Daniel Franzese on 'Looking,' TV's HIV+ Characters and More

It's an understatement to say that Pride is a busy time if you're Daniel Franzese.

Besides being a part of the recent Pride event in Los Angeles, the out actor is also heading to Toronto for a screening of "Mean Girls" on Wednesday before jetting to San Francisco next weekend for Pride and the premiere of the "Looking" finale film at the Frameline Film Festival. He'll also be at the Abbey in West Hollywood on June 27 to help people get their HIV testing done.

Thankfully, Franzese, who is an Ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF), had a few minutes to talk to EDGE about what people still need to know about HIV infection rates still being on the rise while HIV positive characters on TV are few and far between. Also, for fans of the HBO series, he teased what we can expect from the "Looking" movie and what keeps his relationship with his BF, Joseph Phillips, on track.

More HIV+ characters on TV?

EDGE: We're talking during an upcoming panel on HIV positive characters on TV along with Gloria Reuben, who played Jeanie Boulet on 'ER' twenty years ago and out writer/producer Neal Baer. Why have we not seen more HIV positive characters on TV?

Daniel Franzese: When I met with Zeke Stokes, the vice president of GLAAD, and with Joel Goldman from Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, we were sitting and discussing a way to turn the 'Looking' finale party into a charity event. And also, they wanted me to present the Media Playbook on HIV and AIDS to MSNBC. It was that point that Zeke had told me that my character was the first character in five or six years to appear in scripted television that was HIV positive. I was floored.

I think that the emotion that I felt led to a little bit of a new level in my activism, because we agreed that there was a direct correlation between the lack of representation and roles on television and the rise of new infections. It hit me so hard. I do know how important it is to see yourself represented on screen, that's a recurring theme in my career, whether it was seeing a gay teen not being made fun of and being accepted for who he was in 'Mean Girls,' to playing someone in recovery on 'Recovery Road' or represented not only a bigger guy sexualized on TV but also a HIV positive guy. And it's this recurring theme that I end up representing underrepresented people. So, it was shocking to me, I just knew at one point two million people with HIV in our country but that wasn't enough to tell their story.

Stories to be heard

EDGE: I'm guessing that once Eddie began appearing on 'Looking' you probably started hearing from people who finally did see somebody they could identify with because of who Eddie was.

Daniel Franzese: Absolutely, most notably, I went to Texas Bear Round Up in Dallas, which is a big bear event every year, and I met a bear couple [and] the one who was positive said there wasn't an issue that wasn't featured on ['Looking'] that he hasn't dealt with in the past with everyone he's ever dated since he was diagnosed as well as his current boyfriend. And if he had had 'Looking' before they were dating, he thinks their courtship might have been a lot easier because he said that he hopes to be with his partner forever but if he was ever single again, he was going to be like, 'watch Season 2 of "Looking" before we take this another step. And see if you could handle all of this stuff.' And I think that's exactly what representation does on screen, it makes you feel validated, it tells a lot of stories so you don't have to.

When we originally found out about HIV and AIDS and our media and our television programs started including characters and discussing this, we were able to learn about tolerance and acceptance and about stigma and the rules of HIV and how everything works. Therefore, when someone says, 'I'm HIV positive,' we have several stories in our head that filled in the blanks of a lot of the more na�ve questions there were to ask. But the lack of that for people who were growing up in that time and their pop culture... it's almost a decade that it was missing. Yes, we have more LGBT topics in the forefront like marriage equality and trans acceptance, which are very important, but HIV really took a back seat and I think that generation has suffered because of it.

EDGE: When those stories do appear, it's a reminder even to me to ask those questions of the writers and actors I talk to regularly. It's a great reminder to keep the conversation alive.

Daniel Franzese: I get so surprised when the conversation comes up. I have extensive experience now, as an ambassador to ETAF of not only meeting and talking with individuals who are living with HIV or are dating someone that is or a relative of somebody that is. But also going into Washington and speaking on behalf of them, talking to Congress people and to Senators and having conversations in bigger forums for the CDC in Atlanta and other places and really just talking about it. I'm surprised, with all of this knowledge that I have, I'm still shocked at the lack of knowledge about the PrEP drug and I'm just shocked about the lack of knowledge about treatment and prevention and what it means for a person in today's age of HIV.

About the 'Looking' movie

EDGE: Which takes us back to why we should have more characters and stories for people to see and be educated by whether they're aware of it or not.

Daniel Franzese: Well, that's where we get a lot of our information from, it's surprising. I think the two deciding factors of how people are treated in our society and how the law treats people in our society are Washington and Hollywood, they bookend each other. A really amazing story or a really moving movie can make people rise up in action and act on Washington to make them change it. And laws and politicians discussing the rights of humans can end up influencing story. So, I really think it's a combination of arts and culture and law and politics.

EDGE: I have yet to see the 'Looking' movie but can you say if this is a part of what we'll see?

Daniel Franzese: When you think of 'Looking' as a complete entity and you realize that the last two episodes of [season two, which aired last year], it was heavily discussed. And now this is the finale, the story continues into it. I definitely think there are moments that address everything but I don't think we have any storylines in the movie that haven't been touched on right at the end of last season. As a continuation in the story, it's very much a part of the spirit of the film.

Daniel Franzese: I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next for me in TV and film but I'm feeling a big draw to the stage right now and I think, for the rest of the year, I'm really looking for the right theater projects to do, I'd like to do some more theater this year. I'm sort of in talks with different people to see how to make that happen. I'm curious myself to see where my next film and television thing is going to be and I'm definitely open to hearing what people think, too.

Danny on stage

EDGE: What would be the dream project if you could pick something?

Daniel Franzese: I would love to play Pseudolus in 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.' There are all these musical movies that are coming out now, I would love to get something in one of those, I would love to show my abilities.

I don't know how it all really works but as popular as I get I'm still an outsider. I always say, 'oh, I'm an underrepresented category here or there.' But I'm a human being, I'm a large, Italian, gay male, big and tall. It's not necessarily like my phone's ringing off the hook all the time. So, I am curious to see where that'll go. Maybe some people will be inspired by and write some stuff that are right for those types of characters. But until then, I have a couple of my own projects that are privately, right now, in development. I have some things that I'm creating and I am just looking forward to just finding what's next.

EDGE: You and Joey are so cute and I love that you're always posting photos together on social media. What do you think is the key to a good, healthy relationship?

Daniel Franzese: Everybody's got a different answer and I don't want people to get upset about my answer. But what works for me, truly, is to include God in my relationship. And I know that that's a very different stamp and probably an alternative thing to say to the gay community but it's true for me. I think that our love feels really pure because I feel like it's very spiritual as well as it is physical.

I mean, I grew up Christian and Joseph grew up Mormon and I don't think I've ever really had a partnership in my life where we pray every night before we go to bed together and when we're sick or when one of us is trying to achieve something. And I think that that helps to really strengthen our bond, every day.

Follow Daniel Franzese on social media @WhatsUpDanny. For more information the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, visit the website. Watch the 'Looking' film on HBO on July 23.