What's up Danny?

What’s Up Danny?

An interview with actor, comedian, and podcaster, Daniel Franzese.

BY SEBASTIAN FORTINO PHOTOS BY TORRIE HUDSON

It’s been two decades since Daniel Franzese appeared as out gay teenager Damian in the original Mean Girls film. At one time the actor tried to leave the legacy of that character behind. For 10 years now, he has come to embrace the film, his fans, and just how groundbreaking the role was. He also explains why you won’t find him among the cast of the Mean Girls musical which premiered in January.

But, there’s so much more about the self-described “Hollywood busy” actor, writer, director, comedian, and activist. Embrace asked “what’s up” with Franzese. He promises there’s lots in store for 2024.

Sebastian Fortino: So, of course the first question I have to ask: it’s the twentieth anniversary of Mean Girls. How does that feel? What perspective has it given you as a performer?

Daniel Franzese: I think it’s a wonderful experience to see something that you worked on twenty years ago still remain current. The fans keep it alive – I love the fan art and the memes. The thing that’s been the most surprising and life-changing for me has been the cultural significance of the Damian character. At the tenth anniversary it was clear to me that it meant a lot to queer people to be seen in that light, in a movie.

SF: I know there was an MG II, but it didn’t seem any of the original cast were in it. If there were plans to do a “Mean Girls 2024” would you return to play adult Damian?

DF: It was a straight-to-video kind of like money-grab type thing. All of us have said if the situation was right, we would return, it just depends on the situation. There was an opportunity to have us in the musical but…they didn’t call us. So, who knows? They actually called, said expect another call, and never called again. So, I’ve been Mean Girled by Mean Girls.

SF: To loosely quote the movie, that is so not “fetch.”

SF: Why do you think the film became such a cult classic? Do you think the film has held up over the past two decades?

DF: It’s held up and been a cult classic because it resonates with women. Especially because it’s based o Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 book “Queen Bees & Wannabes”. It really did describe “girl world” and the culture of being a girl. In a way that was not brought out in the open before. In fact, the name, the term, mean girls has been used in psychology, documentaries, and other media to describe the behavior that happens among teenage girls. And that came from our movie.

SF: Damian was a flamboyant, gay student. Were you privately out at the time? I heard it was “cathartic” from an interview you did.

DF: I was out privately at the time but not publicly. I was paranoid about being out publicly. I kind of took a leap with the character. At the time I was thinking since so many straight people were playing gay people that I thought I could get away with it—if I followed it with a really straight character after. But, after playing the character, since the movie got so big, I was just receiving gay roles and they weren’t as progressive as Damian was. It was hard to play exploitative roles after. Damian has had international impact. I hear fans from countries where being queer is repressed, saw Damian and knew they could have an out life in America.

SF: Were both the role and the fallout afterwards cathartic for you?

DF: I mean, I don’t know if the fall out was cathartic. The fall out was stressful. The role itself, around the tenth anniversary when I finally came out of the closet, sort of was very healing. Because I began to really receive and accept what the fans were saying about the movie. Where for years I had been trying to move away from it.

SF: How does your background, your heritage, and personality inform your work?

DF: Yes, I try to infuse myself whenever I can. if it’s gay, Italian, or chubby I’m in! I’m trying to nd ways to represent parts of me that I didn’t see. I did a movie “CTRL ALT DLT” directed by Kit Williamson [known for Eastsiders & Mad Men] with Jason Priestly, Mena Savari, and Cheyenne Jackson. The character had an “American last name.” I asked, “Can I give him

an Italian name? He’s a film professor at the high school. Why can’t he be Italian? They were like, ‘Sure, no problem.’” That was a way for me to just—you know—a young Italian American kid might watch this and think, “Oh, he has an Italian last name. Maybe I could be a film professor too.” Seeing yourself represented helps so much. I like to represent my community whenever I can, because I think under-represented in the queer community are Italians.

SF: Now that you’ve been out in the public for a decade—what changes have you welcomed?

DF: I just try to use my voice and be as loud and proud and fully myself as possible. I try in everything I do to be authentic and transparent, and loud about issues. I learned to become an activist, and a public speaker. It’s helped me embrace who I’m really supposed to be.

Daniel was excited to share that he’s got a lot going on this year. This summer he’s dropping a second album. In addition to Kit Williamson’s “CTRL+ALT+DEL” he’ll appear in “Hollywood Heist” by actor-director Mike Hatton, with Nick Cannon, and Mickey Rourke. Like to laugh? You’ll want to check Daniel out in ‘House of Laughs’ a queer-centric standup produced by World of Wonder. Go to WhatsUpDanny.com to learn about all things Daniel.

Yass Jesus!

• From Daniel’s website: Yass, Jesus! is a faith and sexuality affirming comedy podcast that believes you don't have to pick between gay and God.

• Both men survived so-called conversion therapy.

• Daniel & Azariah Southworth, host a podcast discussing Christianity through an LGBTQ+ lens.

• The award-winning podcast has over 200 episodes.

• Past topics include “Queer Saint Betty White,” the hotly-debated concept of “Slut Shaming”, & “Chosen Family.”

• Daniel & Azariah--who formerly had a spot on a certain conservative Christian TV channel--believe the bible and its stories are relevant in the lives of LGBTQ+ people today.

• Baked Bible Stories, the hosts get stoned, share a bible story, and according to Daniel, “Have fun with it.”

• The show is funny and engaging for believers and non-believers alike. The tone is often irreverent in terms of queer humor but always respectful of Judeo-Christianity.

SEBASTIAN FORTINO has been a contributor to LGBTQ+ publications and online publications such as Philadelphia Gay News, ProudTimes. com, Metrosource. com, ProudQueer. com, SFGN.com (South Florida Gay New), Edgemedianetwork.com, and The Daily Buzz in New York City.