Tan France Talks About Swapping Makeovers for Mayhem in ‘Deli Boys’

For eight seasons, Tan France has been the warm, impeccably dressed style expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye, transforming wardrobes and boosting confidence with his signature charm. He was also spreading the gospel of fashion as a host on Dressing Funny, and co-host on Next in Fashion. But beyond his professional achievements, France has long been a trailblazer — one of the first openly gay South Asian men on television, breaking barriers with his visibility and voice.

Now, he’s stepping into an entirely different role; his first acting job is guest-starring as Zubair in Deli Boys. A far cry from his usual upbeat persona, Zubair is a ruthless, stylish, South London gang leader who takes people down — both literally and figuratively. It’s a role that challenges expectations and showcases a side of France that audiences have never seen before.

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In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India — in the wee hours of the morning, no less — France spoke candidly about his journey from reality TV to scripted dramedy, the years he secretly spent taking acting classes, and yes, how he couldn’t help but judge Zubair’s fashion choices.

Edited excerpts:

Tan France

Tan, we know you from Queer Eye and you’re known for lifting people up, not taking them down. What made you say yes to playing a gang leader?

I wanted people to see a very different side of what I can do. You know, after eight years in entertainment, I’ve always just gotten to be me — which is sunshine and lollipops. But I really wanted to show that I can do so much more. This role was so exciting to me because I wanted to shock the audience. I wanted people to see the most unexpected version of me. And I’d like to believe we achieved that.

I don’t think anyone would ever expect me to play a killer — a very, very violent man. Zubair is nothing like me. And I’m hoping that once you get over the initial shock of, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Tan,’ by the end of the episode, you just hate Zubair.

You’ve always been effortlessly charming as yourself. Was fiction something you always wanted to try, or did this come as a surprise?

So, here’s a little behind-the-scenes story. When I got Queer Eye eight and a half years ago, I had never been on camera before. I’d never auditioned for anything. I was so nervous. Right before the show came out, we were about to do this massive press tour — major American talk shows and everything — and I was freaking out. My agent suggested I take an acting class just to get over the nerves and embarrassment. They said, “Do it for a month, and it’ll help.”

I did, and I enjoyed it so much that I just kept going. So, once a week for the last eight years, I’ve taken an acting class — not because I thought it would lead to anything, but just to build my confidence on camera.

When Deli Boys came up, I thought, “Well, technically, I’ve been working on this for a while — so why not?”

Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh in 'Deli Boys.'James Washington/Disney

But I never thought, “One day, I’m going to be an actor.” It’s very, very rare for someone to go from unscripted to scripted — especially someone like me. And sorry, this is going to sound awful to say, but it’s rare for someone at our level. Queer Eye became the most successful unscripted show in history, and people know me so well from that. It’s hard to separate Tan from what they’re watching on screen.

So, I never thought scripted work was a possibility. But after doing this? I loved it. I pray I get to do this forever.

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That’s wonderful! Zubair is so stylish. Did you have a say in his wardrobe? And be honest — were you judging what he was wearing?

Oh, of course, I was judging what he was wearing! So yes, he’s very stylish — for a straight man (laughs). On Queer Eye, if I were styling a straight guy, I might put him in something similar.

But you know me — I’m a little extra. These are not outfits I’d ever wear. When the costume designer was creating Zubair’s look, she was so nervous because she knew me from Queer Eye. She kept asking, “Do you mind if we do this? Or that?” And I told her, “Do whatever you want. This isn’t about what Tan wants — this is about what Zubair wears. I don’t care.”

Honestly, the wardrobe really helped me get into character every day. I’d put it on, look in the mirror, and hate the outfit. Hate the shoes. Oh my god, I hated the shoes so much! But that helped. It made me feel like Zubair.