Former child star Brian Falduto on his deep appreciation for a dude with a donque, his secret talent & more

Most people remember Brian Falduto as Billy “Fancy Pants”, the sassy Catholic school boy from 2003’s School of Rock starring Jack Black. Falduto was in fifth grade when he filmed the movie. Years later, as a senior in college, he came out as gay. And today, he’s reinvented himself as a sexy country crooner with a queer sensibility.

Falduto’s newest single, “Skip the Step”, just dropped this weekend and is the follow-up to previous his singles “Big Boys Club”, “Same Old Country Love Song”, and “Hottest Guy Here”, all released in 2022.

We asked him to participate in our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It. In the conversation below, he shares everything from his deep appreciation for a dude with a nice donque, to his lifelong love of Survivor, to his wasted secret talent, and so much more.

QUEERTY: What is the gayest thing about you?

FALDUTO: Ha! Besides that I have sex with men? Hmm… probably the frequency at which I randomly burst into song.

What is the Big Boys Club and how do we join?

Haha. “The Big Boys Club” is a celebration of those of us who are taking dating seriously. Or maybe you don’t need to be “dating” per se but anyone who is putting in the effort to show up in their life in a genuine and authentic way. No more games, no more toxicity. Just honest, clear and direct communication, emotional availability, and stability/security in relationships. These are things men are generally not taught to seek in our culture but it’s sexy AF in my opinion. Now accepting applications!

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Is there a piece of pop culture—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, etc.—that you consider a big part of your coming out journey? Why does it stand out to you?

Probably The Velvet Rage because of how it contextualizes the collective shame we experience as gay men. That book really gave language to a lot of what was getting in my way in life, as did Hannah Gadsby’s comedy special, Nanette. I also love Untamed by Glennon Doyle for similar reasons.

Given your own musical background, we’re curious to hear: Who is your #1 all-time favorite country music star and why?

This is a tough Q! I feel like the answer changes depending on how I think about it. Like, are we talking guilty pleasure? Favorite to see live? Favorite songwriter? If I had to choose one artist who checks the most boxes it would be Kacey Musgraves. I think she’s a brilliant lyricist. I love that she openly embraces the queer community and that she refuses to put herself in a box musically.

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You have another song called “Hottest Guy Here” that you released last year. What do you think is the hottest quality in a potential partner?

I get so turned on by my boyfriend’s thoughtfulness. I also love a good butt. (Who doesn’t?!) And I love when I can release control to someone who I feel safe with and who seems like they have the temperament to take it.

You’re a huge Survivor fan (us too!) and have never missed an episode. If you were to be a contestant on the show, what challenge do you think you would do the best at and why?

Oh yes, huge Survivor fan here! I actually did like a mock Survivor game recently where I played against other fans of the show in an amateur campground setting. I can’t share much until it comes out on YouTube but I’ll say I did really well in challenges that require endurance in a “mind over matter” sort of way such as keeping balance or maintaining strength. So I think I could give Parvati a run for her money in that challenge where she had to hold her arm up over her head for over six hours or however long it was. On the other hand, I discovered I am awful at puzzles.

Who’s a fictional character you had a crush on when you were younger? What do you remember loving about them?

Probably Troy Bolton [from High School Musical]. I think he just represented everything I thought I could never have. Sporty, popular, high school jock who is secretly a musical theater nerd and also just a nice guy. That combination of human didn’t exist in my high school and even if they did, it was unlikely back then that they’d want anything to do with me.

What is your secret talent?

I’m weirdly good at skiing. My dad used to be a professional ski instructor so I was raised on the slopes. The hilarious part though is that I only somewhat enjoy skiing so it feels like a misplaced talent that would be better suited to someone who lives for winter sports. The skill feels a bit wasted on me. I don’t like being cold!