Jai Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Jai Rodriguez is an actor
and musician
best known as the culture guide on the Bravo network's Emmy-winning
American
reality television
program Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He has also co-authored a book with the other Queer Eye
hosts.
and Italian
descent, and was born David Jai Rodriguez in Brentwood, New York
. He performed with gospel choirs from the age of eleven, and studied musical theater at the Boces Cultural Art Center. He also attended Smithtown High School (Now Smithtown West) where he performed in various plays. He currently lives in Los Angeles
, where he is pursuing his music and acting career full time.
stage musical Rent
, as Angel, and the Off Broadway musical Zanna, Don't!
, as Zanna. He has also acted in several plays, including Spinning Into Butter
at the Lincoln Center. In 2005, he created and performed his own one night stage show, "Jai Rodriguez: xPosed." xPosed told the story of Rodriguez's life and struggle to come out to his religious family, and of his career on stage and in Queer Eye. His Queer Eye co-stars Ted Allen
and Carson Kressley
appeared as themselves.
In November 1993, Rodriguez appeared in one episode of the daytime drama All My Children
. In August 2005, he made a two-day guest appearance on the ABC
daytime drama One Life to Live
.
In November 2005, while Queer Eye
was on filming hiatus, he joined the cast of The Producers
on Broadway for three months, playing the role of Carmen Ghia. He played a different role, that of Sabu, in the 2005 Producers
movie.
In August 2007, Rodriguez filmed a guest starring role in drama series Nip/Tuck
, playing the character of Chaz Darling. The episode (also titled Chaz Darling) aired in November 2007.
In March 2010, Rodriguez appeared as a newscaster in the music video for "Telephone", with Lady Gaga
and Beyoncé
.
In February 2011, Rodriguez appeared in an episode of the ABC series Detroit 1-8-7
titled 'Legacy; Drag City', playing a drag queen.
In March 2011, Rodriguez made an appearance in an episode of NBC's Harry's Law
, titled 'Send in the Clowns', as a drag queen fired after an affair with a club owner was exposed.
In November 2011, Rodriguez appeared in an episode of How I Met Your Mother
called The Rebound Girl
.
resident "Culture Vulture", functioning as the show's expert on the topic of culture
, and the show's success brought him increased exposure. He was a replacement host for the show's originally-cast culture host, but has been part of Queer Eye since the third episode.
In May 2007, Rodriguez announced he would be appearing as a regular judge on two new reality shows: MTV
's "Shower Power" (an American Idol-type singing contest) and Court TV
's "The Jury," (a Judge Judy-type show where cases are decided by a panel of celebrity judges).
On November 3, 2007, Rodriguez started co-hosting (with Daisy Fuentes
) a new show, Ultimate Style, on the Style Network
. The weekly series covers celebrities, fashion, beauty, home and all things related to style. Also in 2007, Rodriguez hosted one season of travel/style show Styleyes on Sí TV
.
Rodriguez also hosted the Animal Planet
reality TV show Groomer Has It
, which premiered 12 April 2008 on Animal Planet
. He also appears on GSN Live
as a sub host.
In 2011, Rodriguez guest starred on NBC
's Harry's Law
as a drag performer in need of legal help.
Rodriguez released his first single, "Love Is Good", on the indie record label Arrive At Eleven Productions in March 2003. He then recorded his debut album for Airgo Records. The first single from the album, Broken, was released on October 4, 2007.
Rodriguez appeared as one of the celebrity singers on the Fox
reality TV show Celebrity Duets
, which premiered August 29. He was eliminated on September 22, 2006.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
best known as the culture guide on the Bravo network's Emmy-winning
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
program Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He has also co-authored a book with the other Queer Eye
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
hosts.
Biography
Rodriguez is of Puerto RicanPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
descent, and was born David Jai Rodriguez in Brentwood, New York
Brentwood, New York
Brentwood is a hamlet of the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Brentwood is 53,917.The colony was established on March 21, 1851, on 750 acres of land on Long Island, New York, by Josiah Warren and Stephen Pearl Andrews...
