Nick Jonas just became a “Disney Legend” with his chart-topping siblings, as the Jonas Brothers were presented with the prestigious honor at D23 on August 16, 2026. But back when Disney was casting for a new animated movie called “Frozen,” the pop singer and coach on “The Voice” felt far from legendary.
In a new episode of the Jonas Brothers’ podcast “Hey, Jonas!” featuring an interview with “Frozen” cast members Kristen Bell (who plays Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), and Josh Gad (Olaf), Nick shocked the trio by revealing he auditioned for the movie and got turned away.
Nick Jonas Says He Was Totally Unprepared for His ‘Frozen’ Audition
During the August 18 podcast episode, Nick’s announcement that he tried out for “Frozen” clearly shocked Bell, Menzel, and Gad, whose jaws all dropped. Gad, who plays beloved snowman Olaf in the franchise, asked if Nick had been hoping for the role of Kristoff, who becomes Anna’s beau in the first film and is set to marry her in “Frozen 3,” due to premiere in 2027.
Nick confirmed he tried out to be Kristoff, telling the trio, “I went in and they said, ‘Okay, what are you going to be singing today?'” When Nick told them he didn’t have a song in mind, the casting execs asked if he’d brought his sheet music.
But Nick said no one had told him he was supposed to be singing a particular song, so he asked for the accompaniest to just play “some musical theater song.” But that didn’t go well.
“I bombed the audition, it was terrible,” he admitted, and Bell hilariously deadpanned, “That must have been why you didn’t get it!”
The Jonas Brothers were already huge stars when “Frozen” was released in 2013, with three albums, two successful “Camp Rock” movies on Disney Channel, their own series, and a concert special on the cable network. In the end, though, the role went to Broadway star Jonathan Groff.
Gad joked to Jonas on the podcast, “Look, I’ll say it here, you have such better chemistry with Kristen than Groff. Oh my gosh, it’d be so much better.” Nick played along, telling them, “I love Jonathan Groff, but I do think it would have been better to cast me.”
“This feels real, this feels authentic,” Gad quipped, questioning whether Nick was joking or not. The “Jealous” singer quickly redeemed himself, though, telling the cast that his family — wife Priyanka Chopra and their four-year-old daughter Malti — are “massive fans” of the movie.
“I didn’t spite watch it,” Nick assured them. “I really did like it the first time (I watched it).”
‘Frozen’ is Disney’s Most Successful Franchise, But Nick Jonas is Doing Just Fine
GettyNick missed out on a very lucrative role, given that the “Frozen” is Disney’s biggest franchise, according to Aces Showbiz, with unwavering fan engagement and even bigger revenues than massive franchises like “Star Wars” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The original movie, released in November 2013, earned $1.3 billion. “Frozen 2” did even better in 2019, bringing in $1.5 billion, per the outlet. Its popularity has continued thanks to animated shorts on Disney+, theme park attractions and the Broadway adaptation of “Frozen.”
But don’t feel too bad for Nick, whose career seems to be going just fine even without the Kristoff gig. The Jonas Brothers are one of the most successful music groups of the 21st century, according to D23 materials, with over 20 million albums sold and 26 Billboard Hot 100 hits. Nick also has a successful solo music career and acting career, from the “Jumanji” movies to his 2026 comedy with Paul Rudd, “Power Ballad.”
“Camp Rock 3,” starring the Jonas Brothers with a cameo from Demi Lovato, just premiered on Disney+. “Frozen 3” is scheduled to premiere in theaters in November 2027.
