River Gallo, a Salvadoran American filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, model, and intersex rights activist, has reflected on their role as Frankie, the intersex Dobermann in the new Netflix animation Fixed. Best known for writing, directing, and starring in the film Ponyboi, the first to feature an openly intersex actor playing an intersex character, Gallo has long been committed to telling authentic and underrepresented stories.

Their latest venture sees them take an unexpected turn into animated comedy. Directed by celebrated animator Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack, Fixed is an unapologetically raunchy adult animation now streaming on Netflix.

Co-written with Jon Vitti, the film is an outrageous, hyper-sexual romp about dogs, friendship, and one final night of debauchery before a dreaded vet visit. The premise is as absurd as it is bawdy: Bull, voiced by Adam DeVine, discovers he’s scheduled for neutering and has just 24 hours to enjoy one last crazy adventure with his mates. Along the way, audiences meet an eclectic cast, including Kathryn Hahn as Bull’s love interest Honey, Fred Armisen as an influencer pooch with aristocratic airs, Beck Bennett as the rival Sterling, and Bobby Moynihan as the timid beagle Lucky.

River Gallo voices Frankie, a sultry Dobermann who is intersex and shares a club encounter with one of the crew. It’s a role that, while comedic, carries deeper personal resonance for Gallo.

Speaking to Diva Magazine, they reflected: “I was born already neutered, in a way. I was born without testicles. The conversations in the film about what it means to neuter a dog relate to the question of how much identity is tied to a particular organ.”

For Gallo, Fixed is more than an animated sex comedy; it’s another small but significant step towards intersex visibility.

“For so long, we’ve seen a serious lack of intersex representation on screen. Seeing a character like Frankie being celebrated is exactly the kind of message I needed when I was younger. I think it would have given me a lot more hope and peace.”

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