Side Dish: More with Tan France

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson” – Side Dish: More with Tan France

Release Date: June 25, 2026
Guest: Tan France
Location: Centro Pasta Bar, Los Angeles
Key Theme: Vulnerability, Queer Representation, and Navigating Authenticity in Hollywood

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Overview

In this special “Side Dish” episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson welcomes Tan France (Queer Eye, Next in Fashion) for an intimate and humorous conversation. Over pasta beneath Los Angeles olive trees, they dive deep into their contrasting coming out journeys, the profound impact of queer visibility on television, and the surprising realities of fame and life in the public eye. The episode is rich with candid anecdotes, playful banter, and heartfelt moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coming Out Journeys: Different Paths, Shared Complexity

• Tan France turns the tables early, asking Jesse about his coming out experience. Both describe a non-linear process, noting the absence of a single “aha” moment.

  • Jesse: “People always ask me, when did you realize you were gay?...I don't know if I have an answer for that...I probably knew what gay was before I knew the word gay.” (03:05)
  • He details growing up in a Catholic environment and wrestling with family perceptions. Notably, his brother, though now his “biggest advocate,” once made him feel unsafe.
  • Jesse emphasizes coming out as a sequence of “weird little bursts,” culminating in his early 20s when he found safety in New York’s theater community. (05:38)
  • He reflects on the daunting contrast between his own gradual process and Tan’s experience being globally visible as part of Queer Eye.

• Tan France affirms the complexity of mainstreaming queer identity, especially while belonging to multiple marginalized groups.

  • Tan: “Gosh, if you’d asked me in my teens could I ever be proud of being a queer man, the answer would be no. Like, I’ll hide it away for the rest of my life and I’ll feel shame. I feel no shame. I feel such pride in who I am…” (08:47)

2. The Motivation Behind Queer Eye: Visibility, Not Fame

• Tan clarifies that fame was not his primary motivation for joining Queer Eye. Instead, his focus was on positive representation for queer people—and especially queer people of color.
  • Tan: “When I first said yes to the show...I thought there's probably brown gays here and hope that they'll watch and they'll think, well, if that guy can do it...maybe I can have a normal life. That's the only reason why I did it...Fame’s the worst part of it.” (09:40)
• He recounts having financial independence before the show and expresses “zero shame” about queer identity now, seeing the chance for others to relate as personally meaningful.

3. Relationships, Family Support, and Self-Confidence

• Jesse and Tan reflect on relationships as a safety net through the coming-out process.
  • Tan: “When I had Rob, I thought, God forbid, if my family leaves me...that's okay. Because I’ve got this person who's the love of my life...I’m gonna just be really gushy…he's my favorite person in the world.” (11:14 –12:30)
  • A playful exchange about dating in their 40s highlights gratitude for partnership and reluctance for the “dating pool.”
    • Tan: “I'm a lazy lay...I ain’t putting in the effort at 43...” (13:09)

4. Fame, Authenticity, and Navigating Hollywood

• The conversation turns to the superficiality of relationships in the entertainment industry and the oddities of being recognized.
  • Jesse: “Someone dating you because you’re famous is just as superficial as you wanting to date someone because they’re hot. Both of these things fade.” (14:42)
• Tan observes that self-confidence and humor got him his TV job rather than looks: “I think I got my job because I could do their job...” (15:27)
• Jesse and Tan share how draining it is to be “on” for long periods in unscripted television, contrasting public persona with their real personalities.
  • Tan: “I think I have whatever the disorder is called where you just want to be a clown all day, every day.” (16:33)
  • Jesse: “That's sweet. That's actually very sweet. Yeah, that's how my kids are.” (17:06)

5. The Realities of Networking, Parties, and Social Pressure

• Both admit to anxiety at showbiz events and actively avoiding the Hollywood party circuit.
  • Tan: “I get really nervous at parties...The amount of times I've gotten ready...and I tell the driver to go right back to the hotel because I'm too nervous.” (24:09)
  • Jesse: “It’s very brave to get a solo [to parties]...I find myself in conversations with people that I admired greatly. And then halfway through the conversation...I go into my head and be like, they don't want to be talking to me.” (24:32 – 25:03)
• They openly criticize people who approach them for photos while claiming not to know them, and those who boast about not watching TV.
  • Tan: “The thing I hate even more is I don't know who you are, but my friend's freaking out...then why did you come over?” (21:23)

