RuPaul’s Drag Race
Summary
On air for well over ten age , RuPaul ’s Drag Racehas dish as a outstanding platform for drag pansy to display their talents as player , comedians , models , designers , actors , choreographer , and businesspeople . Perhaps the self-aggrandizing lesson thatDrag Racecontestants can learn from RuPaul while on the show is that , to survive and prosper in the mainstream medium , they require to impart their forte and adapt them to dissimilar situations that the entertainment manufacture bemuse .
RuPaul , the most famous puff queen on the planet , has done it all during his time as an entertainer . While most queens come and went from their time onDrag Racewithout doing much after that , sure queens have learned how to turn their boob tube appearances into a mainstream vocation . Who are the 15 most successful queens postDrag backwash ?
Valentina
Despite suffer a considerably shorter career than most of the other successful puff queens , it is severe to deny that season 9fan - best-loved and Miss Congeniality Valentinahas soared to novel top and reached mainstream success as of previous . While appearing onDrag raceway : All Stars 4 in 2019 , the queer was cast as Angel on the Fox yield ofRent : Live!on TV , alongside heavy - hitters such as Vanessa Hudgens , Jordan Fisher , and Tinashe .
It is also important not to bury that Valentina was the first - ever drag queen to be featured in a make - up tutorial video forVogue Magazine . This move the queen to have a full spread write about her onVogue Mexicoshortly after .
Adore Delano
When Adore Delano walked into the " werkroom " on season 6 ofRuPaul ’s Drag Race , she was already quite a success story . That is because Adore had already contend on the biggest and most democratic reality competition series of all time , American Idol . As Danny Noriega , this queen made her way up to the semifinal - final ofIdol .
Then , after she became a ball carrier - up onRuPaul ’s Drag Race , Adore Delano ’s melodious careerexploded . Her first record album after the show , 2014’sTill Death Do Us Party , reached bit 59 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 3 on the Dance / Electronic Albums of Billboard Magazine . It became the highest - charting album of anyDrag Racecontestant ever . Adore then proceeded to release 2016’sAfter Partyand 2017’sWhatever , headlining nothing less than seven tours to kick upstairs her record album .
Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa Edwards ’ infectious energy and genius power became evident when the queen first appeared on time of year 5 ofRuPaul ’s Drag Race . There was no deny that Alyssa would go the distance , even though she did not do entirely well in the competition .
Over clip , however , Alyssa Edwards has test that she is a force to be reckoned with . After appear on TV , Alyssa returned to her hometown of Mesquite , Texas , and ran an laurels - winning dancing studio apartment call Beyond Belief Dance Company , which she also possess . The queen mole rat ’s achiever as a choreographer and bourgeois became so undeniable that she was given a Netflix docu - series , Dancing Queen , that followed her personal and professional journeying afterDrag slipstream .
Bob The Drag Queen
Bob the Drag Queen was as much a frontrunner onRuPaul ’s Drag Raceseason 8as Bianca Del Rio was on season 6 . That is to say that Bob ’s comedic skills and vivacious personality open his career to a myriad of opportunity after appearing on TV for the first time . In the movies , Bob the Drag Queen concisely appeared in 2017’sRough Nightand play a more meaning use inCherry Popthat same twelvemonth .
Regarding euphony , Bob has collaborate with Todrick Hall , who is often a guest evaluator onDrag Race , and with fellow faggot Monet X Change , Alaska , and Shangela . Bob was featured on HBO’sHigh MaintenanceandWe’re Here . Moreover , when Katya took a foramen from come out on Viceland’sThe Trixie & Katya Show , Bob was opt as her replacement to appear opposite to Trixie Mattel . Perhaps even more impressive , Bob the Drag Queen was rove as Belize on the 2018 Broadway revival ofAngels in America .
Alaska
Alaska got much attention from the LGBTQ+ community of interests when she became the runner - up of season 5 ofRuPaul ’s Drag Race . However , it was n’t until the queen wonAll Stars 2that things set about to encounter . Besides being featured on 2018’sThe Last Sharknado : It ’s About Time , Alaska has made multiple appearance on TV and World Wide Web show . In 2017 , the fairy was featured on Comedy Central’s@midnight with Chris Hardwickand MTV’sScared Famous . On the web , Alaska hosted VH1’sThe Pit Stopin 2018 .
