Frank James Michael Grande Marchione (born January 24, 1983)Murphy, T. Michelle
"10 Facts you won’t learn about Frankie Grande on ''Big Brother 16''"
Metro.us, September 22, 2014, accessed December 3, 2014 is an American dancer, actor, singer, producer, television host and

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

personality. He is the older half-brother of singer and actress

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

. He performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

as Franz in the musical ''

Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...

'' (2014–2015) and in '' Mamma Mia!'' (2007–2010) and has played roles

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, in regional theatre productions and on tour. Grande has produced Broadway shows and both produced and appeared in cabaret acts, including his own one-man show. In 2012, Grande established a YouTube channel and has also been building a following on Twitter and Instagram. In 2014, he was a contestant on the U.S. reality television series '' Big Brother 16''. Grande was a judge on the 2015 season of ''

America's Best Dance Crew ''America's Best Dance Crew'', often abbreviated as ''ABDC'', was an American competitive dance reality television series that features both national and international dance crews. The show was produced by singer, record producer, and former ''Am ...

''. From 2016 to 2017, he co-hosted ''Style Code Live'', a live

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

fashion and shopping show that streamed on weeknights, from which he took off time to compete on the UK reality show ''

Celebrity Big Brother 18 ''Celebrity Big Brother 18'' was the eighteenth series of the British reality television series ''Celebrity Big Brother'', hosted by Emma Willis and narrated by Marcus Bentley. The series launched on 28 July 2016, just two days after the conclus ...

'' in mid-2016. His philanthropic work includes co-founding the non-profit arts organization "Broadway in South Africa" and work for buildOn.

Life and career

Early life

Frankie Grande was born in New York City, the son of Victor Marchione, a physician, and Joan Grande,

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of telephone and alarm system company Hose-McCann Communications.Schultz, Brandon
"Frankie Grande on Big Brother and the Hetero-Homo 'Zankie' Showmance That Had Everyone Talking"
''Out'' magazine, October 2, 2014 He grew up in

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from por ...

, and moved with his mother to

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

, at age 10, where he later attended

Pine Crest School Pine Crest School is a private preparatory school with campuses in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Florida, United States. It was founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1934 by Mae McMillan, who also served as the school's first president. The School has ...

.Erstein, Hap
"Boca-to-Broadway buddies producing Tony-nominated show"
''Florida Weekly'', May 19, 2011, accessed July 26, 2014 Musto, Michael
"Frankie Grande, Ariana Grande’s Half Brother, Stars in ''Rock of Ages''"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', November 12, 2014 He began performing in musicals in the fifth grade.Weiner, Natalie
"Frankie Grande Talks Broadway, Twitter & (of Course!) His Sister Ariana"
Billboard.com, November 5, 2015 His half-sister is singer and actress

, and he has a half-brother, James Marchione. Grande is openly gay. He graduated from

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthera ...

in Pennsylvania in 2005, having triple-majored in biology, theatre and dance. He considered medical school but decided to take a year off to pursue theatre. He began his professional performing career by 2007, when he appeared as Boots the Monkey in a national tour of '' Dora the Explorer Live! (Dora's Pirate Adventure)'' and in regional theatre productions, including the title role in ''

George M! ''George M!'' is a Broadway musical based on the life of George M. Cohan, the biggest Broadway star of his day who was known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway." The book for the musical was written by Michael Stewart, John Pascal, and Francine P ...

'', Mike Costa in ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...

'' and Lewis in ''

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life of Pepin the Hunchback * Pippin T ...

'', among others.Gans, Andrew
"''Mamma Mia!'s'' Grande Named Mr. Broadway 2007"
''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

'', May 2, 2007, accessed July 26, 2014 Later in 2007, he joined the

cast of the musical '' Mamma Mia!'', in the ensemble and as understudy for Eddie,"Frankie James Grande"

Playbill Vault ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

, accessed July 26, 2014
"Who's Who – Frankie James Grande"
, Broadway theatre program for ''Born Yesterday'', April 24, 2011, reprinted at Playbill Vault, accessed July 26, 2014; an
"Who's Who – Frankie James Grande"
, Broadway theatre program for ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', October 5, 2009, reprinted at Playbill Vault, accessed July 26, 2014 in which he performed for three years.Outwater, Myra Yellin
"Muhlenberg opens summer musical season with ''Crazy for You''"
, ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...