6. Lifestyle Choices: Leaving LA/Hollywood, Moving to New York

• Tan shares plans to spend weekdays outside New York City for his children’s sake, while maintaining a city apartment for work and weekend escapes.
  • Tan: “We’re going to have a place outside the city where the kids can go to a normal school…then we’ll get a place in the city for the weekends and for my work.” (22:24)
• He admits that, unlike many, he avoids networking and prefers staying home with “Golden Girls.”
  • Tan: “My publicists are always like, you should be seen at stuff. Like, I just want to sit on my sofa and watch Golden Girls.” (23:09)

7. Candid Friendship: Meeting Through Jeremiah Brent

• The two reminisce about first connecting through mutual friend Jeremiah Brent at a Crate & Barrel launch.
  • Both recall feeling out of place at high-profile industry events despite their status.

8. Notable, Humorous, and Memorable Moments

• Hilarious takes on aging and dating:
  • Tan: “I'm a lazy lay...And also, turn the lights off. I'm taking my clothes off.” (13:09)
  • Jesse: “I would never see you [at parties]. I would see you on the carpet, taking your pictures, going in…But I would never see you hanging.” (23:38)
• Candid advice about fame and personal value:
  • Jesse: “My go-to line for a while was like, I get paid whether you watch it or not. But then that sounded a little aggressive.” (20:44)
  • Tan: “I say the numbers were amazing. Don't worry about it.” (21:01)
• Playful understanding of themselves:
  • Tan: “I'm gonna try and do, like, solo dinners...I stayed at Balthazar for six hours and I had three different hangouts with different friends…” (26:00–27:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:05 – Jesse on discovering his identity and gradual coming out.
• 08:47 – Tan on moving from shame to pride as a queer man; impact of representation.
• 09:40 – Tan explains why he joined Queer Eye (visibility, not fame).
• 11:14–12:30 – Tan celebrates his relationship and the importance of partnership.
• 13:09 – Both riff on dating in middle age and body confidence.
• 14:42 – Jesse’s advice on superficiality in relationships.
• 16:33–17:06 – How both remain playful/clownish in life and work.
• 21:23 – The odd fame interactions and their least favorite fan behaviors.
• 22:24 – Tan discusses moving east for his family and work-life balance.
• 23:09–24:09 – The aversion to Hollywood parties/networking.
• 26:00–27:30 – Scheduling multiple friend dinners during New York trips.

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Notable Quotes

• Tan France (on representation):
  “Gosh, if you’d asked me in my teens could I ever be proud of being a queer man, the answer would be no...I feel no shame. I feel such pride in who I am.” (08:47)

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (on superficial relationships):
  “Someone dating you because you’re famous is just as superficial as you wanting to date someone because they’re hot. Both of these things fade.” (14:42)

• Tan France (on motivation for Queer Eye):
  “The only reason why I did it...was how can I make it more acceptable for me?...Maybe I don’t need to be scared of him.” (09:40)

• Tan France (on parties):
  “I just want to sit on my sofa and watch Golden Girls.” (23:09)

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Conclusion

This “Dinner’s on Me” Side Dish is an engaging conversation full of honesty, vulnerability, and wit. Jesse and Tan deliver fresh perspective on coming out, queer identity, and life in the spotlight while keeping things relatable and funny. Their dialogue underscores the value of representation, authentic connection, and making your own “normal” in the public eye.

