Tan France reveals fans often mistake him for Kiwi director Taika Waititi

Queer Eye star Tan France has revealed that fans have mistaken him for the Kiwi actor Taika Waititi. Photo / AP

Queer Eye star Tan France has revealed that fans have mistaken him for the Kiwi director Taika Waititi.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show, the 36-year-old stylist and designer said he has been approached by many who believed he was the Oscar-winning director.

"I would like to have an iconic look, but apparently someone else has that iconic look — Taika Waititi," he explains.

The audience starts laughing as the host shares a comparison image.

France continues to say that when he doesn't style his hair, it ends up curly like Waititi's.

He said about a year ago, people started approaching him in public and asking take photos with him.

Tan France and Taika Waititi apparently look the same. Photos / AP

"They'll start taking the picture and it's very clear that they think I'm Taika and so I'm like 'oh well, I'll just lean in'," he said.

"What is hilarious, though, is that I don't change my accent.

"America, I love you very much, but you clearly don't know how to distinguish accents. Because he's from New Zealand and I'm from England!"

He also mentions the time he met the Jojo Rabbit actor.

"I saw Taika at a party a few months ago and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, Taika, people keep mistaking me for you!' And he was like, 'They do it to me too!'

"I was like, 'Do you change your accent?' He was like, 'No, it's America, they don't know the difference!'"

The audience then lets out huge applause as Fallon quips: "We don't care, we love everybody."

France also brings up the strange requests he gets from fans — who recognise him of course.

View this post on Instagram

Find someone who looks at you the way @jimmyfallon looks at me! Oh, and tune in to @fallontonight, tonight, to see me fuck up the game Password.

A post shared by T A N . F R A N C E (@tanfrance) on Mar 3, 2020 at 5:51pm PST

He said the one bit of fashion help that fans are constantly asking for is his signature French tuck.

"It's called a French tuck because you just tuck in the front of your shirt," he said.

"I'm a stranger to them, they don't really know me — they'll come over and they'll say, 'Will you French tuck me?' It sounds really vulgar.

"Especially by a urinal," he added. "In a public restroom!"

"Why would you follow me in and then ask me to French tuck you whilst I'm out?" he went on, gesturing to his lap.

Another strange thing that happens when he meets fans his that some of them decide to pick him up.

He speculated that they did this as on TV he seems smaller than his castmates — but he said it's still not appropriate to hoist him into the air.

"Stop lifting me! I'm a grown man; he seems smaller than his castmates — but it's still not appropriate to hoist him into the air," he said.