. He performed with gospel choirs from the age of eleven, and studied musical theater at the Boces Cultural Art Center. He also attended Smithtown High School (Now Smithtown West) where he performed in various plays. He currently lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he is pursuing his music and acting career full time.
Acting
Rodriguez is a stage actor and singer best known for his roles in the BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage musical Rent
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
, as Angel, and the Off Broadway musical Zanna, Don't!
Zanna, Don't! (musical)
Zanna Don't! is a musical written by Tim Acito and with additional lyrics and material by Alexander Dinelaris. It has played in regional theatres, Off-Broadway and off-West End. The story is set in a parallel universe where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is a taboo...
, as Zanna. He has also acted in several plays, including Spinning Into Butter
Spinning Into Butter
Spinning Into Butter is a play by American playwright Rebecca Gilman. The play debuted at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 1999. It was later produced at the Lincoln Center and the Royal Court Theatre, was named one of the best plays of 1999 by Time, and eventually became the third-most-produced...
at the Lincoln Center. In 2005, he created and performed his own one night stage show, "Jai Rodriguez: xPosed." xPosed told the story of Rodriguez's life and struggle to come out to his religious family, and of his career on stage and in Queer Eye. His Queer Eye co-stars Ted Allen
Ted Allen
Ted Allen is an American writer and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the American Bravo network's Emmy-winning television program Queer Eye. He now is the host of the prime-time series on Food Network Chopped, a culinary competition in which four chefs per episode...
and Carson Kressley
Carson Kressley
Carson Lee Kressley was the fashion expert on the American television program Queer Eye, where he was one of the show's "Fab Five" members. He is also the motivational host of the TV show How to Look Good Naked.-Biography:...
appeared as themselves.
In November 1993, Rodriguez appeared in one episode of the daytime drama All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. In August 2005, he made a two-day guest appearance on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
daytime drama One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
.
In November 2005, while Queer Eye
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
was on filming hiatus, he joined the cast of The Producers
The Producers (musical)
The Producers is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich...
on Broadway for three months, playing the role of Carmen Ghia. He played a different role, that of Sabu, in the 2005 Producers
The Producers (2005 film)
# "Overture" - Orchestra# "Opening Night" - Opening Nighters# "We Can Do It" - Max and Leo# "I Wanna Be a Producer" - Leo, Accountants, Mr. Marks and Dancing Chorus Girls# "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" - Franz, Max, and Leo...
movie.
In August 2007, Rodriguez filmed a guest starring role in drama series Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
, playing the character of Chaz Darling. The episode (also titled Chaz Darling) aired in November 2007.
In March 2010, Rodriguez appeared as a newscaster in the music video for "Telephone", with Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
.
In February 2011, Rodriguez appeared in an episode of the ABC series Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7
Detroit 1-8-7 is an American crime drama series about Detroit's leading homicide unit, created by Jason Richman for ABC. It features an ensemble cast of actors including Michael Imperioli and James McDaniel...
titled 'Legacy; Drag City', playing a drag queen.
In March 2011, Rodriguez made an appearance in an episode of NBC's Harry's Law
Harry's Law
Harry's Law is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley. which premiered on January 17, 2011.On May 12, 2011, NBC renewed the show for a second season, which premiered Wednesday September 21, 2011...
, titled 'Send in the Clowns', as a drag queen fired after an affair with a club owner was exposed.
In November 2011, Rodriguez appeared in an episode of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
called The Rebound Girl
The Rebound Girl
"The Rebound Girl" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 147th episode overall. It aired on November 21, 2011.- Plot :...
.
Television hosting
In 2003, Rodriguez became Queer Eye'sQueer Eye
Queer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
resident "Culture Vulture", functioning as the show's expert on the topic of culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, and the show's success brought him increased exposure. He was a replacement host for the show's originally-cast culture host, but has been part of Queer Eye since the third episode.
