Frank Paiva (he/they) strives to be utterly ridiculous with complete sincerity. Growing up big and tall in Seattle, kids on the playground would call them “Frankenstein.” Little did they know it was a compliment. In the first grade, Frank was so obsessed with The Munsters that they decided to change their name to Herman. Unfortunately, the name changing process for a 6-year-old had a number of unanticipated legal hurdles, so they decided to stick with Frank.

Frank came out of the closet 12 seconds into January 1^st, 2001. It was their New Year’s resolution, and they weren’t about to waste any time. In high school, Frank played football, did musicals, and wrote for the school newspaper. Realizing a future in the NFL wasn’t in the cards, Frank decided to focus on theatre and journalism. They got an early break when their essay “A Prince Charming for the Prom (Not Ever After, Though)” was published as a Modern Love column in The New York Times.

After graduating from NYU, Frank wrote and performed anywhere they could. They acted with two-time Oscar nominees, sang in an 18^th century barn, and danced in a basement where the cockroaches outnumbered the audience members. Between gigs, Frank spent nine years as an entertainment journalist and six years as a tour guide. They have been to the Statue of Liberty 200 times.

Tired of auditioning for the same stereotypical gay, queer, and/or overweight characters, Frank decided to make their own. After writing and starring in a mockumentary web series about the glamorous world of plus-size male models, Frank discovered their true love: Creating for the screen.

Newly based in Los Angeles, Frank is ecstatic to be part of the Nickelodeon Writing Program. They imagine a TV future with more opportunities for performers of size, and a wider depiction of the LGBTQ+ community and its history. A future where everyone can be their ridiculous, sincere, Frankenstein-loving self.