'', June 5, 2013, accessed July 26, 2014 Grande produced shows on and off Broadway, including Broadway productions of ''

'' (2009) starring

Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...

and revivals of '' La Bête'' (2010–2011) starring

David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is an American actor and director of stage, film and television. He starred as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, and won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen ...

and '' Born Yesterday'' (2011) starring

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...

. He also produced

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

' one-woman cabaret show in 2011. Grande has performed in cabaret acts in New York City, including at Birdland Jazz Club and

54 Below 54 Below is a cabaret and restaurant in the basement of Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Owned by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel, 54 Below has hosted shows by such performers as Patt ...

. Grande was named "Mr. Broadway" in the "Mr. Broadway 2007" charity benefit. In 2013, he starred as Bobby in a summer theatre production of the musical '' Crazy for You''. He also presented his own show in New York, ''Livin' la Vida Grande'', at the

Laurie Beechman Theatre The Laurie Beechman Theatre (formerly the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar) is an 80-seat dinner theater in the basement of the West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd Street in the Manhattan Plaza apartment complex in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, N ...

2014–2016

In February 2014, Grande played Consuela

in a revival of the musical ''Pageant''. In June of that year, he performed at DigiFest NYC. In mid-2014, Grande appeared on the US

reality television series Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

'' Big Brother 16''.

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

called his 12 weeks on the show "controversial ... peppered with some powerful, outrageous, and downright impressive moments". Grande placed 5th out of 16 contestants. Grande returned to Broadway in November 2014 as Franz in the musical ''

'' for a two-month engagement. He appeared on ''

Good Day New York ''Good Day New York'' is a morning show airing on WNYW Fox 5 (channel 5), hosted by Rosanna Scotto and Bianca Peters. It is a Fox owned-and-operated television station in New York City, owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Cor ...

'' and performed "

Hit Me With Your Best Shot "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" is a song recorded by American rock singer Pat Benatar and written by Eddie Schwartz. In 1980, it was released as the second single from her second album ''Crimes of Passion'', which became her biggest-selling album. ...

". The same month, he co-hosted the red carpet pre-show of the ''

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...

''.Walano, Rose
"Ariana Grande's Brother, Frankie J., Hits AMAs Red Carpet Without a Real Shirt: See His Painted-On Outfit!"
''Us Weekly'' magazine, November 23, 2014

Yahoo Music, November 7, 2014; and Heigl, Alex
"Frankie Grande Wears a Painted-On Shirt to the AMAs"
''People'' magazine, November 23, 2014 In 2014, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' called Grande one of "Our Favorite YouTube Stars". He was featured in a 2014

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the progra ...

'' segment about entertainers who use social media to boost their success. Writing in ''

'' in 2014,

Michael Musto Michael Musto (born December 3, 1955) is an American journalist who has long been a prevalent presence in entertainment-related publications, as well as on websites and television shows. Musto is best known as a columnist for ''The Village Voice ...

termed Grande "friskily ambitious". Another reporter called him "unabashedly enthusiastic about life." In 2015, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' included Grande in its list of "32 of the top social media stars on the Internet today." In January 2015, Grande again performed his one-man cabaret show at

. In February, he appeared in a music video for

Lance Bass James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, dancer, actor, film, and television producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band NSYNC. NSYNC's success led Bass to work in film ...

and modeled for

Malan Breton Malan Breton (born 16 June 1973) is a Taiwanese-born, fashion designer. He is known for his work as a film, and music video director, as a columnist, costume designer, popular musician, television, film producer, Goodwill Ambassador to Taiwan ...

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...

