfriend Joseph Bradley Phillips — Relive Their Adorable Love Story". US Magazine.
  42. ^ "'Mean Girls' star breaks barriers again as HIV-positive character". MSNBC. March 22, 2015.
  43. ^ Limited, Bacardi. "Bacardi and Lonely Whale Urge Unicode to Remove All Emoji Plastic Straws On Behalf of One Bold Sea Turtle Sydney". www.3blmedia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  44. ^ "'Mean Girls' Star Daniel Franzese Takes on a New Kind of Plastics in PSA Against Single-Use Straws". Green Matters. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  45. ^ "AIDS Walk Atlanta & Music Festival". secure2.convio.net. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  46. ^ Cooper, Mariah (July 19, 2016). "'Mean Girls' actor Daniel Franzese gives Starbucks proposal". The Washington Blade.
  47. ^ "Daniel Franzese Got Engaged at Starbucks, and His Proposal Stunt Is Cuter Than Latte Art". Cosmopolitan. July 20, 2016.
  48. ^ "Watch Mean Girls actor Daniel Franzeses propose to his boyfriend in Starbucks where they first met". mirror.co.uk. 2016-07-21.
  49. ^ "Daniel Franzese Dishes On His Real-Life Starbucks Marriage Proposal". accesshollywood.com.
  50. ^ Vasquez, Whitney (26 June 2018). "'Mean Girls' Star Daniel Franzese and Fiancé Call Off Engagement". The Blast. Retrieved 8 December 2018.

External links[]

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