These days, our knowledge of celebrities too often originates with paparazzi images and snarky quotes by anonymous "insiders." After a while, it's easy to forget that stars are real people. That's why HuffPost Celebrity decided to launch its all-new #nofilter quick-fire question-and-answer series. Because how well do you know someone until they've shared their guiltiest pleasures?
Each week, George Kotsiopoulos dissects the sartorial highs and lows of the Hollywood elite on the popular E! talk show "Fashion Police." But how much do we really know about the former New York Times Magazine fashion associate who says he "didn't set out to be a famous person"? The Huffington Post caught up with the 44-year-old to discuss his work on the show. We asked for his opinion on the five best-dressed celebrity women (his answer: Jessica Chastain, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Kerry Washington, Kristen Dunst) and posed a few questions that got him talking about his celebrity run-ins, including the time he said Cameron Diaz had "man arms."
Is there anything –- or, more specifically, is there anybody -– who’s off-limits on "Fashion Police," or in your commentary in general?
I mean, off-limits that I’m not going to say anything bad about?
Yeah, or maybe somebody that you’re a little more sensitive toward, or anything like that?
No, no one’s off-limits. I mean, it’s really hard if -- no, you know what, because the truth is, if they look bad in something, I can’t sit there and say they look great because they’re my friend. ... The problem is, I’ll see someone I know out at an event. And in person, these women look beautiful and they look gorgeous. And I’ll often say, "Oh, you look so beautiful," and then they might be on the show next week and it just doesn’t photograph well. And it's like, oh my God, I just told her to her face how gorgeous she is. But you know what? I can always say it didn’t photograph well. It just looks gorgeous in person, but it didn’t photograph well. And the truth is, real women, they don’t care –- they don’t need to be photographed at every angle. I mean, that’s not reality. ... With celebrities, it’s a whole other story.
So do you have an example of someone who that’s happened to?
Oh, Kirsten Dunst.
Was it a particular dress, or was it something ongoing that’s been an issue for her?
Well, the thing about her is that she is like a real woman, which I love her for that. She doesn’t care what it photographs like. If she loves something, she’s going to wear it. ... I gather that she just loves clothes and she just kind of wears whatever the hell she wants to and she doesn’t care what "Fashion Police" says. And she is a fan of the show; I do know that. But, you know, you gotta love someone for that. That’s what fashion is all about. It’s kind of like: You are dressing for yourself, you’re not dressing for anyone else, so it’s interesting when people get all up in arms because it’s like, really? If you liked it, what does it matter? And it’s a comedy show, for the most part. It’s not Vogue.
So do you ever have guests who come on and they just kind of freeze when it comes time to actually do that?
You know, some do. It’s better if you have a strong opinion on any talk show. If you’re on Leno and you have nothing to say, they’re not going to book you. So I think that, yeah, I’m sure we have. We’ve had people where it’s like, oh, they were really nice, but not that opinionated. And some really surprise you. Jaime Pressly was very opinionated. Laila Ali was super opinionated. Who else? Vanessa Williams has been on there, Kylie Minogue. We’ve had pretty big people. Sarah Silverman was awesome.
Oh, I’m sure. She never has a filter, so I’m sure she’s a good target for that.
Oh yeah, she’s amazing. I think there’s a way to do that without being offensive. It’s like, just look at me. I don’t think that I’m offending anyone. I did offend Cameron Diaz because I said she had man arms.
Oh, did she retaliate to that?
Well, it was weird. I was at the Soho House, and I was at this private party that I just stumbled into with a friend who was, like, Martin Scorsese’s producer. ... She was talking to Cameron –- or she was talking to me and then she went to talk to Cameron? -- and Cameron’s like, "Is that George over there?" And I’m like, "How the fuck does Cameron Diaz even know who I am?" That’s insane. It was right after the Oscars, and she made a comment about it and I was mortified. Because I just never make comments like that about someone’s physical attributes. To me, it was just funny. It was just me trying to be funny. To me, that was like, I want arms like that. But she was very gracious about it, and you know, love her.
What do you think of Honey Boo Boo?
You know, sad. I think it’s sad. I want to believe they’re in on the joke, but I kind of don’t think they are. I just don’t believe this is a positive role model for anyone, so I just think it’s a bit sad.
Do you have any tattoos?
I do. It’s on the inside of my ankle. It used to be a stupid little yin-yang with a starburst around it that I got when I was 19. And I just hated it, and then I went when I was like 22, and I just wanted a tattoo. If you looked in the dictionary next to “tattoo,” the definition, this would be what it’s based on. It’s a scroll that says “mom.” And I think I was kind of inspired by Bart Simpson at the time because he got a tattoo that says “mom,” but I think it only said “mo” or something. But, you know, I’m not a fan of tattoos, and I just wanted something that was innocuous and literally like a cartoon version of a tattoo, which is what I have.
Would you rather sleep that is way too cold or way too hot?
Cold, as long as I have a down comforter and a cashmere blanket.
If your friend was getting married and you thought it was a mistake, would you say so?
Yes, I would, because I did have a friend who did get married. We knew it was a mistake, and it ended badly. … I’m going to use Kim Kardashian as an example, which is so sad. I just think people get caught up in the moment, and I think everyone knows in the back of their head, "Oh, this isn’t right," but you just want it so badly to be right. You just kind of keep moving forward and forward and forward, until you realize, “Holy shit, what the hell did I do? I shouldn’t have done this.” But I think you get so far in that you feel like you can’t back out. We see people leaving someone at the altar or that kind of thing on television. I don’t think that kind of thing happens in real life because you’re just too busy thinking how you can’t do this to all of your family and that sort of thing.
Do you ever snoop in your friends' medicine cabinets/drawers when you're over?
Absolutely. You wannna look for the good stuff. I don’t know, it’s human nature. I think if I saw anything incriminating, I would just slam it shut. Because there are certain things you just don’t want to know. ... But I think ultimately people know for the most part that someone’s going to look in your medicine cabinet. If you’ve got a double-headed dildo in there, then you should put it away. Oh my God, I’m so vulgar today, what is happening?
What movie could you watch over and over?
There are so many! Let’s see. You know what I’ve kind of come to realize is that I’m a huge Drew Barrymore rom-com fan. There are so many of her movies that I love. I love “Never Been Kissed.” When she gets kissed on that pitcher’s mound, I always cry. Always cry. And then I love “50 First Dates” and “Ever After,” the little Cinderella movie that she did. I mean, “Charlie’s Angels,” that’s not really a rom-com, but I guess it kind of just came to me a week ago when I was watching “50 First Dates.”
Your realiziation for your Drew Barrymore love?
Yeah, I was like, I’m a Drew Barrymore fan, oh my God. And then the other ones: I will always watch “Overboard.” If “Overboard” is on, I will watch it. And then “Clueless” is always good to watch, and “Legally Blonde” and “Pretty Woman.” Oh, did I say? I’m a gay man.
Oh, I can’t tell.
I’m either a gay man or a teenage girl. But I love any Hitchcock film. “North by Northwest” was on the other night, and I was like, "Oh my God." And, umm, what else? I love Doris Day movies. I didn’t get the Judy Garland/showtunes gay gene, but somehow I got the Doris Day gay gene. People think of her as hokey, but I’m kind of a big fan of her big-band stuff from the ‘40s. That’s kind of the Doris Day I like. I’m such a gay.
Who's your ideal drinking buddy, living or dead?
Oh my god, I don’t know. Who would be my ideal drinking buddy? I guess Marilyn Monroe would probably be a good person. I mean, in her early 30s. Late 20s, early 30s, but beyond that, once it got a little ugly, I’m like, "Noooo."
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