Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy?
There's always been something special about "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." Yet, before it became a success story (and even a reboot), its original stars never thought it would go anywhere. In fact, "with that title, I never thought it would get made," the original food and wine expert Ted Allen admitted to HuffPost Live — and just look at them all now.
Aside from their incredible tips and tricks to transform your life, the Fab Five's confidence is contagious. The cast helped many men on the show look great over the years, but "it was also about empowering people," the original fashion expert Carson Kressley told Variety. "Saying 'You can take control. You can look great, you can feel great, you can get the job, the girl — whatever it is you're trying to achieve we can help you do it.'"
Though the original cast has been replaced since their final episode in 2007, the O.G. Fab Five are still out there. Here's exactly what they've been up to since the series came to a close.
Ted Allen took his talent to the Food Network
Though food and wine expert Ted Allen was incredibly talented on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," he wasn't exactly qualified for the job. "I'm a home cook and love to read about food, but I'm not trained as a chef," he admitted to Food & Wine. Before the series premiere, he had no television experience either. In fact, "I had no TV aspirations," he said. Ironically, he auditioned for the iconic show as a joke, but the series ultimately set him up for a successful entertainment career.
Allen may not have had any experience in the food industry, but he certainly knew what he was talking about — and foodies everywhere took notice. When "Queer Eye" ended, Allen was asked to judge Food Network's "Top Chef" and "Iron Chef America." "The highlight is having the opportunity to spend long days talking food with culinary greats," he told Queer Forty – but at this point, he was one of the greats himself.
In 2009, he secured himself a spot as the host on "Chopped," and he's been there ever since. It doesn't seem that he'll be going anywhere anytime soon, either. "There's never been a better time to love food, and I don't see that ending," he said. "Ever."
Carson Kressley has conquered the world of design
Style expert Carson Kressley paved a fashionable path for himself in "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," and he hasn't looked back. "That's the power of being on TV: it makes you visible," he told Advocate. "That's what moves the needle forward."
When the series wrapped, Kressley created a few clothing lines. Yet, his television career was far from over. He hosted two shows called "How to Look Good Naked" and "Carson Nation." The fashionista even took his talent to the film industry and starred alongside Hilary Duff in "The Perfect Man." "It was my first, like, big movie," he said on "Live with Regis and Kelly." Kressley later secured himself a TV role in a guest spot on the show "The Bold Type."
Kressley also recently reunited with his "Queer Eye" co-star Thom Filicia. In 2021, the two found themselves back on the network that originally made them breakout stars. Their interior design series, called "Get a Room with Carson & Thom," and is all about helping people redesign their lives. (Sound familiar?) Kressley also uses his eye for style as a recurring judge on "RuPaul's Drag Race." "Now the world is seeing this great artistry — the comedy, the glamour, the fashion," Kressley told KTLA 5. "And all the while representing people that we didn't alway see on television." Just like "Queer Eye" did when it debuted in 2003.
Thom Filicia's television career has come 'full circle'
When interior designer Thom Filicia hopped onto the elevator at his office one day, he never imagined the ride would change his life. He got stuck with a stranger for a few hours before anyone came to rescue them, and the two ended up having a pretty interesting conversation. "The next thing I know, she's calling me up to see if I wanted to be on television," Filicia told HuffPost. He quickly became a breakout star on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and is still on TV today.
Though he's busy with his own interior design business and has even released his own collection of home decor, Filicia now has his own TV show with his "Queer Eye" co-star Carson Kressley. The idea for "Get a Room with Carson & Thom" all started after a reunion dinner with some executives from Bravo. "We sat down, and it was, you know, 'Welcome home,'" Filicia explained during an interview on BUILD Series, so it only seemed natural to star on the network together once again. "It's sort of full circle for us to be back at Bravo," he said, and "Queer Eye" fans couldn't be more thrilled.
Jai Rodriguez just wanted to be an actor all along
When culture expert Jai Rodriguez signed on to star on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," the aspiring actor was hopeful that the reality series would help him score more acting roles. However, when the series ended, he had an even harder time getting gigs. Serious casting directors weren't interested in hiring a reality star. "And a lot of entertainment scripted people wouldn't see me, because they lumped me into that group," Rodriguez explained on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" Luckily, that didn't last long.
At this point, the actor has appeared in tons of television shows like "Grace and Frankie," "Grey's Anatomy," "How I Met Your Mother," and "The Bold and the Beautiful." He was also seen in the fifth installment of the "Sharknado" franchise and even had an appearance in Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's music video "Telephone."
While Rodriguez may have found success as an actor, he'd still love to appear on reality TV again someday soon. "I'd love to be on 'Dancing with the Stars,'" he admitted to HuffPost.
Kyan Douglas almost left show business behind entirely
Though hair and grooming expert Kyan Douglas had been helping people rediscover themselves for five seasons of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," he had a sudden realization about himself when the series ended. "What I learned from 'Queer Eye' is that no amount of fame or money was ever going to sort of, you know, fill a part of me that was sort of empty or missing," he admitted on an episode of "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" That year, Douglas took a detour from show business and decided to travel all over the world. He became a certified yoga instructor and learned a lot about himself along the way. Yet, he couldn't stay away from television for too long.
Today, Douglas is the recurring style expert on "Rachael Ray." Yet, there's something else he soon hopes to accomplish. "I do have a recurring fantasy of owning a farm with some goats, chickens and bees," he told HudsonMOD.