Daniel Franzese – Mind Puppets

Q) We wanted to commend you on that amazing letter you released earlier in the year about your sexuality.

A) It was a self preservation moment for me. It was inspired by people who were touched by the character Damian in Mean Girls and the feedback I’ve gotten since has been so overwhelming. It’s wonderful! It’s amazing because as an actor I always have a lot of emotions readily available for different auditions and stuff to tap into. The feeling I got after this and reading peoples’ responses was a privilege. I really felt that they could feel what I was feeling as a human being in general. Just the stories people sent me was extremely moving. It felt like everything was right in place. So, I’m fortunate and blessed to feel that way finally.

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) “Recovery Road” was a pilot I filmed with two of my best friends (the writers and the EP’s), which was so amazing! My college roommate and the original star of my first musical both wrote it. It was really like a family project to be working with them again to work on it. One of the actors in the pilot was also in “A Dog Sees God” with me and the other writer. My friend Bert [Royal] wrote it with my friend Karen [Diconcetto]. Karen and Tate (who is the other actor) were all in “A Dog Sees God” with me. So, all of us reunited ten years later after working on his first play and now Bert is an accomplished writer. For all of us to be a part of this ten years later after spending Thanksgivings together and to have the opportunity to work together on a project was so life affirming and wonderful.

Q) Tell us a little bit about the premise for Mind Puppets and working with such an amazing cast on it, too.

A) Mind Puppets are about five people who are being hypnotized. The hypnotist suffers a heart attack so the five people then live out the rest of their years stuck in their trance, unbeknownst to them. It’s really funny to watch their lives unravel as they think they are a prophet of God, a drunk, they are seven years old, everything is a good idea and my character thinks he is a pregnant woman. It’s obviously a tragedy, but a hilarious one.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Was there anything you added to your role or got to improvise?

A) The director was open to suggestions and I was able to help create the character. There is definitely a lot of my comedy spin on this role.

Q) You got to work alongside the great talents of Kevin Pollak. Did you learn anything from working alongside him?

A) It was really great working with him. He’s been in so many wonderful movies and he has so many stories. He’s a great guy. We were able to experience New Orleans together and we have a lot of scenes together in the movie. Yvonne Zima is also hilarious. She’s the girl who always thinks she is drunk. The three of us spent a lot of time together in the back of an ambulance. I can’t really say more.  It definitely was a lot of crazy nights in an ambulance.

Q) It is the feature film debut of Juan Curi. What advice and guidance as a director did he give you with the project?

A) He is such a warm and open guy. He was very open to listening to what we had to say. It was a very collaborative process. Sometimes directors have an exact idea of what they want and they go for it. Juan was open to finding everything in the moment, which was great. For an actor who likes improvisation, like myself, it was nice to be able to have the room to have fun.

Q) Going back to “Recovery Road,” which will be seen on ABC Family this Fall. What makes the show such a good fit for that network?

A) ABC Family’s motto is “a different kind of family.” This is a project about a seventeen year old girl who lives a double life in high school and at night at an assisted living facility. The character that I play gets along with her well because he is sort of like a father figure to her. I think that there are many different families in our lives. We have our own biological families and then somehow in life we have a separate, logical family. I feel that is very much along the lines of this kind of project and a great fit for ABC Family because they love to see an alternative family making their way and sharing their experiences in the world.

Q) You are also a part of the band Peanut Butter and Jealous. How did the band come together and what kind of music do you play?

A) I have had a lot of great opportunities to make public appearances as an actor and I feel more comfortable as an entertainer than I do as a celebrity. Showing up somewhere and taking pictures is fun, but it is not exactly what I do. This band sort of happened organically. One night, a bunch of us were jamming out as a friend’s house. Paco and Jay Doo (who are both members of the band) happened to be there. We were all just playing music and singing along that we were just like, “We should all get together sometime and do this for real!” When the opportunity arose for us to have a couple of gigs, we got together and rehearsed. It’s been nothing, but joy. We do a lot of mashups and fun popular rare cuts of different dance songs throughout the years and mix them together. It’s a lot of fun and we adore each other. This project has been such a great art opportunity for me to go around and entertain in a different light. It’s so much better for me to appear somewhere and rock out than for me to just show up and wave. It’s more my style to be an entertainer.

Q)  With you being both an actor and a musician, is there anything else you would like to try your hand out?

A) I just recently directed a documentary and I have directed some comedy shorts that have won some festivals. I’ve done some art installations. I’m the type of person that I will find something new I’m pretty sure soon to attempt to conquer. I love to keep stretching myself as an artist and continue to find different ways to entertain whether it is through art, music or acting.

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

A) I just love the way my fans communicate with me through social media at @WhatsupDanny. I’m pretty much on every social media site. I love talking with them and collaborating with them on different art projects. They come to my shows. We just live in a great time where we are able to communicate with people who really appreciate the art that you are putting out there. And I have so much appreciation for the fans that reach out to me online. I would like to encourage people to continue to do that because it’s a great way to keep in touch with people who are vibing off our art. The band has their own Twitter and Instagram at @EatOnlyPBJ. Also, on Facebook we have a fanpage that is growing with likes.