Members of the cast of ‘Queer Eye’ speak at an event at Crush Dance Bar on Monday, Aug. 4. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Four members of the Fab Five from Netflix’s “Queer Eye” brought their warmth, humor, and sharp insights to Crush Dance Bar in D.C. on Aug. 4.
The appearance — organized by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the talent firm representing Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, and Jeremiah Brent — celebrated the work of the cast as they prepare to wrap the Emmy-winning series with its final season.
For seven years, “Queer Eye” has been a cultural touchstone. Since its 2018 reboot, the show has followed the Fab Five — members of the gay community and experts in their fields — as they transform the lives of “heroes” across the world. Through cooking, design, grooming, self-help, and style, the hosts offer more than just makeovers; they help their subjects embrace confidence, authenticity, and joy.
Absent from the evening was Tan France, the show’s style expert, who is not managed by CAA. Still, the four attending stars filled the room with energy during a 30-minute panel reflecting on their experiences both on the show and in the nation’s capital.
Antoni Porowski, the show’s food and wine expert, noted that D.C. has its own unique personality compared to other cities they’ve visited.
“Even amid all of the institutions, there’s something very grandiose about D.C.,” Porowski said. “I think there are beautiful little pockets that we’ve had a chance to film in that I’m really excited for everyone to see… When we’re in places like Kansas City and Atlanta, I feel like we go there and people are just welcoming us with open arms. We felt very welcome here, but you have to fight for people’s affection more in cities… they’ve seen some shit, and you have to kind of work a little harder, which I love.”
Karamo Brown, the culture and self-help expert, admitted he arrived in the capital with certain assumptions that quickly dissolved after meeting residents.
“D.C. has been amazing… I thought everybody was gonna be like, pretty serious and boring, and y’all know how to turn up. And I realized, oh, y’all deal with a lot, so of course you know how to have a cocktail to turn up. But then there was also this sort of quiet compassion… even if you don’t agree with what they’re doing, you’re still accepting and loving… I thought that was beautiful.”
For design expert Jeremiah Brent, the city’s artistic landscape was the standout surprise.
“I didn’t realize how beautiful D.C. was until we got here,” Brent said. “The architecture… so much Art Deco… beautiful parks… and bronze work and everything that’s going on with the statues. It’s so layered and so beautiful. There’s so much to see.”
Jonathan Van Ness, the grooming guru whose effusive personality has become a hallmark of the show, found themselves charmed by the city’s natural beauty.
“Not to be predictable, but the magnolia trees you got… the cherry trees… the trees are a 10,” Van Ness said. “The people have been a 10. The people in Maryland are maybe… grumpier… But D.C., no notes. Virginia, we love it over there. And there’s SolidCores everywhere!”
Filming in D.C., the cast said, makes it impossible to fully separate the city’s political identity from its day-to-day life. For Porowski, one particular shoot drove that home.
“We did a scene right in front of the White House– we were all kind of standing there, and I looked over at you guys [the rest of the cast], and it kind of dawned on me,” Porowski said. “As a kid, it was just… such a symbol of so much, depending on what the situation [inside] is going on. Sometimes it could be a symbol of hope and excitement, and other times it could just be kind of terrifying.”
Brown tied that observation to the importance of human connection in politically divided times.
“I think as we’re in these next three years, we [need to] continue to look to the person to the left and right of us and say, ‘I got you,’” Brown said. “We have to remember that a lot of these people are just in vacuums that their algorithm puts them in… I literally asked my ex’s mother and her three other friends… if I could see their phones, and I reset all their algorithms. Out of the four of them, three of them no longer support Donald Trump… what’s keeping us apart is misinformation.”
Van Ness expanded on that point, saying that the political climate under President Donald Trump has created real financial consequences for queer professionals.
“I’ve noticed this massive reticence of even brands wanting to work with micro queer creators… we really do need brands to stand by the queer community. Try to hire queer people when you can, because the community is struggling and when Republicans have made it their cornerstone to impact us monetarily… I’ve seen that from top to bottom.”
For Brent, the D.C. shoot was defined less by politics and more by the warmth of its LGBTQ community.
“I actually am obsessed with politics, and I was very excited about being here,” Brent said. “I was like, ‘This is gonna be so exciting’… but I would say that the thing that actually surprised me the most about D.C. is the queer community and how kind people are. I have my children here… people have been so generous and kind. D.C. feels like a little small town in some ways, which I think is the most beautiful part about it.”
As the panel wrapped, the conversation turned to the show’s legacy and what comes next for each of the stars.
Porowski said the experience has reshaped how he approaches both work and life.
“Queer Eye’s definitely, understatement for me of the century that it’s completely changed the way I navigate the world, the conversations that I have, how I approach work… I realized pretty quickly it’s really storytelling and connecting through food,” Porowski said. “Now [I’m] shifting into different territory with National Geographic and Disney, where the cities are their own characters.”
For Brown, the series has been nothing short of life-changing.
“This has been the greatest gift of my life… for 10 seasons, people have seen us, believed and trusted in us, and we have made a difference,” Brown said. He now brings that same mission to his daytime talk show, “Karamo.” “I just want to help people five days a week on a daytime talk show… to live that dream where five days a week I can just help people, I am so thankful for the training I got here with these three.”
Brent said whatever comes next for him will need to be as purposeful as “Queer Eye.”
“It’s been one of the biggest highlights of my professional career… more than a show, because what we’re able to do, the foundation of it is purpose… five people showing up and seeing you the way you want to be seen… through the process of the show and their friendship, I reclaimed parts of myself. They Queer-Eyed me… moving forward as I try to decide what that’s going to be has to be something rooted in that same purpose.”
Van Ness, who juggles multiple ventures including their haircare line JVN Hair and podcast “Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness,” reflected on the enormity of closing this chapter.
“We’re literally about to film our last episode, and that is this week — so surreal. This has been such a roller coaster… one that I’m so grateful for, that’s really surpassed every single wildest dream I could have possibly had… I think I will spend the rest of my life processing what this experience has meant to me.”
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