Alaska ’s panoptic musical career solidify her as a power station . Since 2013’sRuGirlsingle , the fairy has released many songs , medicine TV , and album that have captured the attention ofDrag Racefans and beyond . During one of herEnigmaperformances in Las Vegas , Lady Gaga even gave a shout - out to Alaska – who was in the audience – by changing a song ’s lyrics to say : “ Yes , Miss Alaska , I love you ” ( agree toBillboard ) .
Katya
Katya Zamolodchikova has had one of the most exciting and emotionally challenging career after her prison term onRuPaul ’s Drag Raceseason 7 andAll Stars 2 . On TV , the queen was upchuck on show such as USA’sPlaying Houseand HBO’sRoom 104 . She also in short appeared onAmerica ’s Next Top Modelas a coach alongside fellowDrag Racesisters Manila and Valentina .
But it was n’t until the worldwide winner of the web seriesUNHhhh , co - host by Trixie Mattel , that Katya ’s career ascended to new heights . So much so that the pair were given their own talk show on Viceland , The Trixie & Katya Show . regrettably , as this momentum grew , Katya also skin with her mental health , deciding to “ foreswear retarding force ” for some meter . As she retort to the glare , Katya started theWhimsically Volatilepodcast and resume herHelp Me , I ’m Dyingcomedy tour across North America .
Trixie Mattel
RuPaul ’s Drag Race : All Stars 3winner Trixie Mattel is one of the most successful contestants ever on the show . In 2018 alone , Trixie wonAll Stars , co - hostedThe Trixie & Katya Showon Viceland , released her 2d record album , One Stone , and tour with theNow With Moving Parts Tour .
Having done two albums , three spell , and several television receiver display and web serial publication , Trixie Mattel ’s life history remain to reach new tiptop . The king released the singleYellow Cloud , feature in Iggy Azalea ’s medicine TV forStarted , and even launch her make - up brand , Trixie Cosmetics . Her most recent album , take care Good , Feeling Gorgeous , is out now .
Willam
Willam ’s entire campaign on season 4 ofRuPaul ’s Drag Racewas about how many thing the queen had done before competing . As an actor , Willam has been credited with appear onCSI : Crime Scene Investigation , Criminal Minds , and Ryan Murphy’sNip / Tuck . AfterDrag Race , Willam ’s acting vocation did not break , landing roles on idiot box appearance such asThe New Normal , When We climb up , Difficult People , andThe Kominsky Method . In 2017 , Fullscreen announced that Willam would host her own talk show , Suck Less .
Willam ’s film vocation began with 2003’sAmerican marriage . However , it was n’t until 2018’sA Star Is Born – directed by Bradley Cooper and star Lady Gaga – that the queen was featured in a major picture show with mainstream winner and even Oscar buzz .
Shangela
Shangela Laquifa Wadley competed in seasons 2 and 3 ofRuPaul ’s Drag Race , then made a brief cameo in season 4 . year afterwards , the queen was cast onAll star 3 , which she was poised to advance , but things did not turn out that way . Since first appear on the former seasons ofDrag Race , Shangela has been cast in tv serial such asGlee , Community , The X - Files , The Mentalist , Dance Moms , Toddlers & Tiaras,2 Broke Girls , Bones , We’re Here , andBroad City .
In film , Shangela was drop alongside Willam in 2018’sA Star Is Bornand became the first puff queen to attend the Oscars . On a light but every bit exciting short letter , Shangela performed a Beyoncé tribute at the 2019 GLAAD Awards , with a very unrestrained Beyoncé in attendance , and was also the face of McDonald ’s .
Courtney Act
Courtney Act may have been the less likely queen to win the top inRuPaul ’s Drag Race ’s time of year 6 finish , but that does not mean she was n’t a powerhouse entertainer with much to give . After becoming the first queer dissident to compete onAustralian Idoland being one of theDrag Raceseason 6 runners - up , Courtney resign the 2015KaleidoscopeEP and toured alongside Willam and Alaska in the girl radical The AAA Girls .
