Just over ten years ago Danny Franzese gave life to one of the most iconic gay characters of all time – Mean Girls’ Damian. Although Damian broke gay stereotypes, Danny was advised to keep his own sexuality under wraps. But since coming out publicly last year, he’s racked up over 1m views on YouTube with his Sam Smith parody, ‘Please Go Home’ and now he’s in our favourite new show HBO’s Looking.
We Skyped with him (and his Mom) to find out more…

So, I guess one of the big things for you last year was coming out publicly. What was the breaking point?Well, 2014 marked the tenth anniversary of Mean Girls and a lot more people have been saying to me how much Damian means to them. One kid said, ‘Thanks for making it cool to be a chubby gay kid the year before I went to high school.’ It had always felt such a double standard to play such a progressive role and then for me to be so hush hush about my own life. When I realised how much freedom Damian had given people, I was like, ‘I wish I had someone giving me that when I was younger.’ So I just felt it was time, you know?

Did you get offered heaps of gay roles post-Mean Girls?
Yeah, but ten years ago when Mean Girls came out, gay roles weren’t as progressive and were slowing down our movement. I was like, ‘I can’t follow a role as daring as Damian with something cheesy.’ There hasn’t been as much work, but it’s meant I’ve had a few years to show my range before coming out and potentially going back to gay roles. In I Spit On Your Grave I play a backwood Louisiana rapist. You don’t get much more disgustingly straight than that. At least I could show I was castable in those kinds of roles. I don’t mind playing gay roles because now the writers are writing cool stuff. Like my character in Looking is amazing.

How was the Looking experience?
Great. I play Eddie Bear who is a possible love interest. He works in the non-profit sector and is involved with social issues and stuff. He is a good example of a character that I don’t think would have been written ten years ago.

Jonathan Groff’s character in Looking is involved in a love triangle with Raul Castillo and Russell Tovey. Who would you choose?
A threesome! I want to have it all.

So, as you were saying it’s been ten years since Mean Girls, what’s the most common quote you get in the street? ‘Too gay to function’?
No, that’s actually my least favourite and I think people know that. I get ‘She’s doesn’t even go here,’ a lot and ‘You go, Glen Coco.’

We obviously need to talk Lindsay. Were you guys close?
We were friendly. I would say we got closer later. I want to see her in ‘Speed the Plow.’

Did you watch her reality show?
I did. I think it was interesting for people to see her side of the story and how much people demand of her all the time. Like the fact that they raised the price of her apartment when they heard she was going to buy it.

What’s been your favourite role to date?
That’s a good question. I’m having a really good time on Looking, it’s like one of my most favourite things I’ve ever done. But my favourite role is on my YouTube video, ‘Shit Italian Moms Say,’ where I play my Mom. That’s the one thing I could watch constantly and still crack up at because I really GOT my Mom.

Did she like it?
You wanna ask her? Hey Mom, come here a second. She looks like shit, she said, but don’t worry about it. Mom, Michael has a question for you.
Danny’s Mom: I look like shit.

You look great! What did you think of ‘Shit Italian Moms Say?’
Danny’s Mom: I’m hysterical. I laugh because in it I remember saying that, especially, ‘Why don’t you walk this dog? You wanted this dog and now you don’t even clean up its shit.’ It was so funny because I live in Fort Lauderdale, and…
Danny: Ok, thanks, Mom….

Awww…your Mom’s fun! I read you were discovered in a gay karaoke bar, is that right?
Something like that. It was this club. There was this drag queen who hosted this weekly talent competition. I would enter every week when I was a broke actor. I would really prepare my song whereas everyone else was usually drunk and just sang whatever. So I would win more often than not because I was so prepared. I’d pay my rent that way. The night that agent came in, I was singing Mary J Blige’s ‘I’m Going Down.’

That’s a tough song.
Well, I don’t know if I sung it that great!

What is your favourite Mariah Carey song?
‘Heartbreaker’ (The Remix). I also love…what’s that one she does with O.D.B., where he’s like, ‘Sacramento in the house…’ ‘Fantasy’! Mariah is a gigantic Mean Girls fan. I’ve not met her but in Mean Girls Damian has a Mariah poster in his bedroom – the one with the rainbow. Have you seen that ‘Mariah needs a moment’ clip on YouTube because you and I are having a Mariah moment right now.

Haha, we are! You need to see ‘Celine Dion is Amazing’ too.
OK, have you seen her ‘Incognito’ video? If you’ve ever thought that Celine Dion is cheesey or awkward then you need to see this video because it’s like the CRAZIEST music video.

Where would we be going on a first date?
You and I? Oh, it’s like that?! Haha…well, I love art shows, comedy shows. I like thrift stores, the beach….

Carmen Electra said we’d go to a Haunted House so she could cling on to us.
That’s cute. Can I get into that threesome too?

Read more in the latest issue of Loverboy which you can buy here.

Danny can currently be seen in HBO’s Looking.
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