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For the full experience—including laughter, realness, and food talk—listen to the entire episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Spring break planning at our house is. It's definitely an adventure. Our kids have very strong opinions and they're always on different sides of the spectrum. Beckett has very strong opinions about the ocean. It has to be a certain temperature and the wind has to be blowing a certain way if he's gonna get anywhere near it. He doesn't want sand on his feet. Sully, on the other hand, he will roll around in the sand and doesn't care about the water temperature. And he, you know, he could be just sitting amongst seagulls and he's happy. Justin and I, we just want to air conditioning and wifi. Honestly, juggling all the details of a trip can be very stressful. And while I'm thinking about our plans, I also start thinking about our house while we're away. And it hits me. Maybe we could list our place on Airbnb while we're gone. It always sounds great, but I don't know if I can manage all the details myself. That's where Airbnb's co host network comes in. You can hire a vetted local co host to handle all the behind the scenes details, managing reservations, guest communications, and even providing on site. So hosting feels manageable even with everything else going on. So if you're traveling this spring, it might be the perfect time to list your space on Airbnb and maybe earn a little extra cash while you're gone to put toward that extra future travel. Someplace with air conditioning and wi fi. If you're ready to host, but could use a little extra help, find a co [e-mail] host. You know those meals that just immediately take you somewhere? Like, you take one bite and suddenly you're transported to a backyard, Someone's manning the floo fryer, and everyone's waiting for a taste. That's exactly what Boar's Head has managed to do. But at your deli counter. New from Boar's Head, the fryer's turkey breast has the taste of deep fried turkey. And I mean, it's perfectly seasoned. That golden, savory flavor, it really does that thing where one bite kind of takes over and you're like, oh, okay, this is what we're doing now. And the best part is you don't have to host anything. You don't have to fry anything. You don't have to politely ask someone else to handle the hot oil, which, frankly, I'm always happy to avoid. It's just there at the deli, ready to go. So if you're putting together a sandwich or just Standing at the counter, deciding what kind of day you're going to have. The fryer's turkey breast is a pretty great choice. Discover the craftsmanship behind every bite at your local Boar's Head deli counter. Boar's Head, committed to crafts since 1905. Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's a little side dish from this week's episode of Dinner's on Me. This week's conversation was with Tan France, who you know from Queer Eye. And next in Fashion, we met at Centro Pasta Bar in Los Angeles, where over some truly delicious pasta on a beautiful patio beneath an olive tree, we talked about our very different coming out journeys and the impact queer representation on television has had on both of our lives.

[Tan France]

When did you. I know you're interviewing me, but when did you come out?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's so interesting. You start off your book by talking about how you don't. Didn't really ever have that moment like, oh, I'm gay. I'm really related to that man. Like, I, People always ask me, when did you realize you were gay? It's the number one question that people love to ask queer people. And I, I don't know if I have an answer for that. Yeah, it's just something that I always knew that was different about me. And probably I knew that what gay was before I knew the word gay. And so for me, it just was something that was part of who I was. And as I got older, the outside world and, you know, I went to Catholic school and like all these other things that I was that informed my life were telling me that this thing that I was learning about myself in real time was something that was wrong.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Specifically with the Catholic Church.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And you know, also just watching my mom and my dad navigate, you know, the little queer culture that trickled to us in Albuquerque, New Mexico, like, you know, on television and just seeing their responses to that, seeing, you know, my siblings who. My sister's a lesbian, but my brother. But, you know, she was also probably going through her own set of things. And that's a whole other conversation. But, like, you know, my. Thank you so much. My brother, you know, had, you know, different perceptions of what gay people were and like, had, you know, he had language around that and, you know, he's my biggest advocate now. But like, you know, at the time when he was sort of figuring out who he was and being pressured by his friends, he had, he would say things that would make me feel unsafe and like, I felt very ashamed of this thing that I hadn't even really come to learn. I haven't. Hadn't even fully realized about myself. Like, I was already, like, making judgments about this thing that I was still figuring out. And so when, you know, when you ask, like, when did I come out? I, I. It was sort of, like, happened in weird little bursts of, like, information. Same, like, you know, this thing would happen and be like, well, that certainly must have, like, alerted them that, like, I am gay or, like, this thing would happen. Like, well, now I don't need to come out because that thing happened. And, like, yeah, it sort of raised the flag. But then there was a point of time where I was, like, I had to, like, actually officially come out, and I was like, good Lord, this is taking forever.

