All About Frankie Jonas: From Growing Up with the Jonas Brothers to His Solo Career

From his past acting credits to his solo music career, here's everything to know about the youngest Jonas brother

Frankie Jonas is blazing his own trail.

As the youngest sibling of Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, Frankie is no stranger to the spotlight already; though he was never a part of the Jonas Brothers band, he did appear on a handful of their hit Disney Channel shows and movies.

Through the years, Frankie has been candid about the challenges of growing up with his superstar brothers, but also about the joys of supporting their success.

"I am their No.1 fan,” he said during the Jonas Brothers’ Chasing Happiness documentary. “I know every lyric of every song, I can recite every story of how they were made. I love their music so much."

In recent years, Frankie has created his own career in the entertainment industry, including releasing his first EP and co-hosting ABC’s Claim to Fame alongside his oldest brother, Kevin.

Here’s everything to know about Frankie Jonas.

He was born in New Jersey

Frankie was born on Sept. 28, 2000, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. At five years old, he moved with his family to Los Angeles as his brothers pursued their musical career. In 2015, a few years after the Jonas Brothers announced their split, Frankie and his parents moved to Westlake, Texas, where he spent most of his teen years and attended high school.

He has appeared in a number of shows and movies with his brothers

As the Jonas Brothers skyrocketed to fame with their music, Frankie also began a career in Hollywood. At age 7, he made his film debut voicing a lead role in the animated Hayao Miyazaki movie Ponyo, which also starred Miley Cyrus’ younger sister Noah.

Frankie continued to act in various projects, including a number of Jonas Brothers films and shows such as Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and Jonas (in which he played the Jonas Brothers' younger brother).

He also appeared as himself in Kevin and Danielle’s reality series, Married to Jonas, and currently co-hosts ABC’s Claim to Fame with Kevin.

He hated being called the “Bonus Jonas” growing up

Since he wasn’t a part of the Jonas Brothers band, Frankie was often referred to as the “Bonus Jonas” by fans, a title he has since revealed he hated growing up.

"A lot of my problem with being in the public eye was that I was seen as this commodified vision of myself,” Frankie told Bustle, noting that it spiraled into a much bigger issue as he read mean tweets about himself online.

“It became a form of self-harm to look at these things,” Frankie added. “Then it became essentially an OCD, like a tic. I couldn’t stop. I checked it every day, and I had to, to feel OK in a way. It really became a serious issue for me. A lot of that perpetuated the idea that I was just this meme. I was this joke, and my entire identity to people was ‘adjacent,’ which really affected myself and the way that I thought about the world and the way I felt about myself.”

Joe also told the publication that he and his brothers refused to call him “Bonus Jonas” after he opened up to them about how hurtful the nickname was. “It completely makes sense, and we’ve had lengthy conversations and apologies behind closed doors that showcased my understanding and respect for his wishes,” Joe said. “I think to feel like you are second, third, or fourth best from something is unfair; we are all equals.”

He studied audio engineering in college

After graduating from high school in Texas, Frankie enrolled in Belmont University, a private Christian school in Nashville, to study film. However, during his first year, he found that his notoriety made it difficult for him to forge friendships.

“It’s easy to lose compassion for individuals because they have attention,” he told Bustle of his classmates. “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.”

After “a semester and a half,” he was cited for marijuana possession at a local convenience store, suspended, and eventually dropped out.

Though he didn't get his degree from Belmont University, he continued studying at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and then at Blackbird Academy in Nashville, where he eventually graduated with a degree in audio engineering in 2019.

In April 2021, Bustle reported that he was taking virtual astrophysics and academic writing classes at Columbia University.

He’s a musician

Like his brothers, Frankie has musical inclinations. After posting a handful of songs on SoundCloud, Frankie released his debut single, “Cocaine,” in February 2023,  followed up with his second single, "Hoboken" that April.

That same month, Frankie made his live performance debut at Stagecoach Festival.

In June 2023, Frankie released his debut EP, Sewer Rat, which featured his previous two singles and three new songs.

The Jonas Brothers even shared their support for Frankie on Instagram, writing, “Congrats @franklinjonas on your debut EP ‘Sewer Rat’. So proud of you for putting your art out into the world!” Frankie thanked his brothers in the comments, writing, “Love y’all so much ❤️❤️❤️ thank you for inspiring me everyday”

He has gained a big following on TikTok

In recent years, Frankie has gained a following of his own thanks to his TikTok videos, where he posts a range of clips pertaining to comedy and mental health.

“This experience on TikTok is so different because I’m being so authentically myself and not caring and just doing what I can,” he told Bustle.

In fact, his viral TikTok account, which has almost 2 million followers, helped him sign with United Talent Agency in March 2021.

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