Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Boy*Friends’ Isaiah Frizzelle

Isaiah Frizzelle is a jack-of-all-trades. Whether he’s starring on the screen in projects like Blue Bloods and The Breaks or expressing himself creatively through music and fitness, Isaiah is always authentically himself. It’s an important lesson he’s learned throughout his career and it’s served him well. We caught up with Isaiah to learn more about this rising young talent, the important people in his life, and his two new projects.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Isaiah: It was always there. As a kid, my imagination was always there. I used to watch martial arts movies because that was my childhood. I did martial arts for quite some time. I would always imagine myself in the movie. When I watched Power Rangers, I imagined myself as one of them. I used to sketch a lot. Sketching in a journal was probably my first love or my first introduction to art itself.

As I got a little bit older, my friends and I wrote and shot our own movies and our own shorts. I found myself enjoying that a lot. We would always find a reason to pick up a camera and do something.

In high school, a friend of mine kept pushing me to audition for the school production. I was like, “No. I’ve never acted before. I’m not doing this. This sounds scary.” Finally, I bit the bullet my senior year of high school where I did a little bit of everything: singing, acting, dancing. It snowballed from there. That brought me to auditions outside of my high school and in regional theater productions in New Jersey.

In college, I auditioned a lot in between classes in New York. I was going back and forth between New York and New Jersey. That’s when I was like, “Okay, this is my thing.” I double-majored in psychology and communications with a concentration in filmmaking. That’s where I found my peace, whether it was writing, being the videographer, acting, or directing. It all felt very fluid. That was, in hindsight, when I knew that this was my space. I enjoyed the whole process. This is my thing: being a creative. This is where I thrive.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Isaiah: That’s a good question. It’s hard to say one person is completely responsible. I will say, when I look at my drive, hustle, and grind, I have to tip my hat off to my mom. She’s a single mother. She’s served twenty-four years in law enforcement and she never took a day off. She always did her best. There’s something to be said and appreciated about that. That is what she did. It instilled in us to go for it. We knew it was going to be hard. We knew at times it was going to feel impossible, but you can’t give up. You can take a breather, but you’re not allowed to give up. You’re not allowed to quit. She taught us the importance of being ourselves.

I learned that throughout my acting career. You go into these auditions and you think that you’re right for the role, but then you don’t get it. You do all these mental dances. You feel like you’re defective. Then you get to a point where you’re like, “I don’t give a sh-t. I’m going to be me. I’m going to do my thing and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.” But as long as I’m authentically who I am, that’s what’s important.

So I would say that my biggest influences are the people around me. I like to surround myself with people that are going for it in one way or another, even if it’s just personal growth. They’re always doing their best to be better. I was raised by a lot of strong women like my mother and sister. Their tenacity and their ability to show up is my drive. That’s what it comes down to: me not wanting to give up on myself. That’s what it’s all about.

PC: In addition to acting, you’re also a writer, director, and editor. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actor and vice versa?
Isaiah: That’s a good question. For me, it’s made me stronger because if I’m sitting down and writing, I’m thinking about it from an actor’s perspective. I’m like, “Okay, how does this work? How does this sound? Or what’s the feeling or emotion behind this particular scene or this dialogue? How would it run?” You’re doing this back and forth. As a writer, you’re telling a story. It’s like it’s unfolding for you. It’s like you’re thinking about it, but you’re also feeling it. The story is a little bit more visceral than just a piece of paper. So it works hand in hand. It’s pretty fun.

For my podcast, one of the components is that I narrate short horror stories. I’ll write the story out, and I’ll have other voices involved. I just create the world from there. It’s fun to have dialogue being exchanged between people and having the audio story. Because I’m an actor, I understand each pause is for expression and emotion. When I write, I try to make that as potent in the dialogue or the story as possible. It works hand in hand, and it’s really cool.

PC: You’ve got a new series out now on YouTube. Tell us about Boy*Friends, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Isaiah: Boy*Friends is a coming-of-age story. It follows a gay college student and his experiences as a gay freshman and the buddies around him. It’s about how their stories come together but also separately. My character is Dom. He’s one of the boys. He’s like the typical jock, but Dom definitely has a lot more to him going on. His friends are important to him, and he values that. It’s a crazy ride.

What got me to the project was a buddy of mine named Joe. He reached out and was like, “Would you be interested in auditioning for this particular project?” I was like, “Tell me more about it.” He started breaking it down. I was like, “Wait. I auditioned for this.” He was like, “Really?” I was like, “Yeah, I sent my tape in. I never heard anything back.” He was like, “No way.” We found out that my tape got submitted right after they stopped looking, so they never saw my tape. I came in and we did a table read in person. The rest is history.

PC: The show has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Isaiah: It’s bringing awareness to the LGBTQ+ community. It’s bringing a level of normalcy that should already be there. People are having fun watching it, so that’s really cool. It’s always good, whoever you are, to see yourself represented on the screen. You shouldn’t have to search through hills and high water to see someone that looks like you or closely resembles your story or experiences that you have.

PC: In addition to Boy*Friends, you also have a timely film out now. Tell us about Blindfire and how you got involved with that project.
Isaiah: Blindfire is another story that was inspired by true events. It’s very timely with today’s climate, in terms of the challenges we’re facing. My mom gets a kick out of it when I play a cop. [laughs] She’s willing to critique generously. [laughs] Blindfire is a film that everyone should see. Anyone who watches it, whatever side of the coin you’re on, you’ll understand. I like being a part of things that are bigger than me, especially with a story that needs to be told.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Isaiah: Right now, no. I watch a lot of anime. That’s my thing. But I don’t watch too much TV right now. I’m working on my book, finalizing illustrations.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Isaiah: Jeepers Creepers. I’m a big horror fan. I like watching movies that are campy, but the atmosphere is the story. Jeeper Creepers does that really well. It’s one that I always go back to.

PC: Favorite book?
Isaiah: The Four Agreements is pretty awesome. I love that book because it’s four principles of life. Once you read and understand them, it changes the way you view relationships and how you navigate them. There’s always an opportunity for things to be different once you’re aware. You have a choice to see things differently or behave differently.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Isaiah: Hamilton is a pretty sick one. I auditioned for it when I was back in New York. That one and also Wicked. Those two musicals speak to me because you have the story of the outsider/underdog who in some way, shape, or form rise to their own level of greatness, but it’s also a story about how you treat people. Sometimes the people we are is a product of what we’ve experienced over time. People don’t just end up a certain way. There’s a story behind that in one way or another.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Isaiah: My playlist is pretty damn eclectic. My music taste is everywhere. P!nk is one of my favorites. A friend of mine is a big up-and-coming artist. Her name is Arizona. Her music is really poppy and cool. I listen to everything. It depends on my mood.

To keep up with Isaiah, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Boy*Friends and Blindfire today.