Love is in the air!
Frankie A. Rodriguez has had quite the career since his humble beginnings as a theater kid in the Central Valley of California. The 27-year-old actor had his breakthrough on the hit teen TV drama High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Rodriguez played Carlos Rodriguez on the hit show, who falls for Seb Matthew-Smith, played by Joe Serafini. The couple made history for portraying one of Disney's first gay storylines, but the love continued once cameras went down. The duo started dating in secret all the way back in 2019 and even got engaged last month.
The actor says his background in the arts helped him pursue his passions and eventually meet the love of his life. Beyond his starring role in High School Musical, the star plays another theater kid, Danny, in the hit Hulu series Chad Powers.
"I completely found my people when I joined theater. I never had trouble making friends at school, but I always had trouble relating to them. When I did theater, I found my people. We all just want to sing and dance. It has shaped everything I've done in my entire career. Keep the arts," Rodriguez tells Out.
Now in its second season, Chad Powers is based on a disgraced college football quarterback (played by Glen Powell) who uses a disguise to sneak onto a struggling college team. Ironically, many fans consider Chad Powers to be a drag alter ego that helps Russ Holliday get his career back on track.
"There's a big gay football fanbase! We leave off on such a huge cliffhanger in season 1. We keep raising the bar with this show! From the very jump, it was important to create an openly gay character in Danny. After all, Chad is in drag! I think there's something so special in that."
Rodriguez's résumé has centered around projects that deeply resonate with the LGBTQ+ community, which he takes very seriously. The star hopes his future projects follow in the footsteps of High School Musical and Chad Powers.
"Chosen family is the theme Chad Powers. It's really sweet to see. He says, 'You've protected me for so long. Now it's time for me to protect you.' I would be nothing without my support system, so to see that portrayed on screen is so important. We're in a funky time in the world, so we need to be living our most authentic lives."
Chad Powers is streaming now on Hulu.
