Pop Culturalist Chats with I Am Frankie’s Nicole Alyse Nelson

Nicole Alyse Nelson is a rare actor who’s worked both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. She credits those experiences for building invaluable skills that she’s taken to each new project. Currently, she’s shaking up the industry with her breakout performance on Nickelodeon’s I Am Frankie. In the series, she plays Dayton Reyes, the title character’s confident and intelligent best friend who’s helping her hide a major secret. We sat down with Nicole to chat about I Am Frankie and she revealed some juicy tidbits about season two.

PC: For readers who may not be familiar with I Am Frankie, can you tell us about the series, your character, and what drew you to this project?
Nicole: I Am Frankie is about a teen android who is disguising herself as human because a secret government agency is trying to kidnap her and turn her into a weapon of mass destruction. The show is about her blending in and my character teaching her how to. Season one was a lot about Frankie learning that she wants to be human, that she has feelings for people, and that she wants to fit in—she’s trying to find her place in the world. In season two, the people have found us and they want to use Frankie as a model to build a massive android army. We start off the season with them kidnapping another android, who’s a good friend of ours. There’s a lot more action this season!

I play Dayton, who is Frankie’s best friend. I’m the very first person to find out about her secret. I take her under my wing and I’m like, “You know what? It’s okay. I really like you and I like hanging out with you. It’s all right that you’re different. I will keep your secret because we’re friends!” They begin to tag team everything and Dayton becomes her partner-in-crime.

There was so much that drew me to this project, but especially that is has both action and comedy. My character, Dayton, is so much fun to play. It’s just a blast.

PC: How would you say Dayton has grown since the first season?
Nicole: She’s definitely gotten even more confident. She was already confident in season one, but one thing that we do see this season is that she has a new romantic interest. She’s still herself. She’s still awkward, but she’s also navigating her way around adapting some of Frankie’s traits, like telling people exactly what’s on her mind. It’s interesting because at the same time, Frankie is learning from Dayton.

PC: What was the preparation like heading into season two? Like you said earlier, this season has a lot more action?
Nicole: The prep work was a lot. They brought in a lot of stunt people to help us because it was a lot more physical than last season. Most of the stunt work I did last season, we figured out the day of, whereas this time, we had two weeks of prep work! They taught me how to run and fall properly because you clearly don’t want to hurt yourself. Some of the characters had many more stunts than my character, though, since I’m not an android. I don’t really have to be a badass here. My character does take a few hits, so learning how to fall properly and how to make it look real without getting a concussion was interesting. Everyone took to it really well.

PC: Dayton is one of the few people who knows about Frankie’s secret. Will we see that take a toll on her and her relationships with the other characters?
Nicole: Oh, yes! Dayton is holding onto so many secrets, especially in season two. Right off the bat, in an episode that aired a few days ago, Dayton digs herself into a hole by saying that she’s in charge of all these clubs when she’s actually not. She’s trying to cover her tracks, but it’s just creating a bigger hole. Later in the season, there’s this real, honest moment when she comes out and says, “This is hard. I can’t do this! I can’t keep lying to people.”

PC: I Am Frankie is a nice blend of comedy and drama. As an actress, is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Nicole: I really love comedy. The interesting thing about Dayton is that I feel like she often sets up the jokes and she’s also often the one that reverses them. There’s a lot going on in her head. [laughs] It’s really easy for me. Whenever I read a scene as Dayton, I go, “There’s a joke, there’s a joke, there’s a joke. I got it.” The timing is the best part. I love getting the opportunity to do physical comedy. She’s not always aware; she’s goofy and funny. She doesn’t think, “I’m at school. I should hold myself like this.” Instead, she flops around and does a bunch of hilarious things.

PC: What can you tease about your character’s arc this season?
Nicole: She has a new love interest. It’s crazy to see her go from being infatuated and loving from afar to getting to know this person. That’s the biggest arc for her this season. I won’t say too much about where it ends up, but it goes somewhere.

PC: Do you remember the exact moment when you knew you wanted to pursue a career in entertainment?
Nicole: Oh, wow! I don’t think there was an exact moment. I always loved the kid shows like Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and I always found myself re-enacting those scenes for fun. I’m an only child and I never had anyone to play with, so I would redo the scene from every character’s perspective. If there were four people in a scene, I would do it four times. That’s what I did for fun. I told my parents around seven that I wanted to be an actor. They laughed and would say, “That’s cute. Go back to school.” It was a crazy dream. It’s always been there, but there hasn’t been a specific moment that I knew it was my calling.

PC: Do you have a person you’d love to work with in the future or a dream role?
Nicole: I would love to work with Resse Witherspoon. I grew up watching her in Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama. She would be great to work with. I also love Tina Fey. I just love her movies and her writing. It’d be fun to do a project she’s written. As far as a character, I’ve had a crazy dream of doing something in space.

PC: If you could give younger self one piece of advice, what would it be and why?
Nicole: Embrace the things that make you unique because those are the things that will help you succeed.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Nicole: I used to watch The Jersey Shore and I feel guilty saying that.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Nicole: Mean Girls

PC: Favorite book?
Nicole: Either Harry Potter or The Lightning Thief

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Nicole: Wicked

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Nicole: Skillrex

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Nicole: Orange is the New Black

PC: Hidden talent?
Nicole: I have an impeccable eye for being able to hang something straight on a wall.

Make sure to follow Nicole on Twitter and Instagram, and catch I Am Frankie on Nick.

Photo Credit: Brett Erickson