Daniel Franzese Gets Candid About Lindsay Lohan, ‘The Price Is Right,’ RuPaul & ‘Mean Girls’ Revival

Daniel Franzese is all about breaking down doors and changing the status quo within the entertainment industry for the LGBTQ+ community. The actor really started to do that with Mean Girls as the fabulously quotable Damian in 2004.

Since then the teen movie has become a global phenomenon where we wear pink on Wednesdays and celebrate on Mean Girls Day on October 3. Franzese has made the most of its reach, using the platform for advocacy. Here the star looks back on this and some of his other most memorable roles and appearances over the last two decades.

Your episode of Beat the Bridge just aired. Were you always a big game show fan? 

Daniel Franzese: Yes! I’m a game show and trivia fan. I’m a gamer. I love all of that stuff. I came across the opportunity to audition after meeting one of the casting directors at a Trader Joe’s. We became friends and he asked if I would ever want to audition for a game show. It was so mch fun.

I would love to do Celebrity Jeopardy. Any of the ones where you have a celebrity help you, I think those shows are so much fun. I’ve always wanted to be that kind of celebrity. The type they ask to do those kind of things. I’m drooling over the new Hollywood Squares. I think that’s a fun gig, and I would love to be part of something like that in the future. I love seeing people win and have a good time. I’ve actually been to The Price Is Right about eight times.

Wow. In the audience? 

As an audience potential contestant, yes. When I first came to Los Angeles, anyone who came to visit would I would just take them to The Price Is Right. That would be the rite of passage of coming to L.A. for the first time. I took my mom, cousins, and people who came to visit. I would get them tickets.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Mean Girls. Is anything planned for Mean Girls Day yet? 

Not particularly. People always have plans for me. When I get the call, I always try to go where I’m wanted.

Lindsay Lohan has turned her career and life around. You two, along with Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert, reunited for Walmart’s Black Friday ad campaign last year. What does it mean for you to see her come back around here?

People seem to forget Lindsay was about 16 or 17 when we did Mean Girls. I feel like Hollywood isn’t the best place to grow up as we’re discovering more and more now as people are opening up about their experiences. I think that is why I don’t have a problem with nepotism because I feel if your parents have been through it or one of your family members, they have a better understanding of how to protect you. I think parents of young stars should pass some sort of exam for their kids to do it and to protect them. It’s amazing to see Lindsay have this renaissance. She deserves it. She has worked hard. She has kept herself out of the negative limelight for a long time to come back and show she is taking it more seriously as an adult. It’s fantastic to see her thrive.

MEAN GIRLS, Lindsay Lohan, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, 2004, (c) Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

We just came off of Pride Month. Damian did a lot for LGBTQ+ representation. Where do you think we are with television and movies today? 

I definitely would like to see LGBTQ+ people telling their own stories. With the exception of theater, as the theater is a ground for imagination. When it comes to us, a lot of historical figures and heroes and intimate stories are told by straight people still. I understand a lot has to do with money because queer people telling a queer story might not be able to be bankable overseas. It’s unfortunate that LGBTQ+ people aren’t getting the opportunity to cut their teeth on bigger roles. It’s interesting to see where we’re at now. I’m curious to see how it will play out. Especially with our historical figures and love stories, I would love to see more told by queer people. I think we’re lacking in that area for sure.

You did Looking. How do you look back on the impact of playing Eddie and being able to show your range?

That was not only fun, but I had great scene partners and great writing and direction but also had a social impact. It was nice to play a character who was HIV-positive when we hadn’t had a story on television for so long. We were the first storyline about prep and the first couple in a lead storyline in a long time. I think it was important work and led to my activism which I still continue to this day. I would love to continue to tell those types of stories. Even “Not So Straight in Silver Lake” storylines, even on a soap opera character in HIV stories, I’m open to finding ways to continue that storytelling, even if it’s not on a huge scale. I’m still committed to telling those stories and through theater and standing up anywhere I can because representation really does matter and does lead to equality.

Where we are with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDs Foundation and HIV Is Not a Crime initiative. There are still many antiquated laws from the 1980s that are still out there and fear-based archaic laws to harm folks and stop them from living normal lives…There is a lot of work to be done. At one point I was like, do I have political aspirations? Then I look at it as telling these types of stories and having these roles and having conversations with you, I think that has more impact than pandering to folks funding my campaign. Here I can speak freely as an artist. I urge all marginalized folks who feel their stories aren’t being told to and do stories that move things forward. We can vote with the roles we choose.

Talking about moving things forward. RuPaul has done just that and become an icon. What did it mean to you to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race? 

