This Former 'School of Rock' Kid is Now Gay Country… Deluxe

Photo byParamount Pictures; Getty Images

“People are always shocked when they learn I’m a gay guy from New Jersey who loves country music,” Brian Falduto laughs. “I grew up on nineties country and dreamed of earning my spot on the Grand Ole Opry stage.”

Brian Falduto is best known for playing the role of Fancy Pants in 2003’s School of Rock film that starred Jack Black as a substitute teacher who turns his class into a rock band. Today, Falduto is a country music star and in his latest album, Gay Country (Deluxe Edition), out today, he reimagines some of his previous hits to show more sides of himself as an artist.

Like, for example, the upbeat, country-rock track, "Skip the Step." The version he and his band perform at their live shows is a more subdued, gentler rendition than the studio version they recorded in Nashville for the original album. For the first time, fans get to hear the more intimate version.

Brian Falduto releases the Deluxe Edition of his Gay Country album.Photo bycourtesy of brianfalduto.com/music

On the flip side, "Big Boys Club", a fan favorite for its jubilant message about finding Mr. Right as opposed to Mr. Right Now, is made to be even more celebratory with a special Pride remix of the song on the album. There is also a remix of “One More” by Real Hypha, that Falduto predicts will be everyone's summer 2024 drinking song.

We caught up with Brian Falduto in New York City.

What does Pride mean to you?
Brian Falduto: I remember my first Pride in New York City and the overwhelmingly tangible feeling of acceptance and expressivity in the air. I remember thinking that if I had seen something as big and beautiful as that when I was younger, I think I'd have felt a lot more safe in this world, a lot sooner. So, for me, Pride is about giving that message to those that need it. There's a closeted queer kid out there that doesn't know that they can just be themselves and Pride is about showing them they can.

What impact did the intense focus on the effeminate mannerisms you displayed as an adolescent have on your coming to terms with your sexuality?
Brian Falduto: I was 11 when the movie School of Rock came out. At the time, the word "gay" was most often used to insult people. There was even a whole PSA on Disney Channel to try to correct that use of language. However, I certainly didn't want to be the figurehead for the word at an age where I didn't really even know what it meant. I was visibly different: I was sassy, effeminate, bold. People saw that and felt the need to label it for their own understanding so everywhere I went I was the gay kid from the movie. It was a title I didn't want and it inevitably led to a lot of internalized homophobia. I'd like to think we're in a better place as a society twenty years later but the actor from Heartstopper, Kit Connor, just went through a very similar thing where audiences wouldn't leave him alone about his mannerisms until he was forced to come out about his sexuality.

Were audiences laughing with Fancy Pants or at him?
Brian Falduto: I think both? That's the part that felt weird. I was being praised for the exact things I was being ridiculed for. It was confusing messaging to process at that age.

Photo byPhoto courtesy of brianfalduto.com/music

Do you regret taking on the role of Fancy Pants as a child?
Brian Falduto: No, I definitely don't regret it. I've gotten so many messages from gay people who were my age at the time who needed to see someone like myself on screen and I'm glad they were able to. Plus, I don't know who I'd be without that pivotal experience that really shaped and defined a lot of my upbringing and I like who I am so no I wouldn't change anything.

Did your parents make a mistake allowing their young child to take on a role called Fancy Pants in a major motion picture?
Brian Falduto: My parents did their best with all the information they had at the time, which wasn't much more than any of us had back then.

How are you reclaiming your sexual identity in Gay Country (Deluxe Edition)?Brian Falduto: I'm finally giving myself permission to have fun with my queerness! And letting that queerness merge with country music, which was yet another thing that I didn't think was possible growing up because I never saw it. The songs are really honest and authentic while also being fun and tongue-in-cheek. The project is very me and it is very country. It's called "Gay Country" as more of a commentary on the lack of queer representation in the genre. However, the songs are good songs that, sure, are inherently gay because they're coming from a gay man's perspective, but at the end of the day, they're simply a vehicle for storytelling as is most country music.

How will you celebrate Pride this year?
Brian Falduto: I'm on tour at the moment and am hitting several major cities and either performing at their Pride festivals or playing concerts. I am currently free for New York City’s Pride weekend at the end of the month so I'm sure my partner and I will go out and celebrate with some friends, which will be nice. Happy Pride!

Visit brianfalduto.com/music