. In March, Grande was an ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

'' interviewer at the 2015 Kids' Choice Awards."Cody Simpson Responds to Gigi Hadid Cocaine Scandal: 'She Would Never Do Anything Like That'"
''Entertainment Tonight'', March 28, 2015; an
"Fifth Harmony on Zayn Malik Leaving One Direction: 'It's the End of an Era'"
''ET'', filmed March 28, 2015, posted March 30, 2015. See als
"Kids' Choice Awards 2015: Frankie Grande"
CBSNews, March 30, 2015 He also appeared in the documentary short film, "Malan Breton: A Journey to Taiwan", which won the 2015 New York City International Film Festival award for "Best Short Documentary"."''Malan Breton – A Journey to Taiwan'' wins the NYCIFF award for Best Short Documentary"
, ''Daily News Detroit'', May 12, 2015, accessed January 14, 2016 In June he appeared at DigiFest NYC, and the following month he served as a judge for the #JoeyShine Video Contest. Grande was a judge on the 2015 reality TV series '' America's Best Dance Crew All-Stars: Road to the VMAs'', on

in 2015.Phillips, Jevon
"''America's Best Dance Crew: Road to the VMAs'' starts, and one crew hits bottom quick"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', July 30, 2015 He hosted a TV special on the

Oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...

channel in August 2015 called ''Worst.Post.Ever: With Frankie Grande'' about social media ''faux pas''."Worst.Post.Ever: With Frankie Grande"
Oxygen.com, August 18, 2015 The following month, he made a guest appearance on '' Big Brother 17''. He co-hosted the red carpet pre-show of the ''

'' again in 2015.Middleton, Ryan
"Skrillex, Diplo Reveal New EP Planned For Early 2016"
MusicTimes.com, November 23, 2015 Throughout the year, he also regularly performed a number in his sister's

The Honeymoon Tour The Honeymoon Tour was the second concert tour and the first arena tour by American singer Ariana Grande in support and to further promote her second studio album, '' My Everything'' (2014). It was officially announced on September 10, 2014. It t ...

. Grande was nominated for a 2016

People's Choice Award The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...

. Grande revived his autobiographical one-man show, ''Livin' La Vida Grande'', in Los Angeles in January 2016. The same month, he and his sister launched a unisex fragrance named "Frankie by Ariana Grande". Beginning March 2016, Grande co-hosted Amazon.com's live show, ''Style Code Live'' (''SCL''), which covers celebrity trends as well as fashion and beauty news and tips. The show allows viewers to shop for the items discussed and to ask questions interactively. It streams live each weeknight. A review in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' called the show "something of a mash-up between QVC and E! News". Grande performed his cabaret act, ''Livin' la Vida Grande'', at The Box in New York City over a weekend in June 2016. He was also a guest panelist on

Logo TV Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...

's '' Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul'' in a 2016 episode. In July and August, Grande appeared on the UK reality TV show ''

'', finishing in 6th place."Celebrity Big Brother: Who's in the house?"
BBC, July 29, 2016 He recorded a segment on fashions in the ''Celebrity Big Brother'' house for ''SCL'', and returned to co-hosting ''SCL'' full-time in September 2016. Grande continued to host ''SCL'' until May 2017."Frankie Grande Premieres Video for Debut Single 'Queen,' Talks Ariana, Broadway & Glam Rock Inspirations"
Billboard.com, May 18, 2017

2017–present

Together with

Olivia Culpo Olivia Frances Culpo (born May 8, 1992) is an American model, fashion influencer, social media personality, and actress. After winning the Miss Rhode Island USA competition, she went on to be crowned Miss USA, and then Miss Universe in 2012. ...

, he critiqued the 2017 Golden Globes fashions on ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

''. Grande modeled for Propaganda by Richie Rich, and again for Breton, at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

during New York Fashion Week in February 2017. In May 2017, he released a music single, "Queen", and an accompanying music video, about his inspiration by '70s glam rock icons. He launched an app partnership, YouCam Make-up, in June, which ties in to the single. "Queen" ranked number 35 on the ''Billboard'' Twitter Top Tracks chart for the week dated July 15, 2017. In July, Grande competed on the CBS TV game show ''

Candy Crush ''Candy Crush Saga'' is a free-to-play tile-matching video game released by King (company), King on April 12, 2012, originally for Facebook; other versions for iOS, Android (operating system), Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 followed. I ...

