Rising Star Frankie McNellis of ‘13: THE MUSICAL’ On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
… Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is unique in their own ways, and we all have different ways of learning and growing.
As a part of our series about rising music stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Frankie McNellis.
16-year-old Filipina singer, dancer, and actress Frankie McNellis is the breakout STAR of Netflix’s upcoming musical feature film 13: THE MUSICAL, to be released globally on August 12, 2022, in over 190 countries to 220 MILLION subscribers. Starring opposite Emmy Award-winning actresses Debra Messing and Rhea Perlman, as well as Josh Peck of “Drake & Josh” fame, the film is the screen adaptation of the groundbreaking Broadway musical 13 which was Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies (“Victorious”) big debut. The breakthrough role comes at the heels of another momentous starring role for McNellis, who booked the job while filming the Sony Pictures and Build-A-Bear Entertainment film HONEY GIRLS, now streaming on Netflix. In her free time, McNellis enjoys writing her own music and dancing at Millennium Dance studio where hip hop and jazz funk are her favorite dance styles. She plays the guitar, piano, drums, and base and aspires to be a global pop star.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Arizona and lived there till the age of 11. I started with music and dance lessons when I was 5 and I have been doing it ever since.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
My dad is actually a musician, so I grew up around music.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Booking 13: The Musical is an absolutely insane story. It was my first day on the set of Honey Girls, and I was running back and forth between set and the car, where I was doing my callback. On my last trip to the car, I received the news that I booked the job and I immediately started crying. Robert Horn asked me if I even knew what role I booked, and I had no idea! He said Lucy and I freaked!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
A pretty funny mistake I made when I was younger, was when my shoe flew into the audience and hit an elderly man in the head. I was performing on a slippery stage and my tap shoe slipped off when I did a leap. Ever since then, I’ve learned to always make sure my shoes are the correct size haha!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am not allowed to say much, however, I am working on music and a few other exciting things!
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Growing up, I would always look for girls who looked like me on screen, and there weren’t many. I think that showing diversity in tv and in music is so important because it inspires, encourages, and shows the generation of kids that there are people just like them in the world and that they are not alone.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Never give up. No matter what happens, as long as you keep trying, you will get there.
- Ignore the haters. People can say what they want about you, just don’t let it affect you.
- Know your worth. You are talented, beautiful, and important.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is unique in their own ways, and we all have different ways of learning and growing.
- Don’t let people change you. There is so much negativity in the world and no matter what people may say about you, you need to keep doing you. Don’t let their bad attitude affect your life.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
A big thing about the industry is that it is always changing. New things are coming and going every week, especially on social media. So, it is important to stay updated on what the current generation is talking about.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I want to raise awareness of racism and the lack of Asian representation. There aren’t many Asian- American actresses under the age of 18 in the public eye and I hope to raise awareness and create more diversity on screen.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am so grateful for my family. Without my mom and dad, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They knew that I would be an artist from a very young age and have supported me ever since. I remember when I was 10, I went up to my dad and showed him a photo of a seafoam green Paul Reed Smith (guitar). He made a deal with me and said that if I made it to the final round of a competition, he would get it for me. I got the guitar a week later and he taught me how to play rock music!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My vocal coach, Ms. Tracie, would always say to me, “Just keep swimming!” This is really important to me because with how harsh the industry is, it is important to remember to need to keep pushing through it because it’s what I love to do.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
It would be an absolute dream to have a meal with Ariana Grande and Liz Gilles. They are huge inspirations to me!
How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram/Facebook/TikTok- @frankiemcnellis
Twitter- @mcnellisfrankie
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
