HELLO HELLO HELLO!
Early Life
At fifteen, he moved to Atlanta with his sister Renetta to study performing arts. In the ensuing years, RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s, where he worked at Atlanta's famed Plaza Theatre. In 1982, he debuted on an Atlanta public access variety show called The American Music Show, in which he made frequent appearances over the years. He also participated in underground cinema, helping create the low-budget film Star Booty, and an album by the same name. In Atlanta, RuPaul often performed at the Celebrity Club, managed by Larry Tee, as a bar dancer or with his band, Wee Wee Pole. RuPaul also performed as a backup singer to Glen Meadmore along with drag queen Vaginal Davis. RuPaul's first prominent national exposure came in 1989 dancing as an extra in the video for "Love Shack" by The B-52's.
In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. Initially participating in gender bender-style performances, RuPaul performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several New York City nightclubs, most notably the Pyramid Club. He played opposite New York City drag performer Mona Foote (Nashom Benjamin) in the one-act science-fiction parody "My Pet Homo" written and directed by Jon Michael Johnson for Cooper Square Productions. He appeared for many years at the annual Wigstock drag festival and appeared in the documentary Wigstock: The Movie. In the 1990s, RuPaul was known in the UK for his appearances on the Channel 4 series Manhattan Cable, a weekly series produced by World of Wonder and presented by American Laurie Pike about New York's wild and wacky public-access television system.
Carreer
1993–1997: Supermodel of the World, Foxy Lady, and Ho Ho
His next two singles/videos, "Back to My Roots" and "A Shade Shady (Now Prance)", both went to the top spot on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and furthered his campy persona. Between them, "House of Love" was released without a video. It failed to place on any U.S. charts, despite rising to 68 on the UK Singles Chart.
RuPaul was signed to a modeling contract for MAC Cosmetics. Various billboards featured him in full drag, often with the text "I am the MAC girl". He also released his autobiography, Lettin' It All Hang Out. He promoted the book in part with a 1995 guest appearance on ABC's All My Children, in a storyline that put it on the set of Erica Kane's talk show "The Cutting Edge".
The next year he landed a talk show of his own on VH1, called The RuPaul Show, interviewing celebrity guests and musical acts. Diana Ross, Nirvana, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Mary J. Blige, Bea Arthur, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton-John, Beenie Man, Pete Burns, Bow Wow Wow, and the Backstreet Boys were notable guests. His co-host was Michelle Visage, with whom he also co-hosted on WKTU radio. On one episode, RuPaul featured guests Chi Chi LaRue and Tom Chase speaking about the gay porn industry.
Later in the year he released his second album, Foxy Lady, this time on the L.A.-based Rhino Records label. Despite his growing celebrity, he failed to chart on the Billboard 200. However, the first single "Snapshot" found success in the dance market and went to number four on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It also enjoyed limited mainstream success, charting at 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, which was his second and only other Hot 100 entry to date. The second single "A Little Bit of Love" only charted at 28 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The album featured covers of a 1981 Diana Ross song "Work That Body", co-written by Paul Jabara and "If You Were a Woman and I Was a Man", originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler. Because of his strong fan base within the gay community, RuPaul has performed at gay pride events and numerous gay clubs. During this time RuPaul helped launch the return of WKTU radio in New York City and would serve as host of the morning show until 1998.
In 1997, he released his third album, a Christmas album entitled Ho Ho Ho. He has had guest appearances in many films, including both Brady Bunch movies, in which he played Jan's female guidance counselor. In 1997, RuPaul teamed with Martha Wash to remake the classic disco anthem, "It's Raining Men". The song was included on the 1998 compilation CD RuPaul's Go Go Box Classics, which was a collection of some of his favorite dance songs by other artists; this would be his third and final release through Rhino Records and a major record label. It was during this time that he appeared in Webex TV commercials and magazine ads. In 2002, he recorded with Brigitte Nielsen, credited as Gitta, the Eurodance track "You're No Lady".
2004–2007: Red Hot, ReWorked, and Starrbooty
On June 13, 2006, RuPaul released ReWorked, his first remix album and fifth album overall. It features reworked versions of songs from his back catalog, as well as new recordings. The only single released from the album is a re-recording of "Supermodel (You Better Work)", reaching number 21 on the U.S. dance chart. June 20, 2007, saw the release of Starrbooty: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack in the United States. The single "Call Me Starrbooty" was digitally released in 2007. The album contains new tracks as well as interludes with dialogue from the movie. The film was released on DVD in October 2007.
2008–2010: RuPaul's Drag Race and Champion
In March 2009, RuPaul released the album Champion. The album spawned four singles "Cover Girl", "Jealous of My Boogie", "Devil Made Me Do It" and "Tranny Chaser". The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums as well as 26 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. Logo's second annual NewNowNext Awards in 2009 were hosted by RuPaul. There he performed "Jealous of My Boogie (Gomi & RasJek Edit)". In March 2010, RuPaul released his second remix album, Drag Race, the album features remixes of songs from the 2009 album Champion.
2011–2013: Glamazon, make-up and perfume line
In the fall of 2012, the spin-off RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars premiered after a large fan demand. The show featured past contestants of the previous four seasons to compete. Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered on January 28, 2013, with a 90-minute special and RuPaul returning as the main host and judge. On April 30, 2013, RuPaul released a single "Lick It Lollipop" featuring Lady Bunny, who RuPaul previously collaborated with on Champion. On October 25, 2013 RuPaul reported via Twitter that the new album would be released in January 2014.
