Jonathan Van Ness on journey of self-acceptance and new series Getting Curious
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Jonathan Van Ness lives by the advice, "Just go until you get your yes." Though the Queer Eye grooming expert warns that he adopted the quote from televangelist Joel Osteen while growing up in the rural midwest, he swears by its resilient sentiment.
In the newest edition of EW's Bold School series, which celebrates Hollywood's power players (in front of and behind the camera), Van Ness opens up about his philosophies on self-love and curiosity.
"Love is such an intense four-letter word, but love doesn't mean a toxic positivity," he says. "We're all in this constant journey of self-love and self-acceptance that isn't necessarily linear. We're always in a relationship with learning to love ourselves."
Annie Tritt for EW
Now, Van Ness is finding a source of empowerment in his Netflix docuseries, Getting Curious. In each episode, he meets with experts and friends to gain a deeper understanding of topics like the gender binary, figure skating, and skyscrapers.
"What I hope is that people watch Getting Curious and then they want to go explore more answers and more questions they're curious about," the Emmy-nominated host says. "It's actually really fun to be a student!"
As a kid, Van Ness looked up to a long list of Olympic gymnasts and figure skaters, including Rudy Galindo, the 1996 U.S. National Champion in figure skating who was out about his HIV status in the mid '90s. Now, he hopes to use his platform to effect the same change for others.
"When people share with me that my ability to talk about living with HIV has made their experience with it easier, it makes me feel strong and like the decisions I've made in my career have been good ones," Van Ness says.
Annie Tritt for EW
Between Getting Curious, his podcast of the same name, last month's premiere of Queer Eye season 6, his April book release, and his side hustle of figure skating and gymnastics, it's safe to say JVN's hands are full. Still, he's hoping to continue learning for seasons to come.
"Season 2 of Getting Curious is really what I want for the future, so please just turn on your Netflix, and when it asks if you're still watching, say yes," Van Ness cries jokingly. "Watch it, please!"
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