Ep307 - Jai Rodriguez: 'Culture Vulture' in the Original Queer Eye Fab Five

The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

Among all the things Jai Rodriguez knows how to do well, not punching down is at the top of the list . Sharing his journey from going to Broadway to landing a role in the groundbreaking TV series, “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy”, his grit and talent took the stage by storm, playing in shows like “Rent” and “The Producers”. He shares how he got started by going to his first audition at the age of 12 – a funny but inspiring anecdote on why you shouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer easily. Jai also recounts his “Queer Eye” audition, the success of the show, and the overwhelming response they received early on. Despite the external glamor, Jai reveals his financial struggles during the press tours. He also gets real as he talks about a pivotal moment in his career during a meeting with agents, and how he was told that he may not be castable due to his identity – an untrue trope that stayed with him throughout a lot of his career. While it may have affected him deeply, Jai did not let it stop him from taking up space in the industry by rephrasing “you can’t do it” as “it’s just never been done before”.

Jai Rodriguez is an actor and musician best known for his role in the original Fab Five 'Culture Vulture' in the award-winning show “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy”. He had his Broadway debut at the age of 18 when he was cast as Angel in the critically-acclaimed musical, “Rent”. His other credits include the long-running musical, “The Producers”, “Zanna, Don’t!”, and an off-Broadway hit, “Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man”. He has a web series, “The Horizon”, which is the most-watched LGBTQ web series in the world.

Connect with Jai:

• Website: linktr.ee/jairodriguez
• Instagram: @jairodriguez
• TikTok: @jairodriguezworld

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• Slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance
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