Stuti Gokhale
‘Angelyne‘ is an addictive biographical drama series that captures the life of the iconic Los Angeles billboard model, who came to be known as one of the original media influencers in pop culture. The Peacock original is created by Nancy Oliver and explores Angelyne’s relationships with the various men in her life, be it her lovers or her work associates. This includes Freddy Messina, her first photographer and supporter, who stays with her for several years. But like the majority of the other characters in the show, is Freddy also based on a real person in Angelyne’s intriguing life? Here is everything we know.
Is Freddy Messina Based on a Real Person?
Regardless of speculations, Freddy Messina does not exist beyond the screen. However, even though the character is not based on a real person, it likely draws inspiration from some of Angelyne’s former associates and friends, who may have been a part of her inner circle. The show depicts Freddy as a young and charming keyboardist whom she meets in the late 70s. At that point, Angelyne is a part of her boyfriend Cory Hunt’s band Baby Blue, and she takes in Freddy to play the keyboards.
From the beginning, Angelyne likes Freddy’s innocent nature and considers him untouched by the hunger for fame, unlike Cory. As Baby Blue begins performing in bigger clubs, Angelyne starts losing interest in it as well as in Cory. She rather finds an unlikely supporter in Freddy when he starts taking pictures of her, as per her liking and artistic vision. Later, when Angelyne quits the band and decides to go solo, Freddy follows her and agrees to help. Eventually, she convinces Harold Wallach to invest in her first billboard and begins planning a citywide self-promotion campaign.
Despite Harold providing professional photographers, Angelyne chooses Freddy to be her official photographer, and he is the one who clicks the pictures for her first billboard. The team soon expands when Harold becomes her manager and financial partner, and Rick Krause and Andre Casiano join in as well. Freddy and the others accompany Angelyne everywhere for her shoots, interviews, and public appearances. Not just that, they also work with her in her office for several years.
Though the media icon is rather strict about her requirements with everyone, she shares a rather sweet equation with Freddy and seldom reprimands him for anything. She considers him to be a calming and positive presence in her life and quite different from the other men who have been unable to handle her grand personality. Though it is unclear if Freddy and Angelyne are romantically involved, she does have a lot of affection for him.
Afterward, when a young filmmaker named Max Allen decides to make a documentary on Angelyne in 2012, he wonders where Freddy is. She then reveals that he has passed away but refuses to divulge further as she feels rather upset talking about him. He is one of the only men in Angelyne’s life whom she fondly remembers and states that he is among the few who believed in her and her career.
Thus, it can be established that though Freddy Messina is a fictional element of the show, his character does reflect the importance of an unconditional friend in life who stays with you through thick and thin. Even though Angelyne has never spoken much about her friends in real life, it is possible that she may have had good friends like Freddy, who loyally supported her since the beginning.
Read More: Does Angelyne Really Have a Sister? Where is She Now?