[Tan France]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But, you know, it was in my early 20s after I moved to New York, and I sort of felt like I was under the umbrella of a safety net of, like, the theater community and, like, having friends who were gay and, like, watching their experiences and hearing their stories about, you know, their childhood and their. Their teen years and, like, feeling like I had a sounding board with them, that I felt okay to then have that honest conversation with my parents. But knowing how scary that was for me, even just with those kind of safety guards put up, I can't even fathom for you what it must have been like being a part of a show where, like, literally the whole thesis of the show is embracing the gay community and gay culture and then in turn, shining that back upon other people and letting those things that we're so proud of about ourselves influence other people's lives. And yet having to figure out, you know, personally how to become proud of that thing, your family members, that's very complicated and very complex.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back. When we come back. Tan explains why fame was never the reason he joined Queer Eye and why it was so important for him to be visible as a queer Muslim man on television. When you're about to leave town for a long stretch, everything suddenly feels really important. What are you packing? What are you forgetting? And what will life look like when you're gone? I'm heading to London this summer to do a production of Jesus Christ Superstar and playing King Herod. And it's one of those trips when you're away long enough that you really have to, you know, get organized. And it made me think about how many people are heading into summer travel right now, whether it's work, family trips, or just getting out of town for a. If you're going to be away, it can be a great opportunity to list your space on Airbnb and earn a little extra cash while you're gone. Let your home work for you instead of it just sitting empty. If the logistics feel like a lot, I totally understand that you don't have to take it all on yourself. With Airbnb's co host network, you can partner with the local co host who can help manage the day to day details like managing reservations, handling guest communication and on site support so everything feels more manageable when you're away from so before summer really kicks in, it might be the right time to get started. Find a co [e-mail] host your call

[Tan France]

has been forwarded to voicemail. Hi, this is Zoe Deutch and Nick Robinson.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Our brand new movie Voicemails for Isabel is all about those little moments that feel like the universe is looking out, feeling homesick.

[Tan France]

Then your sister calls, hearing that perfect song exactly when you need it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Please stay. Sometimes life rigs things in our favor, like learning about your new favorite rom com Voicemails for Isabel, now playing only on Netflix. And we're back with more dinners on me now.

[Tan France]

I don't really care if somebody is homophobic online about me. I just think I just feel sad for you. I feel so sad that that's your opinion of who we are. Gosh, if you'd asked me in my teens could I ever be proud of being a queer man, the answer would be no. Like I'll hide it away for the rest of my life and I'll feel shame. I feel no shame. I feel such pride in who I am and when I see other queer people from across the world, especially from my part of the world, I just think I so arrogant. Jessie.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I know.

[Tan France]

But to say I think I might have had a part in you feeling

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

like lies responsible, that's not arrogant at all. I think you represent presentation is everything. And having someone turn on the TV and see someone that they recognize, Yeah, I think that you should absolutely take that win and you should take that and be so proud of that.

[Tan France]

Thanks.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Absolutely. That's not arrogant at all.

[Tan France]

It's the main reason why when I first said yes to the show, it was because I thought the gays in America would watch and I thought there's probably brown gays here and hope that they'll watch and they'll think, well, if that guy can do it and he's married and he wants to have kids and he's got a normal life, maybe I can Have a normal life. That's why I didn't see only reason why I did it. And I think that people think that that's bullshit. Like, no, you wanted to be famous. Fame was actually. Fame's the worst part of it. The money's the lovely part. Of course, it's so nice to have financial freedom. But I had financial freedom before this. I retired before Queer Eye. And so my main motivator was how can I make it more acceptable for me? I was, quite frankly, I wasn't thinking of just other brown gays. I was thinking, how can I make it easier for people like me, but me included, where I can walk down the street in America and hopefully people will think, well, I do love him on that TV show, so maybe he's not a nightmare. Maybe I don't need to be scared of him.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right. It's really interesting that, you know, you there, it's. It happened in a very sort of like reverse way for you because you were you. When you came out to your family, you had. You had already met someone that you adored so much and then you wanted to spend your life with.

[Tan France]

And.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And it's just very interesting to me that that family element was like one of the last pieces to come together.

