Yaas Queen! Netflix’s Queer Eye recently returned with a special season based in Japan, and it once again proved that the show is one of the best things on the streaming service. Heartwarming, educational, and entertaining, there is simply nothing to dislike about Queer Eye. The ‘Fab Five’ is obviously the main reason that the show is so successful. With the chemistry between them being undeniable, each member brings something totally unique to the show. While they are all special, there’s no denying that Jonathan Van Ness brings something a little extra.
While his hair and grooming talents are obviously incredible, it is his infectious personality and care for other people that really makes him so beloved by fans of the show. But how much do you really know about him? Within this list, we will reveal 10 things about Jonathan that fans don’t know.
Queer Eye Nerves
Jonathan Van Ness might appear to be a complete natural on Queer Eye, but that doesn’t mean he was always uber-confident about the show. He has revealed previously that he has serious anxiety when he was auditioning for the show and feared he wouldn’t be cast.
Obviously, it is more than natural to be nervous when auditioning for a show, but it is interesting to learn that even people who seem very confident can struggle with issues of self-worth.
“I was like, ‘I really, really want this every moment it gets closer and I want it so bad but you look like a big gay Jesus, girl, you’re just not gonna get this job!’” he told Into The Gloss.
Male Cheerleader
Jonathan Van Ness has always been very open about his childhood and the fact that life wasn’t the easiest for him at school. During one Queer Eye episode, the show actually returns to his school in order for him to makeover the music teacher who helped him personally.
However, even though school life wasn’t always the easiest, he actually did break down barriers during his time. At his particular school, Jonathan was the very first male cheerleader.
Deciding to follow his passion and be his true self, Jonathan danced along and showcased his skills alongside the rest of the cheer team. This is obviously more common nowadays, but that is down to people like him being brave enough to go for it in the first place.
Sold Out Radio City Music Hall
There is a reason why Jonathan Van Ness is so funny on Queer Eye, and that is because he has a career in comedy as well. After becoming a bigger name from the Netflix show, where he has constantly shown his humor, Van Ness decided to go on tour.
Fully embracing his comedic side, Van Ness went it alone, without the rest of the group and toured. Putting on various shows to packed out audiences, he quickly showed that his comedic lines on the show aren’t just a one-off.
While the tour itself was an immense success, Van Ness has stated that one of his biggest career accomplishments was when he sold out Radio City Music Hall for his tour. A huge and historic venue, it was obviously a massive moment for him and it only highlights his popularity.
College Dropout
It might not be a path of life for everyone, and it probably isn’t what Jonathan Van Ness would advise, but he actually dropped out of college. After just one semester at The University of Arizona, the stylist made the decision to quit the course.
As we mentioned earlier in the list, Jonathan was a talented cheerleader, and he actually landed a partial cheerleading scholarship that allowed him to get to University. Proving just how good he was at cheerleading, ‘Yaas Hunny.’
However, college clearly wasn’t for him and he left. However, it wasn’t something he just did on a whim, as he actually quit to pursue hairstyling, clearly deciding that was his calling. Thankfully, that turned out to be the right choice.
Gay Of Thrones
Jonathan Van Ness might have become a household name through Queer Eye, but that isn’t actually how he got his big break. That moment actually came through the web show known as, Gay of Thrones, which was part of the Funny Or Die web series.
This show quite obviously focused on Game of Thrones and saw Jonathan do the hair of different guests where they would recap the latest episode of the show. Obviously, the show was full of comedy as Jonathan would discuss his thoughts on each major moment.
Gay of Thrones was actually incredibly successful and actually saw Jonathan gain an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series in 2019, which was the first of his career.
His Sophie Turner Obsession
Speaking of Game of Thrones…it is obviously a show near to Jonathan’s heart and if you want to know who his favorite character was, it is clearly Sansa Stark. At least, it seems that way by how obsessed he is with the actress who played her, Sophie Turner.
After speaking about how much he loves her plenty of times, he finally got the chance to meet her at an award ceremony this year. Jonathan shared a video to his Instagram of him totally freaking out at meeting her, and the feeling was clearly mutual as Sophie was equally as excited about the moment.
Love Of Yoga
Something else that Jonathan Van Ness loves is yoga. He practices it regularly and does so in order to stay fit, healthy and flexible which is something that likely stems back to his days as a dancer. While many people have now got into yoga, it has become something Van Ness does on a regular basis.
Van Ness often shares images and videos of himself on social media. Van Ness does so to teach different people about yoga and the benefits that it can have, as well as how he keeps himself in shape while on the road with his busy life.
He Is HIV Positive
Jonathan Van Ness is an incredible role model, and that was never clearer than when he had the bravery to announce that he was H.I.V positive. He shared the news in his book, but he certainly admitted that it was a very difficult decision to make.
He decided to make the decision in a bid to break the stigma around people living with H.I.V, and he has certainly done a terrific job with that. This has no doubt helped countless people suffering from hiding this news themselves, which is why it worked out well for him.
Van Ness felt that the world needed to talk about the situation more, and him opening up certainly achieved that goal.
He Is Gendernonbinary
While many people just think that Jonathan Van Ness is a gay man, the truth is that he is actually Gendernonbinary or genderqueer. He revealed the news in an interview with Out Magazine where he made it clear how he identifies himself sexually.
However, he does still use he/him pronouns, but he decided to break free from the label of just being ‘a gay man,’ which he admitted he thought he was confined to. This is another example of why Van Ness is one of the greatest role models in the Hollywood world right now.
Love Of Ice Skating
Unless you follow Jonathan Van Ness on social media, you wouldn’t know that he is a massive fan of ice skating. With a history of dance and a real appreciation for the sport, Van Ness eventually took to the ice himself and began practicing.
While he just started out skating around for enjoyment, Van Ness actually ended up taking it quite seriously. Getting onto the ice with professional skaters to learn as much as possible, he started getting very good.
Van Ness has shared his progress on Instagram with regular videos of his improvement, and to his credit, he has started getting very good. Whether he ends up taking it any further remains to be seen, but for someone who does it for fun, he’s very talented.
