You probably recognize Florida native Zachary from TV. He recently played troubled teen William—opposite media superstar Oprah Winfrey—in own’s popular series Greenleaf, and stars as Zane in nickelodeon’s I am Frankie.
You probably recognize Florida native Zachary from TV. He recently played troubled teen William—opposite media superstar Oprah Winfrey—in own’s popular series Greenleaf, and stars as Zane in nickelodeon’s I am Frankie. Zachary is also a classically-trained pianist, saxophonist, appeared in many commercials, theatrical productions, and co-hosts a local Tampa TV show “Rays Rookies.” We spoke with this standout star about his creative projects, musical gift, and what’s next for him.
Tell us about I Am Frankie.
It’s about a teenage girl, Frankie Gaines, played by Alex Hook, who is secretly an android. With a government agency out to capture her in order to form an evil android army, Frankie is put in high school to essentially “hide in plain sight.” This show depicts what it’s like to be different and what it’s like to experience other individuals who accept you and individuals who don’t accept you. Through the tribulations of the series, the message that it sends encourages the audience to accept and respect one another. This is a message that can be sent universally through ALL mediums and that is what sets I Am Frankie apart from other series on nickelodeon.
What attracted you to the role of zane - and what was the audition process like?
Zane is provocative, proactive, determined, creative, and genuinely a very kind person. All of which are reasons why I aspire to live a little like Zane each day. The audition process was very quick. I submitted a self-tape and then I was in LA for the producer session and the week after that I left for Miami, FL to begin production!
Why should teens check out Greenleaf?
Greenleaf is about a family that owns a megachurch and the drama that occurs behind closed doors. In season one, I played William, who was a troubled teen that sought comfort through playing piano. He and Mavis McCready (played by Oprah Winfrey) had a very close relationship. He worked and played piano in her bar.
Did you always want to be an actor?
Yes and no. When I was young I wanted to become a bus driver or even a pilot. However, I knew that I loved acting and wanted to continue to do it for the rest of my life.
What’s your fave song to play on the piano, and where did the early interest in piano stem from?
My favorite song to play on the piano is Solfeggietto. My dad plays piano and guitar and I was put in piano lessons when I was four so I’m sure my interested came from watching my dad.
Tell us something interesting about the Saxophone.
When I was in elementary school, the middle school band came to recruit 5th graders to join band next school year. They brought a couple of different instruments for us to try out and the alto saxophone was the only instrument I could make a sound on! I thought that was pretty amazing so I joined Band.
Do you have any plans to attend college?
Yes! I planned on majoring in acting or Musical Theatre. Once I booked I Am Frankie, it was difficult to find a school that would accommodate three months of filming if we were to get renewed for a third season. So, I decided to take a gap year! In 2019 I do plan on going to college.