Fashion designer and Queer Eye star Tan France plays one half of a two-dad couple in Netflix’s new animated preschool series Princess Power. He spoke with me about the show, how being a dad himself influenced his character, and the importance of representation and intersectionality in children’s media.
Princess Power is based on the No.1 New York Times-bestselling book series Princesses Wear Pants by Savannah Guthrie (co-anchor of Today) and Allison Oppenheim. It follows the adventures of four princesses in neighboring, fruit-themed kingdoms, or “fruitdoms.” “These princesses are not like regular princesses,” France explained. ”They’re not wearing ballgowns, they’re in pants, and they are out there saving the world. The girls are incredible.”
The strong, independent princesses are fast friends despite their different strengths: Kira Kiwi (Dana Heath) is an animal expert, Rita Raspberry (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss) loves fashion and the creative arts, and Penelope “Penny” Pineapple (Luna Bella Zamora) is a scientist, engineer, and pilot. Beatrice “Bea” Blueberry (Madison Calderon) is a fearless athlete. She also has two dads: Sir Benedict, voiced by France, and King Barton, voiced by Andrew Rannells (who also voices one of a two-dad couple on Netflix’s Ridley Jones).
“I was drawn to playing this part because I’ve never seen anything like it,” France said. He was attracted not only to the queer representation but also by the princesses, “who are so powerful and really trying to encourage kids to think differently—especially encouraging girls that they really can do everything that a boy can do.” He added, “And I love that I get to be Andrew Rannells’ husband.”
He and his real-life husband, Rob France, became dads in 2021. Tan said that they had their son between the first and second recording sessions for the show. ”It’s amazing how much more compassionate I felt the second time around,” he related. “I just imagined that Bea, the daughter, was my son, and it really did help dictate how I communicated in the booth. The reason why I wanted to do this was because Sir Benedict was so much of me anyway.” The character aligns with his own desire to “to raise my son or my future children really compassionately,” and reflects “the way I communicate with my son and would like to communicate with my future children. He feels very much me, even though he is basically a king.”
The show’s characters as a whole encompass a variety of racial/ethnic identities, family structures, and physical abilities. Princess Bea lives with her two dads; she also wears a leg brace. Princess Kira lives with her mom, dad and older sister; Princess Rita with her single mom; and Princess Penny with her Great Aunt Busyboots (voiced by the inimitable Rita Moreno). Penny also has a younger brother who lives elsewhere but often visits. Themes of friendship, thinking creatively, helping one’s community, respecting different abilities and traditions, and not being afraid to make mistakes are wrapped in humor and a catchy soundtrack. The dads’ queerness is not the focus, even as it adds important representation.
“We didn’t have anything like this when I was a kid,” France said. “I was a child of the 80s and I didn’t see openly queer representation until I saw Queer as Folk when I was 15 or 16. The fact that my son and his generation gets to see an animated show that targets kids, to make it really clear that this is also a version of a very normal family—a very stable, supportive, loving family—that is, in my opinion, groundbreaking.”
Princess Power is one of a growing number of LGBTQ-inclusive, animated kids’ shows. LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD even created a separate category for such shows in its Media Awards this year, with 10 nominees, in addition to a category for live-action ones.
France observed, “I’m positive there will be a lot of people out there who are hating the fact that a couple like this is represented—but it’s just another loving set of parents. I want to show how normal that is.”
Additionally, he’s glad that his character is part of an interracial couple. “I am a person of color on the show also, and I do like the intersectionality that that represents, the nuance that creates with the partnership,” he explained. If fathers identify in different ways, he said, this can help them to encourage different ideas in their children.
France hopes that the show will have a lasting impact on its young viewers, even if some of its deeper lessons take longer to be realized. ”If they only thought it was a cute show at the time, wonderful, but I’m hoping that by the time they get to my age, they realize that they were so positively impacted by it,” he said.
Despite the show’s lessons, France stressed that it’s also just “a really cute kids’ show. It really is so lovely.” He added, “I hope that even if somebody doesn’t have queer friends or doesn’t experience queer community as they possibly would like to, or should, this is a way in that feels completely safe for your children. This is a show for every child, not just children of queer liberals. I really hope people are open-minded enough to let their kids watch this show.”
Princess Power premieres today on Netflix.
Developed by Elise Allen (showrunner/EP), the series is executive produced by Savannah Guthrie (co-author), alongside Matthew Berkowitz, Kristin Cummings and Jennifer Twiner McCarron of Atomic Cartoons, and Drew Barrymore, Ember Truesdell and Nancy Juvonen of Flower Films.