Photo: Everett Collection / Shutterstock
The original show is just as good as the reboot.
By Nicole Pomarico — Written on Jul 30, 2020
It's hard to imagine a world without Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Tan France, and Karamo Brown, but they never would have been the Queer Eye stars we know them as today if not for the original Fab Five who paved the way on the first iteration of the series in the early 2000s.
Back then, the world was a different place — and gay marriage wasn't even legal yet. Even though a lot has changed, the impact the original Queer Eye cast had on our culture can still be felt, in part because the show lives on through the reboot;
Who were the original Fab Five on Queer Eye?
Meet the men responsible for creating a cultural phenomenon that still exists today.
The original Queer Eye aired for five seasons on Bravo.
The show had a concept very similar to the reboot; the Fab Five set out to make someone over — and considering the show was originally titled Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, that's the kind of subject they normally focused on: injecting a little of their own good taste into the heterosexual man's life in question. The makeovers generally took place in New York City, though they did go to other parts of the country in some episodes, and the format was almost identical to the way the Fab Five handle these makeovers today.
Carson Kressley is the show's breakout star and fashion guru.
Out of the original Fab Five, Kressley is the one who has found the most success post-show. He was the Tan France of the first iteration of Queer Eye, helping the subjects of each episode learn how to dress and look their best. He's gone on to host shows of his own, including Carson Nation, compete on Dancing With The Stars, and he's been a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race and the Miss Universe pageant. These days, he's gotten more into fashion design and in his spare time, he's an equestrian.
Ted Allen was all about food and wine.
Before there was Antoni Porowski, there was Ted Allen. He's gone on to do a lot of things in the food world; in fact, today, he's probably better known for being the host of Chopped than he was for his role on Queer Eye. Lately, he's been showing off the veggies he grows at home and enjoying all his extra downtime as he's hanging out in the Catskills. Looks like he's getting plenty of relaxation in.
Kyan Douglas was the grooming and hair expert.
Before he was on Queer Eye, Kyan Douglas worked on other shows, like What Not to Wear, and since doing hair on Queer Eye, he's been living a pretty low-key life. He doesn't post too often on social media, but when he does, he's all about showing off his dog, Maya. He also seems to still get along well with his former costars, and continues to work with them today (including Kressley).
Thom Filicia was in charge of interior design.
Thom Filicia was the original Bobby Berk, and since Queer Eye, he's been very busy doing his Interior design thing. In fact, he has his own home collection, including furniture, decor, and bedding, and he often posts about his designs online. And when he's not making sure the indoors is beautiful, he's busy enjoying the outdoors, as he posts on his Instagram ... and it seems like he has a lot of fun doing it.
Jai Rodriguez was all about culture.
Karamo Brown has the Queer Eyes covered when It comes to mental health, but that was Jai Rodriguez's job first — and more than anything else, he's an actor. He played Jimmy in Eastsiders and has appeared in shows including Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, and Bones. In his spare time, he seems like he's all about cuddling with his pets.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.