Photo: YouTube
You could say he's "Burnin' Up".
By Alice Kelly — Written on Dec 24, 2020
2020 has been jam-packed with unexpected events, but I bet you weren’t anticipating Frankie Jonas becoming the most culturally relevant Jonas brother.
Yep, the "Bonus Jonas" is making a name for himself on video-sharing app TikTok and is rapidly outshining his brothers one by one.
Since beginning to post on TikTok in October 2020, Frankie has amassed 1.5 million followers and 23.2 million likes, proving he doesn’t need his brothers or their band.
In a new interview, Frankie has opened up about paving his own path to success and making a name for himself. He says he's always hated the nickname "Bonus Jonas" and is ready to define his fame on his own terms.
“I’ve never had my thing really. This feels like so much of my thing. It feels so empowering to have a thing,” he revealed.
How Frankie Jonas is becoming TikTok's favorite Jonas brother:
Read on for everything you need to know about Frankie Jonas, and why the world of TikTok is totally obsessed with him.
He's the funniest Jonas brother
Frankie’s obvious privileges are subdued by the fact that he is refreshingly self-aware. He pokes fun at the internet’s fickle, constantly changing obsessions by thanking followers for picking him as “White Boy Of The Month” and calls attention to the nepotism that has gotten him to where he is.
Laugh-out-loud videos aside, he offers a fascinating glimpse into what it’s like to grow up adjacent to fame without being fully immersed in the spotlight and offers a total contrast to the cookie-cutter image put forward by his brothers.
Frankie’s unexpected fame has swept across TikTok and Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas’s accounts are now flooded with comments saying “Frankie Jonas has a brother?” or “Did you know Frankie Jonas’s brothers have a cute little indie band?”.
But behind the chaotic energy, sardonic humor and hilarious TikToks, who is Frankie Jonas?
He is 20 years old
The Jonas Brother might have ruled the hearts of millennials but Gen Z belongs to Frankie Jonas. Why? Because he is one of them. In true Gen Z fashion, he introduced himself to his followers in one video by his zodiac sign— Libra.
Born on September 28 2000, Frankie was just 6 years old when his brother’s released their first album. He moved around a lot as a kid, touring with his brothers and making brief appearances in the "Camp Rock" movies.
He acted when he was a kid
Frankie made his acting debut in "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," playing Trevor, a 9-year-old camper. He also had a brief, unaccredited role in "Night At The Museum: Battle of The Smithsonian."
In 2008, Frankie did voiceover work for the animated film "Ponyo." He starred alongside Noah Cyrus, Miley Cyrus’ younger sister. I wonder if these two exchanged tips on how to deal with famous older siblings?
However, Frankie says acting was never truly his passion, it was simply decided for him because of his brothers' careers. He says he had dreamed of remaining in his hometown of New Jersey and studying astrophysics at Princeton University until his family decided to relocate to L.A.
"That was my plan. And I watched it just fade to dust. My future just slowly died,” he revealed.
He studies at Columbia University
Frankie announced on TikTok and Instagram that he will be attending Columbia University, starting in the Spring 2021 semester. Frankie recently relocated to New York City in preparation to attend the prestigious Ivy League college.
He has finally achieved his childhood dream of studying astrophysics but revealed in a recent interview that he would be taking his classes remotely so he can continue to pursue new social media opportunities.
He has a degree in audio engineering
This isn’t Frankie’s first time hitting the books. In 2015, he said in an interview that he planned to graduate high school early. Three years later, at just 18 years old he obtained a degree in audio engineering, making him the first of his brothers to earn a degree.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Frankie's parents showed their support on his graduation day.
Fame took negatively impacted Frankie's mental health
Frankie never leaned into his fame and faced bullying during his early years in college.
He says his name and the reputation that came with it made it difficult to connect with others.
“That was my biggest issue with my name and with my public image. The second that people knew who my family was or who I was, I felt that connection, that tether of empathy, get cut.”
It would take a long time before he realized just how negatively his mental health had been impacted by his public image.
“I’ve always dealt with a lot more than just anxiety. At the time, I didn’t know that I got panic attacks. I didn’t know that I had obsessive thoughts. I didn’t know that I would go on to be diagnosed with PTSD," Frankie revealed.
He struggled with substance abuse
Remember Nick and Joe Jonas’ infamous purity rings that they inevitably ditched long before they made it down the aisle?
It doesn’t look like Frankie has attempted to carry on that tradition. In fact, he appears to have been quite the rebellious teen.
In 2016, it was reported that 16-year-old Frankie had been caught smoking weed outside a convenience store in Nashville and was cited for possession of marijuana. Four years later, Frankie as good as confirmed the reports on TikTok.
However, putting the jokes aside, he recently revealed that the problem was more serious than most of us thought. Struggling with his mental health, Frankie turned to drugs and alcohol to cope until he eventually had to seek treatment.
He’s not afraid to mock his brothers for clout
If you’re thinking of making any snide remarks about how Frankie has had fame, fortune, and success handed to him by his brothers, don’t worry he’s probably already made the joke himself.
In one duet video, Frankie interrupts a user talking about doing "what 99 percent of people don't do” to sarcastically say "Have famous brothers and get by on nepotism your whole life."
In others, he thanks everyone for giving him more followers than older brother Kevin and recreates scenes from Kevin and sister-in-law Danielle’s reality TV show, "Married To Jonas."
He also frequently makes jabs at his brothers for excluding him from the family band and cringes at his old appearances in their backstage videos.
Alice Kelly is a writer with a passion for entertainment, news, and all things pop culture.