Tim Gunn | |
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 Gunn attending the81st Academy Awards, 2009 | |
| Born | Timothy MacKenzie Gunn (1953-07-29)July 29, 1953 (age 72) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
Timothy MacKenzie Gunn (born July 29, 1953) is an American author, academic, and television personality. He served on the faculty ofParsons School of Design inGreenwich Village, New York from 1982 to 2007 and was chair of fashion design at the school from August 2000 to March 2007, after which he joinedLiz Claiborne (nowKate Spade & Company) as itschief creative officer. Over 16 seasons, Gunn became well known as the on-air mentor to designers on the reality television programProject Runway. Gunn's popularity onProject Runway led to two spin-off shows;Bravo'sTim Gunn's Guide to Style andLifetime'sUnder the Gunn, and he wrote five books. In addition to being an executive producer, Gunn has been a mentor for teen designers onProject Runway: Junior. He also provides the voice of Baileywick, the castle steward in theDisney Jr. television showSofia the First and narrated the sitcomMixology.
Gunn was born in Washington, D.C.[1] His father worked in theFBI where he started as an agent but transitioned into becoming aghostwriter and speechwriter forJ. Edgar Hoover.[2] He attendedCorcoran College of Art and Design atGeorge Washington University in Washington D.C. receiving a BFA degree in sculpture.[3]
Gunn, who had identified as gay,[3] was raised in an intenselyhomophobic household where homosexuals were viewed as predators.[3] According to a video Gunn made for theIt Gets Better Project, he attempted suicide at the age of 17 by swallowing over 100 pills.[4][5] He denied his sexual orientation until his early 20s, and did not share it with his family until he came out to his sister when he was 29.[3]
After serving as director of admissions for Corcoran, Gunn started working at Parsons in 1982, served as associate dean from 1989 to 2000, and then became the Fashion Design Department chair in August 2000. He was credited with "retooling and invigorating the curriculum for the 21st century."[6][7]
Gunn began appearing onProject Runway during its first season in 2004, and is known for his catchphrase, "Make it work." He received aPrimetime Emmy Award in 2013 for Outstanding Host for a Reality Or Reality-Competition Program.[8]Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, a reality show in which Gunn gives fashion advice, debuted in September 2007 on the Bravo television network. The show ran for 16 episodes over two seasons. Beginning in January 2014, he was the host on a 13–episode season of Lifetime'sUnder the Gunn. He is an executive producer forProject Runway: Junior. He is the teen designers' mentor.
Gunn played a version of himself as a reporter for the fictional Fashion TV in two episodes ofABC'sUgly Betty in February 2007[9] and later guest starred onDrop Dead Diva in August 2009 as himself. He left Parsons in 2007 joiningLiz Claiborne, Inc. as the company's chief creative officer in March of that year.[10]
In April 2007, Abrams Image Publishers released Gunn's bookA Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, co-written with Kate Moloney, cover photo byMarkus Klinko &Indrani. While on tour inPalm Springs, California, the nearby city of Palm Desert honored Gunn with an official resolution declaring April 27, 2007 (the day of his visit) Timothy M. Gunn Day. He was presented with a certificate by the city of Palm Springs and a plaque by the nearby city ofRancho Mirage in recognition of his career achievements.[11] From 2010 to 2015 he had four additional books (listed below) published.
In May 2009, Gunn served as the commencement speaker at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and received an honorary doctorate from the institution.[12] He made sporadic appearances onThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson's "Dear Aquaman" segments, helping or standing in forAquaman (Ferguson), answering letters and dispensing advice.[13] Gunn guest starred as Barney's personal tailor on several episodes ofHow I Met Your Mother.[14] He guest starred as himself on the 6th episode ofCW's fourth season ofGossip Girl, "Easy J".[15]
On September 7, 2018, it was confirmed that Gunn, along withHeidi Klum would not be returning toProject Runway for a 17th season on Bravo as they both signed a deal to host a fashion competition show onAmazon Video titledMaking the Cut.[16]Making the Cut released its third season in the summer of 2022.
In August 2007, "Tim Gunn's Podcast (a reality chamber opera)" by Jeffrey Lependorf premiered at theCornelia Street Cafe inManhattan.[17] It received its first run one year later at theNew York International Fringe Festival. Gunn appeared in a backup story in the first issue ofModels Inc., a fashion-themed comic bookminiseries published byMarvel Comics which debuted in September 2009 to coincide with New York City's style showcase. He is featured on a variant cover of the issue illustrated byPhil Jimenez. In the series, which is written byProject Runway fan Mark Sumerak and illustrated by Jimenez, Gunn donsIron Man armor to foil an attack against the New York Fashion Museum.[18] Gunn appeared in the opening skit on the62nd Primetime Emmy Awards as a stylist makingJimmy Fallon look likeBruce Springsteen, from hisBorn in the U.S.A. album.