[Tan France]

I will say that that was by design. I don't know if you felt this way when you were coming out. I didn't feel like I had that. You mentioned safety net when you moved to New York. Yeah, I didn't have that in England. I dated dudes before. I'd had long term relationships, but I never thought, if I have to come out to my family, you're gonna be my person, you're gonna catch me. I never felt that safe with them. Then when I had Rob, I thought, God forbid, if my family leaves me, if everyone leaves me, that's okay. Because I've got this person who's the love of my life and I pray will be the love of my life forever. And I'm gonna just be really gushy after. Even after, I think it's been like eight and a half years, we lose the count. Still my favorite person in the world. I'm obsessed with this man and I feel for him because he's molested by me every day. And I know that he just thinks, can you not grope me at every turn every time I pass him? I'm just saying, that's my man. I love him so much. Oh, my God, he's my favorite person in the world. And at this point, I just think if you leave now, bitch, where you going? Right? And where am I going sometimes?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Well, now with the kids you've really locked.

[Tan France]

Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes he'll say, please don't ever leave. Because I. I will say, please don't leave me. Like, I don't know what I do without you. I don't. I truly don't know what I'd do without you. And he'll say, please don't leave. I'm like, where am I going? I'm not taking my clothes off in front of anyone. I'm 43. Like, you think I'm willing to take my clothes off in front of someone? You get out of here.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Just. And I offered to take. Like, can you imagine dating right now?

[Tan France]

I would. Oh, my gosh. If someone.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

By the way, I'm sorry. To anyone who's listening, that's like, well, that's me. And it's awful.

[Tan France]

No. Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Joanna's like, listen,

[Tan France]

there's no judgment of any of you. There's no judgment of any.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

We're really glad we're not you.

[Tan France]

However, I'm telling you, if you are single, whoever's watching this, that's wonderful that you're single, and hopefully you're enjoying your life. But I'm just an insecure person where I think, well, actually, that's a lie. It's not insecurity. I'm a lazy lay. To tell you all, I ain't putting in the effort at 43 to get you going. It's just not gonna happen. And also, turn the lights off. I'm taking my clothes off.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, my God. It's so funny.

[Tan France]

And the funny thing is, I know that I'm in shape. I know I've got mirrors everywhere in my house, and I've got this. Do you work out every day? I work out every day so I can take my clothes off in front of my husband. But still, I'm like, I don't want someone new seeing this and turn the fucking lights off.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so funny. It's really funny. I love it.

[Tan France]

I will say that after, if I weren't in this situation with my husband, I'm sure that becoming an entertainer would have been terrifying. I watched some of my castmates who either were single when the show aired or became single. I don't know how they decide which dude's wanting to be with him because they want to be with him.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Tan France]

Or are they just using them for the opportunity that they're probably a little bit of both, but that's Terrifying. And I don't know how a person's like, okay, I'm just going to believe that this person who is so hot is like, yeah, I just want 10 fronts. Get out of here. Get out of here.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But these things fade. I got advice from someone when I was single and starting to work in television and I thought, well, you know, how is it going to be dating when I'm on a TV show? And my friend was like, listen, we all date people for superficial reasons at the beginning. And someone dating you because you're famous is just as superficial as you wanted to date someone because they're hot. Both of these things fade. Like when you see someone that's hot, it's fun for a few weeks and then it fades. Yeah, dating someone because they're famous, there's no connection there. Yeah, it's going to fade after a few weeks. So, like, you know, we get our ins or our ends. We get into people how we get into people.

[Tan France]

I like that.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And so I was like, yeah, that's actually a really good point. So we always. Everyone starts superficially is what I'm saying. So I don't know.

[Tan France]

The looks fading thing is so funny because all the guys who have the tens at the equinox make me feel like absolute shit when I'm there, which is why I don't go there anymore. And I always just want to say, give it 10 years, love. Give it 10 years, love, and you're gonna be right where I am. And you can like, oh, shit, what else do I have? Oh, my God, what else have I got? And I'm so grateful. I was a very unfortunate teen because I'm like, no, I encourage your personality. I got on TV because of my personality, because I developed girls were very handsome. That's very kind. But first and foremost, I think I got my job because I could be do their job. I could keep your world. And my world is so different, but on Queer Eye, like, my scene's three hours, my solo scene is three hours and I've just got to fill it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow.

