George, Straight Up

In-demand stylist and fashion expert George Kotsiopoulos is as passionate about giving back to the LGBT community as he is about offering sartorial advice to Hollywood's elite on the red carpet. On February 19 the dapper Fashion Police commentator, who holds his own opposite Joan Rivers, Kelly Osbourne, and Giuliana Rancic on E!'s hit series, will serve as cohost (along with Lance Bass) of Hollywood Rush. The event is described as an exciting evening of live theater in which a series of one-act plays are written, rehearsed, and performed all within a single day. Some of Hollywood’s most talented actors, directors, and writers will participate in the benefit for the Baby Dragon Fund, which helps raise money for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's programs for youth, mental health, and crystal meth recovery and prevention. Kotsiopoulos tells The Advocate why this cause is important to him, what Joan Rivers is really like off camera, and why he doesn't want to be the next Brad Goreski.

The Advocate: This is your second time hosting Hollywood Rush. How would you describe the evening?
George Kotsiopoulos: It’s basically a bunch of creative folks getting together and putting on a show and they have 24 hours to do it. [Laughs] The writers are given ideas to work with and just so many hours to actually write the scene. Then the directors come in and have to translate them. Basically, everyone gets the information instantly and it’s all created within a 24-hour period. It’s insane.

It sounds chaotic in the best way. Are the plays polished, or do actors tend to improvise and get crazy?


I don’t think there’s a lot of improvising. Well, obviously with anything that happens live you’ve got to roll with it. It really is a rush of energy and adrenaline and creative spirit. I have ADD, so with everything changing so fast it’s perfect for me. [Laughs] I can follow the storylines. Also, it’s fun. It’s not a somber evening. It was very entertaining and interesting to see what people do with what they’re given. There are always really talented people involved. It’s fun to see the camaraderie and everyone having fun and it’s for a really good cause.

It's a fund-raiser for the Baby Dragon Fund, which helps young people recover from addiction. Why is this important to you?
I actually just learned this statistic. Forty percent of homeless youth is LGBT. That’s a huge percentage. That’s almost half of all homeless youth. It’s fucked up. I’m on board for anything that helps children. I’m also involved with P.S. Arts, which puts arts education in the public school system. Kids who are raised with open minds and open hearts don’t grow up to be assholes. [Laughs]