dishin' it

Tommy DiDario dishes on acting ambitions, how Gio Benitez made him a “total sap,” & his ideal date night

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Want a fun party game to play with your friends? How about “Six Degrees Of Tommy Didario”—it’s like the Kevin Bacon version, expect even easier because this multi-hyphenate has worked with just about everybody in the industry!

A professional entertainment host and lifestyle reporter, DiDario can be seen (and heard!) just about anywhere. He’s the host and executive producer of iHeart Media’s I’ve Never Said This Before podcast—one of the most listened to Entertainment & News podcasts on Apple—in addition to being an on-camera entertainment correspondent for Extra, meaning he’s talked to every celebrity out there, from Jennifer Lopez to Billy Porter.

He’s also been a lifestyle contributor for The Rachel Ray Show for the past six years, a frequent guest co-host on Good Day New York, and a regular on The Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. And on top of all of that—look out, Hollywood—DiDario’s got his sight set on acting, having recently taken up acting classes again to pursue his lifelong passion (adding another credit to his name after appearing as “Hot Lawyer” on a 2015 episode of Broad City).

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Gio Benitez & Tommy DiDario’s fairytale romance is the epitome of husband goals

Since meeting online in 2015, husbands Gio Benitez and Tommy DiDario have been inseparable.

Oh, and did we mention he’s married to Good Morning America‘s out gay anchorman Gio Benitez? The two have been husbands since 2016, and together they make one of the best-looking couple on television—or anywhere, for that matter.

Just this past week, DiDario was announced as one of our 10 nominees for the “Insta-Follow” category in the 2024 Queerties Awards (you can vote for him and so many more of your favorites now through February 22). In celebration of that recognition, we decided to flip the tables on this seasoned interviewer and interview him for our rapid-fired Q&A series, Dishin’ It. In our conversation, DiDario opens about his dream screen collaborators, his favorite celeb interaction, and his ideal date night in—and out—with his husband.

Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, theater, video game, etc…—that you consider a big part of your own coming-out journey, or that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness? Why does it stand out to you?

I have been trying to think of a really impressive answer, but I have to be honest in saying no. I came out my senior year of college—it was a journey for me. I am a millennial and grew up when it was still looked down upon to be gay. You were made to feel different, to feel like it was a really, really big deal. And because of that, I wouldn’t allow myself to engage with any of the very limited forms of representation that existed at the time.

What I will say is I am so happy to see how much that has changed, especially in mainstream media. Because everyone deserves to feel seen. If I had a show like Heartstopper, for example, I think I would have felt so much differently. I love that shows like this exist today, let’s keep them coming!

Your career—from your iHeartMedia podcast I’ve Never Said This Before to your work with Extra—has taken you to a lot of cool places, and you’ve had the opportunity to work and talk with so many amazing people. With that in mind, who’s a star you’ve met that surprised you the most? How did they surprise you and/or how were they different than you expected?

Hands down Jennifer Lopez. I am a massive J.Lo fan, ever since I watched her in Selena. And she has always seemed larger than life to me. But when I interviewed her, it felt like we were the only two people in the room. It was like two friends hanging out, as if we had known each other forever. She was so kind and gracious and genuinely seemed excited to be having a conversation, even though it was such a long day for her. 

Where’s one of the first spaces you can remember that made you feel a part of a queer community

When I moved to NYC to attend college. Even though I wasn’t out yet, I started living in a city where it was very clear that everyone was welcome, and it started making me feel like I found a place where I belong. I didn’t feel that way in the small town I grew up in, so in many ways Manhattan allowed me to start stepping into my true identity.

Related:

10 classic ‘Power Rangers’ villains that were definitely queer

In honor of the Power Rangers’ new, non-binary villain, here’s a look back at the show’s classic monsters we’re pretty sure were queer all along.

We love your love story with America’s favorite morning show co-anchor, Gio Benitez. What’s something you’d say you’ve learned about yourself through the course of your relationship?

I have learned that I am a hopeless romantic, which completely surprised me. I never wanted to get married until l met Gio. Then we met and my whole world changed. I’m now the guy who will obsessively look through 100 birthday cards just to find the perfect one. I will randomly go all in on surprising him—like one September 17th, I transformed our dining area into a Parisian cafe to celebrate the day we got engaged in Paris. Or I will leave an “I love you” note on a ripped up paper towel and put it in his work bag. I have become a total sap… sometimes I am even like “what happened?!” 

And, speaking of Gio: What’s your ideal date night? Are you going out—if so, where to?—or are you staying in? What sort of activities do you love to do together, what’s your favorite date night meal, etc…?

This is ever changing. When we want to go out and about something involving the arts like seeing a Broadway or off-Broadway show, going to watch a movie (yes, I still love a good movie theater and they are important, so go to the cinema!), listening to live music, and then having a nice dinner at one of our favorite spots.

When we want to relax, we love a good tv show/movie couch night and cooking dinner in. Even going for a nice walk in Central Park. I am all about creating memories and appreciating all of them, no matter how big or small they may seem.

Who’s a fictional character you had a crush on at a younger age (or maybe still do!)? What do you remember loving about them?

Probably the Power Rangers. I was even in the fan club and had quite an extensive collection of memorabilia! I think I even pretend that I was one?

Related:

10 classic ‘Power Rangers’ villains that were definitely queer

In honor of the Power Rangers’ new, non-binary villain, here’s a look back at the show’s classic monsters we’re pretty sure were queer all along.

In a recent Instagram post, you shared the adorable story of how you played “1 of 5 Cheshire Cats” in your elementary school production of Alice In Wonderland, and now we’re excited you’re following that dream you’ve had since childhood and you’re taking acting classes again. With that in mind, what’s an example of a dream role you’d like to play? Who’s a director you’ve always wanted to work with, and/or an actor you’d love to star alongside?

This is such a hard question because I love so many different genres and artists. Being on a sitcom like Friends would have been a dream. I used to watch that every single week and imagine being on a show like that. But I also would have loved to play Jack in Titanic—although no one can touch Dicaprio! I saw that movie more than I can count. Director: Paul Feig, Steven Spielberg, and I am loving Greta Gerwig.

And a dream actor to work alongside would be Meryl Streep. I would have played the coat rack next to her desk in The Devil Wears Prada to just be in her creative presence.

Who is a queer or trans artist/performer/creator that you think is doing really cool work right now? Why are they someone we should all be paying attention to?

I just watched Fellow Travelers and that entire cast blew me away. Jonathan Bailey, Matt Bomer, Jelani Alladin, and Noah J. Ricketts. Give them all the awards. I cried my eyes out. And I think they all use their platforms in really powerful ways. Also MJ Rodriguez—I fell in love with her when I watched Pose and I love seeing her career continue to take off. 

Scroll down below for a few more of our favorite shots from DiDario’s Instagram page:

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