[Tan France]

Just with conversation. Be entertaining. Asking interesting conversations and that better be fucking entertaining.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, it's got to be exhausting to be on for three hours. I would, I'm exhausted by hearing it.

[Tan France]

No, I, I, I think something's wrong with me and my mum thinks there's something wrong with me and always has done. I think I have whatever the disorder is called where you just want to be a clown all day, every day. Like even after a very long shoot day. I'll go, I'll walk into the house. Whoa. I can't help it. And with my husband, as soon as I get out of bed, I'm on. And it is. It's not a performance. I swear to God, it's not a performance. I just can't help but wanna play.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's sweet. That's actually very sweet. Yeah, that's how my kids are.

[Tan France]

I am like. I watch my 4 1/2 year old. I'm like, how did I not grow out of that? But I'm glad I did it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's kind of remarkable that you didn't.

[Tan France]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I can obviously also be serious when I have to be, but most of the time I just want to play. And so I don't find my job difficult at all. I think that unscripted work. I can't believe someone gets paid for unscripted work. I just have to stand there for three hours and perform.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I was a host of the reboot of Extreme Makeover Home Edition for hgtv. So I kind of. I relate a little bit to what you're talking about. You know, we had our heroes, quote, unquote, and I would have to fill time with them and, you know, interview them and extract story from them. And it's like, I definitely understand what you're talking about. I found it exhausting because sometimes, you know, I. The cameras would be off and I'd be talking to these people because I want them to feel comfortable around me. And all the good stuff would be coming out. Oh, my God, we gotta get these cameras on.

[Tan France]

Oh, yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And, you know, then I'd be like, how do I get that back into, like, the show? Because what they just told me off camera was really great.

[Tan France]

And they're not performers, so they can't

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

do it down exactly. You know, so then I would start hiding from them whenever the cameras were off. I learned that I think that people

[Tan France]

think when they're on a TV show that the talent is mean, unfriendly, unkind. But I'm like, no, no, no. I can't talk to you when the cameras are on. Sorry, when the cameras are off. Because you're not used to repeating something as if you've never said it before. And I need authenticity. So I just can't talk to you whilst the cameras are off, which I feel really bad about. Or I'll just keep it really surface. What did you eat today?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right, right, right.

[Tan France]

Like lame shit.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, tan Shares the story of unexpectedly meeting my Modern Family co star and his Sal City neighbor, Ty Burrell. And he also opens up about why crowded Hollywood parties aren't exactly his scene. Whatever your thing, it could be anything. Canva helps you make that thing a thing. Canva is a simple online tool thing.

[Tan France]

It's a way to design, with our magic AI tool, things you can social media your thing, generate images or videos

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

of your thing, make decks or presentations to show your thing, whatever needs to

[Tan France]

be done for your thing. Canva can make it an even better and bigger thing. Canva, the thing that makes anything a thing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me. You live in Salt Lake City.

[Tan France]

I do. I know you've been to Salt Lake City. I have.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I did one episode of this podcast in Salt Lake because Ty Burrell lives there.

[Tan France]

Yep.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

We ordered it from Bar X.

[Tan France]

Yes. Oh, you ordered in.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, because it was at an Airbnb.

[Tan France]

Wow.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was the whole thing. It was like, yeah, okay. And how he doesn't like to interact with humans, so we had to, like, keep him away from any civilians.

[Tan France]

That makes sense.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. He's really complicated that way.

[Tan France]

I sat next to him on a flight. I've never met him before, and. And I wondered if at some point I would bump into him.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

He must have.

[Tan France]

Yeah. Only once on a flight, we were sat next to each other.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, interesting.

[Tan France]

He came and sat down. I turned to and I said, look, I don't want to bother you, but I just need you to know, love your work.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Did he know who you were?

[Tan France]

No. But then I told him I was on a show called Queer Eye. He was just asking, what do you do here? Where are you going? I was like, I'm going to la. And he was going for Emmy stuff. I was going for Emmy stuff. So I said, I'm going for Emmy stuff. And he was like, oh, what do you do? Do you work in the industry? I was like, yeah, I'm on a show called Queer Eye. When I told him the name, he was like, oh, I know. Queer. I've just never seen it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

He hasn't seen anything.