In May 2007, Rodriguez announced he would be appearing as a regular judge on two new reality shows: MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's "Shower Power" (an American Idol-type singing contest) and Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
's "The Jury," (a Judge Judy-type show where cases are decided by a panel of celebrity judges).
On November 3, 2007, Rodriguez started co-hosting (with Daisy Fuentes
Daisy Fuentes
Daisy Fuentes is a Cuban-American television host, model, and comedian. Daisy Fuentes broke barriers as MTV's first Latina VJ , and as Revlon's first Latina spokesperson to be signed to a worldwide contract.-Early life:Fuentes was born in Havana, Cuba to a Cuban father and Spanish mother...
) a new show, Ultimate Style, on the Style Network
Style Network
The Style Network is an American cable television network based in Los Angeles.Owned by NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of General Electric and Comcast, its sister channels include E! Entertainment Television, USA Network, Syfy, G4, Golf Channel, and Versus, among others.-Network Overview:Style's...
. The weekly series covers celebrities, fashion, beauty, home and all things related to style. Also in 2007, Rodriguez hosted one season of travel/style show Styleyes on Sí TV
Sí TV
NuvoTV is an English-language cable network that caters to the bicultural Latino population of the United States. Programming includes lifestyle, reality, comedy, and more...
.
Rodriguez also hosted the Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
reality TV show Groomer Has It
Groomer Has It
Groomer Has It is an American reality game television series broadcast on Animal Planet. It features a competition between twelve of America's best dog groomers to see who is the best groomer in America. The prize includes $50,000 and a "mobile grooming salon." The show is hosted by Jai Rodriguez...
, which premiered 12 April 2008 on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
. He also appears on GSN Live
GSN Live
GSN Live is an American live interactive show on Game Show Network that premiered on February 25, 2008 at noon ET and officially ended its 3 year run on July 29, 2011. The last "live" edition aired May 13, 2011...
as a sub host.
In 2011, Rodriguez guest starred on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Harry's Law
Harry's Law
Harry's Law is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley. which premiered on January 17, 2011.On May 12, 2011, NBC renewed the show for a second season, which premiered Wednesday September 21, 2011...
as a drag performer in need of legal help.
Music
As a singer, Rodriguez has performed on stage and as a recording artist. In 2002, he created his own musical cabaret show, titled "Monday Night Twisted Cabaret," which ran at New York gay club xl for a year. Rodriguez continued to perform "Twisted Cabaret" on a sporadic basis between 2004-2006.Rodriguez released his first single, "Love Is Good", on the indie record label Arrive At Eleven Productions in March 2003. He then recorded his debut album for Airgo Records. The first single from the album, Broken, was released on October 4, 2007.
Rodriguez appeared as one of the celebrity singers on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
reality TV show Celebrity Duets
Celebrity Duets
Celebrity Duets was an American reality television show of the progressive game-show type, which combined celebrities of different backgrounds with professional singers in a weekly elimination competition....
, which premiered August 29. He was eliminated on September 22, 2006.
Books
Rodriguez is also a co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab Five's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better, and Living Better (Published by Clarkson Potter, 2004).Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 2002 in film The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of... |
The New Guy The New Guy The New Guy is a 2002 American teen comedy directed by Ed Decter. The film tells the story of high school loser Dizzy Gillespie Harrison. Dizzy is an unpopular, high school band geek going through a hellish senior year... |
Jose | |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
The Producers The Producers (2005 film) # "Overture" - Orchestra# "Opening Night" - Opening Nighters# "We Can Do It" - Max and Leo# "I Wanna Be a Producer" - Leo, Accountants, Mr. Marks and Dancing Chorus Girls# "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" - Franz, Max, and Leo... |
Sabu | |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! is a 2010 comedy film directed, written and produced by Evgeny Afineevsky which stars Lainie Kazan, Saul Rubinek, Vincent Pastore, John Lloyd Young, Jai Rodriguez, Bruce Vilanch, and Carmen Electra. The theme song, "The Word Is Love" is written by Desmond Child and performed... |
Angelo Ferraro |