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For Frankie McNellis, performing has never been just a job. It is something she genuinely loves, something that has shaped her life from a young age and continues to guide where she wants to go next. After growing up in the entertainment industry and appearing in projects like 13: The Musical, Honey Girls, and 9-1-1, Frankie is now stepping into a new phase of her career—one defined by bigger opportunities, more mature roles, and a clearer sense of the kind of artist she hopes to become.

That transition into adulthood has been exciting, but also a little strange. As Frankie explained, the difference between acting as a child and auditioning as an adult is impossible to miss. “It’s just so different,” she said. “The work hours are different and the things I audition for are much different. It’s not all PG anymore.” At 20, she has entered a new category of roles, though not without some complications. Because she still looks younger than her age, she often finds herself in an in-between space, auditioning for teenage characters one day and much older, more mature roles the next.

Even with that challenge, Frankie seems energized by where she is now. Rather than feeling boxed in by the work she has already done, she is eager to push herself in new directions. Broadway remains one of her biggest dreams, and recently, that goal felt closer than ever when she traveled to New York for a callback. “I’m finally able to get into these rooms because I’m old enough,” she said. “So that’s exciting.”

At the same time, she is interested in stepping outside the musical and family-oriented projects that have made up so much of her résumé so far. One of the genres she would most love to explore is horror. After years of working in projects rooted in music, comedy, and lighter storytelling, the idea of taking on something darker and more intense feels especially exciting. “I really want to do a horror movie or something so different from 13,” Frankie said. “I’ve done so many movie musicals, and it would be cool to step foot into something scary and more serious.”

Still, horror is only one part of the creative future she imagines for herself. More than anything, Frankie wants the chance to keep stretching as a performer, whether that means taking on a dramatic role, stepping onto a Broadway stage, or diving into a large-scale production with visual effects. She laughed while talking about her interest in projects involving green screens and stunt work, saying, “It just seems so exciting… I want to be lifted. I’m ready to be flying.” It is a playful line, but it also captures the spirit of the way she talks about acting: with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to throw herself into something completely different.

That openness is part of what makes Frankie so compelling at this stage of her career. She does not speak like someone trying to fit neatly into one category. Instead, she seems drawn to challenge, to transformation, and to the excitement of stepping into someone else’s world. “I just love to perform,” she said. “Stick me in anything. I will give it my best shot.”

As she has gotten older, Frankie’s understanding of acting has deepened alongside her career. She says she learns something new every time she is on set, whether she is working on a major project or a smaller role. From 13 to Honey Girls to her more recent work, each experience has helped shape her as a performer. But some of her biggest growth, she admits, has come not from the jobs themselves, but from the audition process.

Like many actors, Frankie has had to learn how to deal with rejection, and she is honest about how painful that was when she was younger. Auditioning can be unpredictable and emotionally exhausting, especially when it feels like something is finally within reach. She recalled one early experience in which she auditioned for a major opportunity, received a lot of praise in the room, and left feeling hopeful, only to later find out that she had not gotten the role because she looked too young. “I was sobbing,” she admitted. “I wanted to stop acting.”

That was not the only time it happened. Over the years, Frankie has found herself in similar situations more than once; getting close to something she deeply wanted, only to hear some version of the same explanation. She looked too young. She was talented, but not the right fit next to the rest of the cast. It was frustrating, especially because those reasons often had little to do with her actual performance. But over time, those disappointments helped her build a much healthier perspective on the industry.

“You have to learn not to take the word no to heart,” she said. “It’s not necessarily because you’re bad.” That lesson has become one of the most important parts of how she approaches her career. Rejection, she has learned, is often about timing, appearance, or the specific needs of a project rather than talent alone. Now, she sees every audition whether it leads to a booking or not as part of the process of growing stronger.

That resilience is also what she tries to pass on to younger performers who reach out to her for advice. Frankie says she is often asked on TikTok Live how to break into acting, and her answer is always rooted in perseverance. “Just don’t give up,” she said. “That’s the only thing I can tell you.” It is simple advice, but it carries weight because it comes from someone who has had to learn that lesson herself.

Even as she begins to age into more mature roles, Frankie is not interested in closing herself off from the kinds of characters she already knows she can play well. Because she can still convincingly play younger characters, she remains open to a wide range of projects. Instead of forcing herself into one narrow image, she seems more interested in following the material wherever it leads. For her, a lot begins with the script. The tone of the writing, the people behind the project, and the overall creative vision all help shape how she approaches a role.

That same flexibility carries into her process as an actor. When the conversation turned to emotional scenes, Frankie spoke candidly about how vulnerable that work can be. She admitted that she sometimes practices crying in the mirror, though she tries not to release too much emotion before it is actually needed on set. During 13, she had to cry on camera and found herself thrown off by some of the production’s methods for helping actors create tears, including artificial drops and Vicks. “Now I’m thinking about the Vicks on my face,” she said with a laugh. “Now I can’t do it.” It is a funny story, but it also reveals how much of acting is about adjusting in real time and finding what works in the moment.

When Frankie reads a script, one of the first things that pulls her in is the character description. She gravitates toward roles with strong personalities and memorable energy, the kind of characters who take up space and leave an impression. She lit up while talking about dream roles like Rachel Berry from Glee, and also referenced Hannah Montana and Regina George as examples of the kind of bold, dynamic characters she would love to play. “I love a good mean girl role,” she said. “They’re fun.” At the same time, she is quick to add that she does not want to be limited to one type of part for the rest of her career.

Music, of course, remains a huge part of who she is. It has shaped both her personal life and her artistic identity for years, and it is easy to hear those influences in the way she talks about performance. Frankie fondly remembered watching Camp Rock, Mamma Mia!, and The Hannah Montana Movie on repeat growing up, the kind of films that become part of your personality when you are young enough to memorize every line and lyric. Those early obsessions helped shape not only her taste, but the kind of performer she dreamed of becoming.

Looking ahead, Frankie’s ambitions are wide-ranging, but they all come back to the same thing: a sincere love of performing. Broadway remains one of her biggest goals, but she is just as interested in horror films, Disney projects, and collaborations with artists she has admired for years. She mentioned Ariana Grande, Zendaya, Julia Roberts, and Kenny Ortega as dream collaborators, a mix that reflects both her musical roots and her appreciation for artists who have built lasting, versatile careers.

At the center of all of it is a clear understanding of why she does this in the first place. For Frankie, acting has never been about fame or attention. It has always been about the work itself, the thrill of storytelling, and the joy of performing. “I just hope they know that I like to do this because I love it,” she said. “It’s not for fame or for money or any of that. It’s purely just because I truly love performing and making music and everything.”

That passion is what makes this point in Frankie McNellis’ career feel so exciting. She is no longer simply the young performer audiences first met years ago, but an artist in transition, one learning how to bridge the space between where she has been and where she wants to go. There is still so much she wants to do, and the excitement in her voice when she talks about the future makes it clear that she is only beginning to scratch the surface of what she is capable of. Whether that next step takes her to Broadway, a horror set, or some entirely unexpected creative challenge, Frankie is stepping into it with ambition, self-awareness, and the kind of passion that cannot be taught.