''. The following month, he appeared on the

Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...

web series ''Indoor Boys''; for this he was nominated for a Best Actor award at the 2018

Indie Series Awards The Indie Series Awards (formerly the Indie Soap Awards) is an annual event hosted by ''We Love Soaps'', based in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Internet. The ceremony ...

. He guest-starred in September 2017 in a two-part episode of

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

's sitcom ''

Henry Danger ''Henry Danger'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen that aired on Nickelodeon from July 26, 2014 to March 21, 2020. The series stars Jace Norman, Cooper Barnes, Riele Downs, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella Anders ...

'', Season 3, "Live & Dangerous", in the role of Frankini. In October 2017 Grande appeared in the season 2 finale of the Netflix television series ''

Haters Back Off ''Haters Back Off'' is a Netflix original television comedy series based on the YouTube character Miranda Sings created by Colleen Ballinger. Its two seasons were released in October 2016 and 2017, respectively. The "surreal and absurd" series cen ...

'' as a fictionalized version of himself.Spangler, Todd
"Colleen Ballinger on Miranda Sings' Evolution, Working With Netflix and Sexual Harassment in the Industry"
''Variety'', October 25, 2017; and Ballinger, Colleen
"broadway or buts"
''

, Season 2, Episode 8, Netflix, October 20, 2017 In December, he appeared on ''Trivial Takedown'' on ''

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...

'' TV. In January 2018, Grande starred in ''The Unauthorized Musical Parody of: Rocky'' at Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Angeles. The following month, he hosted the red carpet and performed at the Make-Up Artists and Hairstylists Guild Awards in Los Angeles. Grande played Frank-n-Furter in ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple ...

'' in Los Angeles and then joined the cast of the off-Broadway show '' Cruel Intentions: The Musical'' at (Le) Poisson Rouge as Blaine in March 2018. In May 2018, Grande reprised the role of Frankini in a fourth season episode of ''Henry Danger'' titled "Captain Man-kini","Captain Man is Going to Body Swap with Frankini?!"
''Henry Danger'', Nickelodeon, May 13, 2018 and also guest-starred on ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

''.Munzenrieder, Kyle
"RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10, Episode 10 Power Rankings: The Trade of it All"
''W magazine'', May 24, 2018; and Schuessler, Bobby
"Frankie Grande Transforms Into Eureka from Drag Race – and Slays"
''Out'' magazine, May 25, 2018 In July he returned for another guest appearance on ''Indoor Boys''. He starred as Finch in a July 2018 Muhlenberg production of ''

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...

''. A reviewer wrote: "His Finch is utterly charming and has an adorable innocence that belies the manipulative techniques he employs to get ahead." In August, he played Captain

Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...

in New York City in a parody

jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs perfo ...

, based on the music of

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

, called ''Titanique: In Conceret''. He also appeared in the show's return engagement later in the year. He continued to performed in ''Titanique'' in pop-up concert engagements in Los Angeles and New York during the

Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and in a live version of the show carried on the streaming platform Stellar on May 2, 2021. Grande also continued to perform his one-man show at nightclubs. He returned as Frankini for a musical episode of ''

'' in July 2019 titled "Henry Danger: The Musical", in which he places a curse on Swellview that forces everyone to sing instead of speak.Gomez, Patrick
"Exclusive first look at Frankie Grande's return to ''Henry Danger'' – and it's for a musical special!"
''Entertainment Weekly'', May 11, 2019; and Joseph, Trinity and Will Linendoll
"Is it Frankie or Frankini? Frankie J. Grande gets candid about his character"
GMA, July 27, 2019Grant, Stacey
"Ella Anderson & Riele Downs Reveal Secrets About the Henry Danger Musical"
''Seventeen'', June 11, 2019 He reprised his role of Franz in a Los Angeles production of ''Rock of Ages'' in late 2019. Grande played the role of Richard in the 2020 film ''

Spree Spree may refer to: Geography * Spree (river), river in Germany Film and television * ''The Spree'', a 1998 American television film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace * ''Spree'' (film), a 2020 American film starring Joe Keery * "Spree" (''Numbers' ...

'' He starred in the 2021

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...

video of "Undone". and played Frankini in several episodes of ''

Danger Force ''Danger Force'' is an American comedy television series developed by Christopher J. Nowak that premiered on Nickelodeon on March 28, 2020. The series is a spinoff of ''Henry Danger'' and includes returning stars Cooper Barnes and Michael D. ...

