Jonathan Van Ness is famous for the beauty expertise he shares on Netflix's Queer Eye reboot. But he does so much more. He's a hairdresser by trade. He's also a bestselling author of a memoir and kids' books, a stand-up comedian, an activist, an actor, and a podcast host.
The Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness podcast launched in 2015. Van Ness was already gaining notoriety for his Funny or Die video series Gay of Thrones. But Getting Curious would allow him to spread his wings far beyond the Game of Thrones universe. This podcast meant he could tackle any topic that piqued his interest. And his interests have proved positively boundless.
Van Ness is non-binary, gender non-conforming, and HIV-positive. So he covers all facets of the LGBTQIA+ experience with Getting Curious. But he was also curious about what it was like to live in America during the Revolutionary War, so he hosted an American history professor. He wondered what it might be like to be a female NASCAR driver, so he brought on pro stock car driver Julia Landauer. He was curious what causes chronic pain. Enter an opioid neuropharmacologist from UCLA.
Van Ness has a silly side too. He called an episode with guest Aly Raisman, the decorated Olympic gymnast, "Am I Your Favorite Non-Binary Gardener/Gymnist?" But then there's no subject too serious, either. Racism, slavery, the Holocaust, terrorism, intimate partner violence—all are fair game. He even hosted an otolaryngologist to discuss vaccine misinformation a year before Covid!
In 2022, Van Ness adapted Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness for television. Each episode of the series follows a similar approach, introducing a new burning question for expert guests to answer. Like Queer Eye, the show airs on Netflix, giving audiences even more ways to discover all Van Ness has to offer.
Episodes