In 2014, he participated inDo I Sound Gay?, a documentary film by David Thorpe aboutstereotypes of gay men's speech patterns.[19] Tim Gunn appears inKate McKinnon's audio dramaHeads Will Roll. He was on the Living Not So Fabulously podcast and talked about his career including how he met his agent 18 years ago. "Well, I was a career educator... 29 years in the classroom... where the Project Runway producers found me (many people had told the producers they should "talk to Tim."). Gunn had been unpaid for two seasons of the Bravo show; Sweden could not believe Gunn was not being paid anything and only had a book deal in the works.Miramax owned the program. Gunn went on to say that last semester he taught atEmerson College. Again he was unpaid and on top of that he paid for his own travel and expenses. He said, "I always say life is a big collaboration. We are not solos. We need other people."[20]
Gunn lives in Manhattan. In a 2010 interview withPeople he said, "For a long time, I didn't know what I was. I knew what I wasn't: I wasn't interested in boys, and I really wasn't interested in girls." He mentioned he has "always been kind ofasexual."[21] Gunn spoke about his celibacy in 2012. He later said that he is unashamed of this fact saying, "Do I feel like less of a person for it? No... I'm a perfectly happy and fulfilled individual." He said he began his self-imposed celibacy as AIDS began ravaging the gay community, and that he and many other people simply retreated.[22]
Gunn is an outspoken critic of clothing designs using animal fur. In 2008, he narrated a video about rabbit fur farming in China foranimal rights groupPETA. He said that the treatment of animals used for fur is "egregiously irresponsible".[23] Gunn endorsedChristine Quinn formayor of New York City in the2013 mayoral election.[24]
In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQPride parade,Queerty named Gunn among the fifty heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people".[25][26]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2017 | Project Runway | Himself (Mentor) | |
| 2007 | Drinks with LX | Himself | |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Fashion TV Reporter | 2 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Tim Gunn's Guide to Style | Himself | |
| 2008 | American Dad! | Himself | Voice, episode: "Escape from Pearl Bailey" |
| 2008 | The Replacements | Himself | Voice, episode: "Heartbreak in the City" |
| 2009 | Drop Dead Diva | Himself | Episode: "Second Chances" |
| 2009 | Project Runway: All Star Challenge | Himself | Television special |
| 2009–2016 | The Biggest Loser | Himself | |
| 2010–2014 | How I Met Your Mother | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Gossip Girl | Himself | Episode: "Easy J" |
| 2011 | Teen Spirit | Supervisor J-3 | Television film |
| 2012 | The Revolution | Himself (Co-Host) | |
| 2012 | The Cleveland Show | Himself | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2012–2018 | Sofia the First | Baileywick | Voice, 42 episodes[27] |
| 2013 | Sesame Street | Bill Ding | Episode: "Best House of the Year" |
| 2013 | Family Guy | Himself | Voice, episode: "Save the Clam" |
| 2014 | Under the Gunn | Himself (Host) | |
| 2014 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself (Panelist) | Episode: "What's Cooking on Game Night" |
| 2015 | Inside Amy Schumer | Willenby | Episode: "Foam" |
| 2016 | The Real O'Neals | Himself | Episode: "The Real Other Woman" |
| 2017 | Bill Nye Saves the World | Himself | Episode: "Designer Babies" |
| 2017–2019 | Mickey and the Roadster Racers | Robbie Roberts | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2017 | BoJack Horseman | Himself | Voice, episode: "Hooray! Todd Episode!" |
| 2019 | Middle School Moguls | Wren | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2020–2022 | Making the Cut | Himself (Host) | Also executive producer |
| 2020 | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | Himself | Voice, episode: "A Fashion Nightmare!"[27] |
| 2021 | Animaniacs | Pageant Host | Voice, episode: "Mouse Congeniality" |
| 2023 | Bob's Burgers | Sewing Machine | Voice, episode: "Gift Card or Buy Trying" |
| 2026 | Sofia the First: Royal Magic | Baileywick | Voice, main role[28] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sex and the City 2 | Himself | |
| 2011 | The Smurfs | Henri |
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