Is it Frankie or Frankini? Frankie J. Grande gets candid about his character
We asked Grande to explain the difference between his character and persona.
Frankie J. Grande is an actor, singer, dancer and YouTube personality who may be the best friend and half-brother of superstar Ariana Grande, but who’s gaining his own following.
Perhaps best known for his performances in Broadway’s “Rock of Ages” and “Mamma Mia!” the charismatic star is now leading the show.
Grande just landed a role on Nickelodeon’s "Henry Danger: The Musical," where he plays an egomaniacal YouTuber desperate for social media attention named Frankini.
Frankini -- a role show creator Dan Schneider specifically made for Grande -- is a supervillian who puts a musical curse on the town of Swellview that heroes Kid Danger and Captain Man try to break.
Grande told “GMA” that he had a lot of similarities with his character.
We are both "super extravagant, like super over-the-top, lots of glitter, beautiful eye makeup,” Grande said. “[Frankini is] almost as fabulous as Frankie … other way around ... Frankie is almost as fabulous as Frankini.”
We put his fabulous self to the test and showed Grande quotes said either by him or by Frankini and pictures of both personas and asked Grande to explain who's who. Is it Frankie or Frankini?
Read on below to see what he said about each quote.
'The only fights in musicals are fights through dance.'
“That is absolutely a Frankini quote,” he said. “Frankie also agrees with Frankini that, that would be pretty awesome.”
'Shablam'
“Shablaming is a term in the drag culture when you literally go up on one leg and then do a lay-out, and go straight down to the floor,” Grande explained, describing it as a belly flop on your back. “I literally do actually ‘shablam’ and you can hear the sound I make when I hit the floor. It’s so loud."
“I literally don’t even know how it made it into the musical, because it’s so literally just me,” he said.
Oh so gorgeous in glitter
"OH! WERK!” Oh my God!"
“This is very much a Frankie Grande moment," he exclaimed.
Grande and Frankini both have glamorous style and rock the extra glitter.
“When I got to sit down with the creative team on Nickelodeon and talk about what Frankini’s look could be like. It was very much inspired like by my personal style.”
“I’m very much inspired by David Bowie and by Prince.”
'I’m having a party and you’re invited.'
“It’s actually a line from one of the earlier Franiki episodes, but like, I’m always having people over," he said. "Frankie is always inviting people to parties. I’m always the hostess with the mostess.”
Behind the scenes selfies: Frankie as Frankini
“Oh my God! This photo is everything! It’s Frankie as Frankini having fun with his director, which is very much me. I don’t think Frankini would have fun with his director, because Frankini is his own director.”
Humble beginnings
“Oh! Cute. This is a really special photo to me, because this is from the first episode I got to play Frankini on 'Henry Danger.'”
“This is very much a Frankie Grande moment, basking in his joy for being cast in the show 'Henry Danger,’” he reflected.
Turns out Frankie and Frankini are living their best life full of glitter, glam and fun.
Related Stories
ABC News Live