Life After 'School of Rock': Brian Falduto on Mental Health & Queer Empowerment

Happy Healthy Homo

Joel Wood & Keegan Hirst

Gay, Relationships, Society & Culture, Sexuality, Lgbt, Lgbtq, Lgbtq+, Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.8 • 779 Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

From child star to life coach, Brian Falduto’s story is anything but ordinary. You probably remember him as “Fancy Pants” from School of Rock, but what you might not know is how that early spotlight shaped his identity, mental health, and path forward. Today, Brian is an artist, advocate, and coach helping queer people reclaim their power and live authentically.

In this episode of Happy Healthy Homo, Brian opens up about growing up in the public eye, turning labels into liberation, and finding healing through music, coaching, and community. We dive into mental health in the LGBTQ+ space, the lessons he’s learned from his own journey, and the empowering work he’s doing now.

Sign up to Brian's newsletter: https://brianfalduto.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=75331f62a070375977b4cc4e8&id=dbcfa3f23b

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The dreaded CV scrolling, the never-ending interviewing.
0:04.5	If recruiting is a bit of a nightmare, try building a dream team that works in perfect harmony.
0:13.0	Post your vacancy on Guardian Jobs.
0:15.5	It'll be seen by millions of like-minded people looking for top roles in education, charity, public sector, sustainability and more.
0:23.4	Search Guardian Jobs recruiters and get £100 off your next post.
0:27.3	Quote podcast at the checkout. Teas and C's Apply.
0:35.8	Hey, homos.
0:37.1	Welcome back to our podcast. Happy Healthy Homo. I'm Keegan. And I'm Joel.
0:41.2	We're boyfriends and this is Happy Healthy Homo, the podcast where we are empowering Homo to live happily and healthily.
0:49.0	Yeah, it does what it says on the tin. And also our honorary homos as well because we know that we've got people who
0:54.6	watch this podcast, listen to this podcast who are staunch allies of the LGBT community and
1:02.9	are involved. So you can be honorary homos. Everybody wants to be gay, remember? It's so in right now is literally the opposite of being in right now. Before we get into the episode, Joe is sporting a new haircut. Do you want to talk about your hair cut? I just got my haircut, guys. What do you think? It's what I thought... Doesn't make good for the people who are listening. Oh, yeah, sorry. So it's cut differently at the sides. The back is a bit longer. I thought it was mullet, basically like a mini mullet. Obviously not long hair at the back. Not like an Australian mullet. Not an Australian mullet. Like a modest little British mullet. And it turns out it's called a burst fade.
2:02.0	So yeah, it's longer at the back. So you need to sort of mess up the back a bit. What do you think, Keegan, as the love of my life, what do you think? Yeah, I like it. Compared to my old haircut. Yeah, I like it. It's nice. I was talking about, is that a mid-fade? And we had this conversation with my son because I was like, I just used to ask for a shot back inside.
2:04.8	Yeah. I was talking about, is that a midfade? We had this conversation with my son because I was like,
2:02.7	I just used to ask for a shot back inside.
2:04.7	Yeah, and today, Declan was asking after you
2:07.2	and asked what your hair looks like now
2:08.8	because Keegan's defected to a different barber.
2:12.0	And I said...
2:13.3	I hope he said dreadlocks.
2:15.0	Dreadlocks. He's got dreadlocks now, actually.
2:17.9	A massive perm. Yeah, I told him said dreadlocks. Dreadlocks. He's got dreadlocks now, actually. A massive perm.
	...

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