[Tan France]

Whenever somebody. A lot of people are apologetic they haven't seen it. I'm like, I don't care.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't care either.

[Tan France]

It doesn't bother me.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't care either. I always. I. I mean, my go to line for a while was like, I got. I get paid whether you watch it or not. But then that sounded a little aggressive.

[Tan France]

That's literally what I say. I was about to say it. And I thought that's gonna sound mean, but. Yeah, but I do.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I get paid.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I mean, I'd love for you to watch it. I think you would enjoy it.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But I, it doesn't. I don't apologize now.

[Tan France]

I say the numbers were amazing. Don't worry about it. Like, it would have made no difference.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I like that too. We did fine with that.

[Tan France]

Yeah, we did fine. Yeah. Don't feel guilt about it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I. I do have a strange aversion to people who like, really aggressively tell you that they don't watch tv. Like, they're proud of it. Like, I just don't watch tv. Like. Like what? Your job, what you do in life is not worth it.

[Tan France]

Yeah. It's inconsequential.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't like that.

[Tan France]

Don't love that at all. The thing I hate even more is I don't know who you are, but my friend's freaking out. I'm like, then why did you come over? Yeah, somebody's come over for a photo.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You'll.

[Tan France]

They'll come over and ask for a photo. But I don't know what you do. Yes, but that person took a photo. I'm like, then why are you wasting my time, bro?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I know, I know, I know. I get that a lot too as well.

[Tan France]

Very soon.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I don't care about you, but my friend does.

[Tan France]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

There's better ways of doing it.

[Tan France]

I know. I just want to say. What? Can't you just say, my friend loves you? Can I take a picture? Like, I get this a lot, which is, my mum loves you. Like, I know that a 17 year old isn't a fan of mine, but their mom probably is.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Tan France]

Like, yeah, I will take that any day of the week. It's just that when they start, I don't know you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right, right, right, right, right.

[Tan France]

Then how do you know that your mom loves me?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Exactly.

[Tan France]

You do know.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You have some, you have some knowledge of me.

[Tan France]

Exactly, exactly.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You could start it out saying I had limited knowledge of you I barely know yet. Do you think you're going to end up in a big city in the east coast?

[Tan France]

We're going to. So we're going to do two things. We're going to have a place outside the city where the kids can go to a normal school. Because it scares me too much to have them raised in the city. Right. So Monday to Friday will be outside of New York and then we'll get a place in the city for the weekends and for my work. Because I'm in New York a lot. And so in the week, at least I can go into that place and it'll feel like.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I think if you can have a place to escape to upstate, it's really important.

[Tan France]

I love the outdoors.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Me, too.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And there's beautiful homes up there.

[Tan France]

And I like a remote place. I mean, again, I live in Utah, where I'm not into the hustle and bustle. And also, I do think I may have affected. Sorry. I know I talk a lot.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I love it.

[Tan France]

I think I have affected my career so greatly in the fact that I don't do anything. I don't. I will go for a job. Places I don't network. I don't go to events to be seen. My publicists are always like, you should be seen at stuff. Like, I just want to set my sofa and watch Golden Girls.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's so true. I rarely saw you when I was doing Modern Family and we were at these many parties. Like, I would see you on the carpet, taking your pictures, going in, see you on stage. Yeah.

[Tan France]

But I would.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I would never. I wouldn't see you.

[Tan France]

Oh, yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hanging.

[Tan France]

I go. So for the last nine years. So the show's been on for eight and a half. Nine years. I would go to Emmy's week because we were nominated, so it felt appropriate to go. But I would go to one party, and then around Oscars week, I would go to one party, and I still just do that. Nine years on, you don't see me at anything else.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Tan France]

Because I'm not a partier. First and foremost, I don't drink, and I get really nervous at parties.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I do, too.

[Tan France]

I. The amount of times I've gotten ready, I've been in the car, we go to the venue, and I tell the driver to go right back to the hotel because I'm too nervous. Oh, I know that sounds crazy, but I always get worried thinking nobody was going to talk to me. And my husband's always at home, so I go to most things solo. It is terrifying going.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's very brave to get a solo. Yeah.