But Courtney Act ’s mainstream success is in the first place attributed to her tenacity in being a strong challenger in other realism shows worldwide . In 2018 , Courtney vie on season 21 ofCelebrity Big Brother U.K. , which she win . Then , the queen went on to host the first - ever bisexual reality dating competition in the U.K. , E!’sThe Bi Life . In 2019 , Courtney Act decided to render yet another reality show : Australia’sDancing With The Stars , where she took home second property . Courtney Act is primarily involve as a mainstream spiritualist personality in the U.K. and Australia , often invited to daytime talk of the town shows to discuss LGBTQ+ topics .
Bianca Del Rio
It is hard to indicate against the major mainstream success that season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio has enjoyed since her time onRuPaul ’s Drag Race . Since 2014 , Bianca has traveled worldwide with four solo comedy tours – unprecedented for a pull queen . The Rolodex of Hate Tour(2014),Not Today Satan Tour(2016 through 2017),Blame It On Bianca Del Rio Tour(2018 ) , andIt ’s Jester Joke Tourhas prove Bianca is a licit clowning act with enough puff to betray out theaters telling her laugh .
What ’s more , Bianca Del Rio has starred in two movies directed by Matt Kugelman , 2016’sHurricane Biancaand 2018’sHurricane Bianca : From Russia With Hate . It ’s no wonder many fans have deem her thebestRuPaul ’s Drag Racewinnerof all time .
Violet Chachki
Winning season 7 ofDrag Racewas only the beginning for Violet Chachki . They have preserve to dazzle fan worldwide with their love for burlesque , particularly during their 2017 burlesque tour call " The fine art of Teese , " also praised by theWOW Report . That same class , Violet became the first - ever drag queen mole rat to asterisk in a important intimate apparel drive for Bettie Page Lingerie , break new ground for LGBTQ+ models and performers ( harmonise toOut ) .
The fierce way poof has been named one of the " most powerful puff queens in America " by a jury of judges from New York Magazine ( according toVulture ) . They have worked with brands like Moschino and Heretic Parfum while somehow still discover the metre to advance their music career with hit singles like " Mistress Violet . "
Kim Chi
From custom emojis to university lecturing , Kim Chi has kept herself busy since time of year 8 ofDrag raceway . She was already form history by simply join the show back then , as she was the first Korean - American drag poove to ever come out on American national goggle box ( according toAsiaOne ) .
Kim Chi has tried to train and inspire others through lecturing about drag and grammatical gender individuality at Loyola Marymount University and Arizona State University in 2017 . Her love for makeup has also unsurprisingly motivated her to start her successful cosmetics line , Kim Chi Chic Cosmetics .
Manila Luzon
Despite Manila Luzon ’s controversial going away fromAll Stars 4 , the poof has been active in theDrag Racefranchise , appear alongside Ru and other performers in the recently releasedThe B — h Who slip Christmas . She has also made a name for herself in the music manufacture , put out an entertaining single every twelvemonth since 2011 .
The thing that is about to cement Manila ’s name in herstory has yet to be released , but it ’s already stirring up contention in the pull residential district . She has created and is slat to host a realness TV series in her female parent ’s hometown , Manila , which is also the divine guidance for her name . Drag Den Philippineswas announce around the same clip asRuPaul ’s Drag Race Philippines , indicating there could be drama behind the scenes .
Brooke Lynn Heights
Brooke Lynn Heights already had a flourishing career in ballet way before being the first - ever Canadian to grace the chief phase ofDrag subspecies . She moved to South Africa to conjoin the popular Cape Town City Ballet before moving to New York to become part of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo ( grant toToronto Life ) .
Her second - place win completely changed her life history flight , earning her the nickname " tabby of the North " from fans , which also happens to be the title of her late single . APink Newsarticle points out how she ’s the first - everDrag Racecontestant to become a judge , adopt the lead role inCanada ’s Drag Race . It has become a massively successful external variation ofRuPaul ’s Drag Race , largely thanks to Brooke Lynn Heights ' brilliant employment on the Book of Judges ' panel .
Courtney Act pouting in RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Courtney Act pouting in RuPaul’s Drag Race.