'' from 2020 to 2022. Since 2021, together with Hector Navarro, he has been hosting the Nickelodeon podcast ''SpongeBob BingePants''. In April 2022, Grande reprised the role of Frankini in a crossover episode of ''

Side Hustle ''Side Hustle'' is an American buddy comedy television series created by Dave Malkoff that premiered on Nickelodeon on November 7, 2020. It lasted two seasons, with the final episode airing on June 30, 2022. The series stars Jules LeBlanc, Ja ...

'',Martin, Annie
"Nickelodeon stars to converge in ''When Worlds Collide'' crossover special"
UPI.com, April 15, 2022 and from June to September, he reprises the role of Victor Garber in an off-Broadway engagement of ''Titanique'' at The Asylum Theatre. As of 2022, Grande's social media presence included more than 400,000 YouTube subscribers and 30 million views on YouTube,"FrankieJGrande: About"
YouTube, accessed August 13, 2022 more than 2 million followers on Instagram and one million followers on Twitter.

Philanthropy

In 2007, Grande co-founded the non-profit arts organization "Broadway in South Africa", traveling to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

to teach performance arts to disadvantaged youth for seven years, before the charity merged with buildOn. In 2013, Grande helped buildOn to build a school in a rural village in

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

, in southeastern Africa, and in 2014 buildOn honored him for his efforts with its Global Impact Award.A 2015 video of Grande in Malawi shows him viewing the school that he helped to build there in 2013 and beginning a new school. Grande, Frankie
"Frank Grande School Malawi"
YouTube.com, January 6, 2015 Grande is an anti-smoking advocate. Grande donated the money that he won on ''Big Brother 16'' (from the "Team America" twist he was a part of) to buildOn, to build another school in Africa. In January 2015, he returned to Malawi to help begin construction of the school, named in memory of his grandfather. Grande raised additional money for buildOn, to fund the school, eventually surpassing his goal of $70,000. Grande participated in a 2016 fire prevention public service announcement called 2steps2minutes and the annual ''Broadway Bares'' show to benefit

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is an American nonprofit organization that raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States, headquartered in New York City. It is the theatre community's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. ...

. In June 2018, Grande headlined the annual "Broadway Sings for Pride" benefit concert at

The Cutting Room The Cutting Room is a music venue in New York City that was open at 19 West 24th Street from late 1999 through January 2009 for music of all varieties and reopened at the beginning of 2013 in a new location at 44 East 32nd Street. It was co-owned ...

in New York. He is also an active participant in

AIDS/LifeCycle AIDS/LifeCycle (ALC) is a seven-day cycling tour through California starting in San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles. Description AIDS/LifeCycle is a charity event to raise money for HIV/AIDS services and raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Participants ...

, an annual event that raises money to fight HIV/AIDS. He raised over $38,000 in 2018. Grande also rode in the event in June 2019.

Personal life

In 2019, Grande began dating Hale Leon, and on June 8, 2021, the couple became engaged. On May 4, 2022, the couple married.

Filmography

Films

Television

References

External links

Official website
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Backstage with Grande
at ''Rock of Ages'', 2015, by

Broadway.com The John Gore Organization (JGO), formerly known as Key Brand Entertainment (KBE), is a producer and distributor of live theater in North America, as well as an e-commerce company, focused on theater. KBE was founded in the UK in 2004 by 14-time ...

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Interview of Grande on the set of ''Style Code Live''
(October 2016) {{DEFAULTSORT:Grande, Frankie 1983 births 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American singers American male dancers American male musical theatre actors American theatre managers and producers American gay actors American gay musicians Living people People from Boca Raton, Florida LGBT people from Florida LGBT people from New York (state) LGBT producers LGBT singers from the United States Male actors from Florida Muhlenberg College alumni Singers from Florida Singers from New York City Singers from New Jersey People from Englewood, New Jersey Male actors from New York City American people of Italian descent LGBT rights activists from the United States Big Brother (American TV series) contestants 21st-century American male singers 21st-century LGBT people