'HSMTMTS' star Frankie Rodriguez freaks out if you call Carlos iconic, but says he is touched by fans' response
If you aren’t all caught up with Disney Channel’s 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series', you need to do so right away, because not only is the new reboot of the beloved franchise entertaining as hell, it has also been updated for the current time. One of the most important characters on the show is Carlos, portrayed by Frankie Rodriguez, who is the choreographer of the musical theatre production. This character has given Disney its first wholesome gay storyline, and empowered many gay youths - especially those of color - to be out and proud.
“I think people are excited to see a character like Carlos on screen. I am getting a lot of messages that are like ‘I see myself in you.’ Whether it is the way I walk or whether it is I look, I think that’s cool. But, the biggest surprise has been coming from adults that are watching the show and say you know, if I had seen this storyline in high school, my perspective would have been very different. So I am just like aww," Rodriguez tells MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), adding how going into it, he was not really thinking about it. He says, "I was just playing myself so I wasn’t trying to put so much depth into it. But, I don’t know… You say iconic and that kind of freaks me out.”
Rodriguez calls the day that he shot the Homecoming Dance, where we see Carlos struggling to be himself when some people don’t want to accept him, as the favorite day of his life. “It was a very special day, especially because we knew, obviously, the storyline going into it. Joanna Kerns directed that episode so she was very loving in the way she handled everything. And so, that was the best day. And, to get to crowd surf on a Disney Show? That’s a dream come true.”
He also adds that his character and his real-life personality have a lot in common, he even had his own Miss Jen (Kate Reinders) in high school, who reached out to him after watching the series, messaging him “Oh my gosh, I am so proud of you,” after watching the show. “She actually let me direct my senior musical. So, I think those two storylines are very similar. But no one is singing and dancing in high school. So…”
The most fascinating thing about his character Carlos is that he is the choreographer on the show, says Rodriguez, admitting that he does not think of himself as the best dancer by any means. “That is kind of something that I have had to really channel into,” he says. Well, we would not have guessed.
The ongoing Season 1 of 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' will air its Episode 8 on Friday. December 27.