[Tan France]

It's so hard.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

No, I definitely. Definitely. I obviously had to become good at it because it was something that I feel like I needed to do. And Justin's very social, so that helps. But, you know, it's. I completely understand that. I find myself in conversations with people that I admired greatly. And then halfway through the conversation, I go into my head and be like, they don't want to be talking to me. They want to be talking to anyone else. I know And I would, like, extract myself in the conversation and end up really abruptly.

[Tan France]

I did just.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Why did you act so weird? I was like, I don't know. I feel like it was time.

[Tan France]

I still do that. I know that people miss. I don't know what the English word is. They don't understand what I'm doing when I do this. Yeah. Thank you, Nigella. Yes. You know when you're at an event talking to somebody and you can see that they're looking over your shoulder? I'm not looking to see who else I need to talk to. I'm looking over, thinking, oh, they're gonna want to talk to. Okay. It was really good to see her. Beyonce's there. Talk to her. Because I said, there's no way you're not gonna. I live in Utah. I'm talking about my kids and Golden Girls. I've got nothing else for you. And so I know that it's rude to look over their shoulder, but I'm just thinking I'm gonna excuse myself because they're gonna want to go.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You're welcome.

[Tan France]

Yeah. So I don't see.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Probably three fourths of the time are wrong.

[Tan France]

And they're having a great time talking to you. I know.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's why I think the east coast is gonna be good for you.

[Tan France]

I really hope so. I'm gonna try and do, like, solo dinners. I love the one thing that really pisses Anthony and Jeremiah up. You know Jeremiah, right? Yeah. Okay. So just so you all know, at home, we met through Jeremiah at. He was launching. Was it a kids range or something?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, right. He was doing something with Crane Barrel. Yeah.

[Tan France]

So I went there and I think that I'd seen you before and we'd said hi, but we'd never spoken spoken

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

before until when he had his line that he was releasing. We were at his party.

[Tan France]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I thought, now that's somewhere. I felt very out of place. I was like, they don't want me here. Why would they want you guys there? And they're like, let's get all the

[Tan France]

Queer Eye guys over here.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And I was like, what do I do?

[Tan France]

Yeah, when you're cast, I mean, I'm sure you felt this way with Modern Family too. When your castmates are there, it's of kind clear that the presses want to have pictures of the cast. It's a weird thing, but. So Jeremiah. Yeah, Jeremiah Bryant. So Jeremiah and Anthony. Whenever I'm in New York, I will go and see them. Now Jonathan lives there, so I see Jonathan. But their main gripe with Me is I will go to New York maybe once or twice every couple of months for a day or two. And I was one of their many dinners, or they were one of my many dinners. And so as soon as I'd get to wherever we were getting to, they'd be like, how long do we have? Because who do you have next? Yeah, and that is so true because I have a lot of friends in New York. I want to see them all stack them up. So I will be at a place for food. I won't eat much food, but I will be at a dining place from the morning until I go to bed. They found it ludicrous that at one point I saw sat at Balthazar for six hours and I had three different hangouts with different friends. I've been from this table. And then once the other person get there, I say it was really good to see. I've got to go and move to the next table and go and sit with our other friend. Six hours I stayed there. So, yeah, that's how I operate when I'm in Europe. So it'd be nice to be like, oh, I can just see. Thank you. I can just see one person tonight for dinner. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. But it is a very strange thing changing your life completely. And it feels like I'm gonna change my life completely.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It is. And it's gonna be good for you, I think.

[Tan France]

I hope so.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That was a little more from my conversation with Tan France. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners On Me. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Sinto Pasta bar in West Adams, Los Angeles. Next week on the show, you know him as a chef, restaurateur and telev personality. Behind Top Chef and beloved LA restaurants Gwen and Maude, it's Curtis Stone. We'll talk about raising adventurous and not so adventurous eaters, the lessons he learned running restaurants through the pandemic, and the simple secret to being a restaurant guest. Everyone loves. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Behr engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration block. Or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it, ready to make anything online make sense. There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required compatibility and availability various 18.