Antoni Porowski

Antoni Porowski
Porowski in June 2018
Born
Antoni Janusz Porowski

March 14, 1984
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Education
Occupations
  • Television personality
  • actor
  • model
  • author
Years active 2008–present
Partner Kevin Harrington (2019–2023)
Website antoniporowski.com

Antoni Janusz Porowski (born March 14, 1984) is a Canadian television personality, cook, actor, model, and author. He is the food and wine expert on the Netflix series Queer Eye (2018–present).

Early life

Porowski was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Polish parents after they immigrated to Canada with his two older sisters. His father is a physician. He grew up speaking Polish, English and French. He and his parents moved to Glade Springs, West Virginia, when he was twelve years old; he resided there and in Montreal throughout his high school years before returning to Montreal to complete his post-secondary education at Marianopolis College.

After graduating from Concordia University with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Porowski moved to New York City to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, from which he graduated in 2011. He taught himself to cook as a college student.

Career

Upon moving to New York City, Porowski began auditioning for various acting roles. He has stated that his Polish last name made it difficult for him to find work, which at the time made him consider anglicizing his last name. He has landed roles in movies such as Elliot Loves (2012), Daddy's Boy (2016), The Pretenders (2018), and as the lead officer in a 2014 episode of TV series The Blacklist. Porowski was also featured in the 2015 short docudrama about the Vinnytsia massacre, To My Father, as Adam Bandrowski. The short film was part of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Corner.

In the meantime, he worked in food service to cover his rent, first working as a busboy at a family-run Polish restaurant. He worked his way up in the restaurant industry, working as a waiter and sommelier, eventually managing the sushi restaurant BondSt.

In December 2017, it was announced that Porowski was hired as the food and wine expert in the Netflix revival of Queer Eye, which began airing in February 2018.

In April 2018, Porowski signed a deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for his first cookbook, released in Spring 2019. In June 2018, he announced that he would be opening The Village Den, a fast-casual restaurant in New York City's West Village. Additionally, Porowski deals vintage furniture.

On September 10, 2018, Porowski alongside co-hosts of Queer Eye received an Emmy for Outstanding Structured Reality Program.

Porowski was featured in Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" music video, released on June 17, 2019.

In November 2019, he was named Sexiest Reality Star by People magazine.

In June 2021, Porowski announced he is part of the new Equaversity Foundation, established to organize international fundraising to support the LGBT+ community in Poland.

Personal life

He once lived in the same neighborhood as Ted Allen, the original Queer Eye food and wine expert and current host of Food Network cooking competition Chopped. The two became friends, and for a time Porowski worked for Allen and his husband, designer Barry Rice, as their assistant, frequently cooking for the couple and helping them put together events and catering in their home.

Porowski states that his sexuality is "a little more fluid along the spectrum" and prefers not to label himself. He dated graphic artist Joey Krietemeyer for more than seven years before announcing their split in October 2018.

In 2019, Porowski and his Queer Eye costar Jonathan Van Ness set up a joint Instagram account, and posted seemingly romantic photographs. They later clarified that it was in jest.

In 2019, Porowski began dating Manhattan advertising executive Kevin Harrington. Porowski and Harrington got engaged in 2022 and lived in New York City. The couple split in 2023, ending their engagement.

Bibliography

  • Antoni in the Kitchen (2019)
  • Antoni: Let's Do Dinner (2021)

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Diary Eric Short film
2011 The Apartment Stranger Short film
2012 Elliot Loves Elliot's Father
2013 Withdrawal Louis Short film
2015 To My Father Adam Bandrowski Short film
2016 Daddy's Boy Christian
Blood Surf Simon
2018 The Pretenders Antoni
Horror Time Jacob
2023 Spoiler Alert Sebastian

Television and web

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Blue Mountain State Lacrosse Player Episode: "LAX"
2014 The Blacklist Lead Officer Episode: "Monarch Douglas Bank"
2018–present Queer Eye Himself Series regular, 47 episodes
2018 Nailed It! Himself – guest judge Episode: "Bonus: 3,2,1...Ya Not Done!!"
Don't Watch This Himself Episode: "Antoni Psycho"
2019 Lip Sync Battle Himself Season 5, Episode 1
Big Mouth Himself Season 3
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Himself Episode: "How Did Antoni Porowski And His 'Flipping Out' Beau Meet?"
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Himself Episode: "Celebrating Food as a Love Language with Antoni in the Kitchen"
2020 Martha Knows Best Himself Episode: "Vegetable Garden"
2022 Queen Antoine 2 episodes
Easy Bake Battle: The Home Cooking Competition Himself Host

Music videos

Year Song Artist
2018 "This Is Me (The Reimagined Remix)" Keala Settle, Kesha, & Missy Elliott
2019 "You Need to Calm Down” Taylor Swift

See also