I find RuPaul inspiring and motivating. I was watching an old episode of Ru with In Bed with Joan when Joan Rivers had her YouTube show and Ru was saying, “Sometimes the universe gives you stage direction, and you sometimes have to follow them.” That’s something I’ve been trying to keep my ear to the ground and listen for more when I’m being told this is the path I should be going. It was fun being on thiat show. Being on Secret Celebrity Drag Race was a complete mind trip for me because, yes, it was like a game show, which I love. The competition was fun and working with the celebrities was fun but also I don’t think I’ve had any job, Mean Girls included, where I was able to lean 100 percent into my femininity and be celebrated for it.

It opened up parts of my psyche I don’t know if I would have allowed myself to succumb to…It was interesting to lean all the way in here to see how far I could go and that was what I was getting points for. It was so much fun. Even though it was fun and outrageous and competitive, it was also healing and really rewarding. Ru says the power you have in drag is the power you have outside of drag. I was able to able to understand what Mama Ru was talking about in that statement. I was also able to realize the power I have as Daniel Franzese I also have the same power as Danny on the streets. It’s fun to be able to learn that from the master.

Daniel Franzese and RuPaul

What will you remember about working on that show? Sad that one didn’t go forward after one season. 

I loved working with Hayley Atwell and everyone. I also love Toronto. It was awesome. The part I loved the most was, because of how rich my character was, it was nice to wear $5,000 suits every week. I think I’m a jeans and t-shirt guy for the many of the people I play, so it was nice to be elevated and have this sickest apartment as my set. It was nice to play house in that environment. I’m still trying to get to the bank account my character had.

On top of acting, you’ve also been active with live comedy and standup. I saw a cool photo with Jelly Roll. Talk about that part of your career. 

I think right now I’m leaning into the live performance aspect of my career. I was doing lots of standup and have a lot of theater coming up later this year. Also, I’ve been doing music. I have done the “Goddamn Comedy Jam” at the Comedy Store which was comedians rocking out to the live band and having a great time. Jelly Roll was a surprise guest. I got to sing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” with Jelly Roll. The vibe was so cool. I sang “The Reason” from Hoobastank. It was so much fun. I got to perform with Freddy Scott of Drag Race fame at the Whisky a Go Go. I’m doing a lot of live singing mixed with comedy. It’s very much who I am on the inside.

This town is filled with a lot of gatekeepers. Ones who say you can’t sing until you get cast. You can’t act until you get cast. You can’t be funny until you’re in a comedy. The same for drama. I think it has led to my exploring avenues where I can be creative and be allowed to have my creativity shine in whatever I want to do. I’m recording an EP right now. I’m actually in session right now. I’m excited to be creative. I’m loving my life and living the bohemian experience.

With the new Mean Girls movie being well-received and the original’s 20-year milestone,  do you see the two worlds coming together? 

I heard a little rumor recently that Tina Fey told some press she might be interested in another Mean Girls. You never know. It’s something we’ve all lit a candle and kept it burning for so many years hoping it might come together. She is the gatekeeper of that. I don’t know. I love the new cast. Maybe I’ll end up collaborating with Reneé Rapp, that would be awesome  I love the new cast and what they did. I love musicals and love the franchise.

I’d love to do more things with them. Even the Walmart commercials were fun to revisit with the cast and characters and show where we are. Who knows if those ideas are canon or not, but I think it’s fun to speak on it. People want more of that. Any way we can contribute to that is a great thing. Hopefully, Tina and the powers-that-be are on board. Let’s do an animated series. Let’s do a dramatic spin on it. I’m down for whatever they want to do with the franchise any time they want to do it.

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Tell me about the “Yas, Jesus!” podcast. 

It’s a comedic exploration of the intersection of spirituality and sexuality I feel like my cohost Azariah Southworth and I have these awesome conversations as friends about biblical stories and God and wondering about all that stuff. I feel like there isn’t a space for queer people to tell their faith journeys. It’s an interesting concept. They may have mentioned something but not 45 minutes to an hour to really unpack it all. There is weird stuff, and we discuss it. We just did an episode about a priest who is saying Jesus’ foreskin ascended with him. What? These crazy conversations. I want to unpack the craziness. The gatekeepers of religion are saying this stuff is important, the fabric of life with a rule book and manual for life but then saying, “You can’t have it because you’re queer.”

There is a queer reverend Yvette Flunder who said the biggest disservice men did to the Bible was put a back cover on it. Just because the men were done speaking doesn’t mean God was done talking. I think the conversation continues especially in this modern age. Does God have no opinion on drugs? A.I.? We’re trying to have a conversation. It’s fun we got a GLAAD nomination. We just hope to grow and have these awesome conversations.

Breaking down one gatekeeper at a time. 

Why not? I love to tell college students that every single thing I got made fun of for or felt I didn’t belong before is a reason I cash a check today. I’m trying to find all the places I was told no or you’re different and weird and highlight them and make them see what I’m all about. I think that’s what we’re all about.