Daniel Franzese

Daniel Franzese
Franzese in 2015
Born (1978-05-09) May 9, 1978 (age 46)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • activist
Years active2001–present

Daniel Franzese (born May 9, 1978) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films Bully and 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 2020, Franzese began hosting a weekly comedy and faith podcast, Yass, Jesus! with former Trinity Broadcasting Network host Azariah Southworth.[11][12]

  1. ^ Rosen, Christopher (August 11, 2014). "This Mean Girls Reunion Is Not Like A Regular Reunion". HuffPost.
  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.
  7. ^ Cain, Bryan (June 17, 2014). "The Many Faces of Daniel Franzese". HuffPost. 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. ^ Ska, Claudia (March 22, 2021). "Daniel Franzese "licenziato perché gay" tira in ballo anche il Vaticano, ma non è il solo" [Daniel Franzese "fired because he was gay" also brings up the Vatican, but he's not the only one]. The Millennial (in Italian). Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  12. ^ Cusumano, Topher (August 11, 2020). "Interview: Daniel Franzese Is Blessed and Highly Favored". Werrrk. Retrieved July 1, 2023.