Interview With Nate Berkus of "Oprah's Big Give"
In 2007, interior decorator Nate Berkus told Out Magazine he hadn't sought out fame,
but didn't mind it because it gave him the chance to interact with folks. It's
a good thing he enjoys it so much because, thanks to his newest gig — hosting Oprah's Big Give — Berkus' already high
profile has only risen that much higher.
Naturally, many gay men will tune in to OBG to see Berkus himself, who is quite easy on the eyes. But Berkus thinks there are far more worthwhile reasons to watch, including his passionate belief in the importance that all us of be global citizens. AfterElton.com recently caught up with the 36-year-old decorator/entrepreneur/television host as he talks about Oprah’s message of doing good for others, his new relationship with Swiss shoe designer Bally’s creative director Brian Atwood, and what his own coming out was like.
AfterElton: We didn’t
see as much of you in the premiere as I hoped. Are we going to see more of you
going forward?
Nate Berkus: I’m
always there to give the contestants their challenges. I’m always there for the
eliminations, so you’ll be seeing a lot of me in the show.
AE: I know none of
the contestants are gay, but are there any challenges that happen to have a gay
theme or center on a gay person or organization?
NB: Unfortunately
I can’t tell you that right now because the challenges change every week and
the cities change every week so I wouldn’t want to give out such information. I
would definitely tell your readers to stay with the show, because it touches on
everything.
AE: There’s still a
hunger in the gay community for gay visibility, especially on television and
you’ve reached a level that is pretty hard to rival. I’m curious how you feel
about being a role model for the gay community, especially younger gay men. How
do you deal with that kind of pressure?
NB: Well, it
really doesn’t feel like pressure to me. What it feels like is kind of putting
your best foot forward regardless of who you are as a person. And I think that
when you do that and you sort of treat your professional and your personal
commitments with integrity, then if somebody is going to witness that, I hope
it instills in them some confidence about their own lifestyle.
Oprah with Nate (Photo ABC/Chris Chavra)
AE: in that same vein, a you once said you
thought being famous would be something you would enjoy because you like
interacting with people so much. However, America’s celebrity culture tends
to tell us everything about celebrities’ lives and naturally fans of gay
celebrities want to know about gay celebrities’ lives. How do you deal with that
issue?
NB: I don’t
really have a problem with it. I do enjoy talking to people. It doesn’t take
anything away from me to interact with people and if they’re watching the show
and they have questions. In fact, yesterday at the airport in Chicago, I had a ton of people come up to me
and they gave me feedback about the show and it was fantastic. I engage in
these conversations because I think it’s really interesting knowing what people
watching have to say.
AE: Are you currently
involved in a relationship?
NB: Yes.
AE: Anything you are
willing to share about it?
NB: Sure. Shoe designer Brian Atwood. He’s also the creative director of Bally
[the 156-year-old Swiss shoe company].
AE: How long have you
been dating?
NB: A year.
E: Do you see
yourself settling down one day permanently? If marriage were available, would
you like to get married? Would you like to have kids?
NB: Unequivocally,
yes to all of that.
Brian Atwood with Berkus (photo courtesy of Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
AE: We’re used to
seeing openly gay men on interior decorating shows, and makeover shows and
fashion shows, but Oprah’s Big Give
is something a little different as you’re out giving money away and doing philanthropy.
Do you think it’s important for gay men to be seen as more than just fashion
designers and makeup artists and is this an opportunity to do that?
NB: I think it’s
important for everyone to be seen doing what they love to do, so I actually
don’t draw a distinction between quote-unquote stereotypical gay professions
versus other ventures that people might excel in. Looking at people and judging
them based on their sexuality, or discounting someone based on their sexuality
is a really, really scary, rough, unnecessary road. I have the opportunity to
be on television and I’m very grateful for that, but I don’t think the
importance is that I’m hosting a television show.
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