In fall of 2013, RuPaul joined forces with cosmetic manufacturers Colorevolution to launch his debut make-up line featuring ultra-rich pigment cosmetics and a beauty collection. Released alongside the line was a unisex perfume entitled "Glamazon". Talking to World of Wonder, RuPaul said: "Glamazon is for women and men of all ages and preferences who share one thing in common: They are not afraid to be fierce. For me, glamour should be accessible to all, and I am committed to helping the world look and smell more beautiful." The line was exclusively sold on the Colorevolution website in various gift sets.
2014: Born Naked, What's The Tee?, and Skin Wars
2015: Realness, Good Work, and Slay Belles
2016: Gay for Play, Butch Queen, All Stars 2
In July 2016, it was announced that RuPaul was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. He would go on to win the award at the September Creative Arts Emmy Awards Ceremony. 2016 also saw the release of the single "Read U Wrote U" that features rap parts by the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2 finalists Roxxxy Andrews, Katya Zamolodchikova, Alaska Thunderfuck, and Detox Icunt with production by Ellis Miah
2017–2018: Remember Me, American, return to VH1, and Essential, Vol. 2
On March 24, 2017, RuPaul released his eleventh studio album, American. Later that same day, the ninth regular season of RuPaul's Drag Race debuted on basic cable channel VH1, home of RuPaul's talk show in the 1990s. This marked a move from expanded cable channel Logo TV, which aired all previous seasons of the show. The season 9 premiere featured singer Lady Gaga as its guest judge and proved a success, with ratings of nearly 1,000,000 viewers, making it the series' most viewed episode. This figure was double LogoTV's season 8 premiere ratings from the year prior, and triple VH1's usual Friday night viewership in that programming timeslot. When the ratings were released, World of Wonder Productions announced they were casting contestants for a tenth season.
On June 2, 2017, Essential, Vol. 2 was put up on pre-order on iTunes. It was released on June 9 and preceded by the single "Crying on the Dance Floor" which is a re-recording of the 2010 single "Main Event" from the album Champion. On June 22, 2017, it was announced that RuPaul will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry. He was awarded the honor on March 16, 2018, making him the first drag queen to be given such an award.
In August 2018, it was announced that RuPaul will be releasing his third Christmas album in October 2018.
2019–present: Drag Race UK, AJ and the Queen and further TV shows
In late 2019, the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK was released on BBC3. It was well-received, with The Guardian stating that the British version had "saved" the franchise.[40] It was renewed for a second season to be released in 2020.
RuPaul also created and starred in the Netflix drama-comedy show AJ and the Queen as a drag queen touring the country with an unlikely young sidekick, which was released on January 10, 2020. On March 6, 2020, Netflix announced that the series had been cancelled.[43]
Also in January 2020, it was announced that RuPaul would host Saturday Night Live for the first time. He hosted the episode airing on February 8, 2020 with Justin Bieber as a musical guest. On May 4, 2020, it was announced that RuPaul would be on The Price Is Right at Night airing May 11. He also made an appearance in the premiere episode of Canada's Drag Race.
Impact
RuPaul has also been noted as having a large part in RuPaul's Drag Race's continuous television success. By pioneering queer representation on television, many believe RuPaul to have essentially revolutionised the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community on screen. He first won an Emmy for his work on the show in 2016, and one year later the show garnered eight nominations, including Outstanding Reality-Competition Program for the first time in its 11-season run, and a second consecutive win for RuPaul in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. In 2017, he was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2019, Fortune noted RuPaul as “easily the world's most famous” drag queen.
Relationship with transgender community
In 2014, trans activists and former contestants Carmen Carrera and Monica Beverly Hillz criticized the show's use of words such as tranny and shemale, including the main challenge announcement phrase up to season 6, "You've got she-mail", which they described as transphobic. That year's season also included a "Female or She-male" segment that required contestants to guess whether various photographs featured cisgender "biological women" or "psychological women" (drag queens), causing further criticism. RuPaul and the producers issued a statement promising "to help spread love, acceptance and understanding" and Logo TV removed the "You've got she-mail" phrase from subsequent broadcasts. RuPaul criticized those attempting to police his language in bad faith and noted that tranny referred to transvestites and drag queens, not just trans women.
In 2018, RuPaul gave an interview to The Guardian in which he stated that a post-transition trans woman would "probably not" be accepted onto the show, noting that at the time of competition Peppermint had not yet had breast implants. After facing criticism on social media and from former contestants for his remarks, RuPaul compared trans drag queens who had transitioned to athletes who had taken performance-enhancing drugs. He subsequently expressed regret for the hurt caused by his remarks, and that the only screening criteria for contestants were "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent".
Personal Life
He was criticized by environmentalists after revealing in 2020 that he and his husband lease mineral rights and sell water to oil companies on their ranch and allow hydraulic fracture-stimulation fracking, an oil- and gas-well pre-production process that began in 1947 and is an environmentally harmful practice in some instances, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study.
There are at least 35 active wells on the LeBar Ranch according to public maps. RuPaul previously held a climate-themed ball on his show to raise environmental awareness, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.
RuPaul publicly endorsed the Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He expressed dismay at Clinton's defeat by Republican Party nominee Donald Trump, stating that "The America that we have all fought so hard for, the narrative of love and peace and liberty and equality, it feels like it is dead."
He has described doing drag as a "very, very political" act because it "challenges the status quo" by rejecting fixed identities: "drag says 'I'm a shapeshifter, I do whatever the hell I want at any given time'."
RuPaul has said he has been sober from alcohol and mind-altering substances since 1999, having started smoking marijuana at age 10 or 11.
In 2020, RuPaul learned that he and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker are cousins; they discovered it by appearing on the TV show Finding Your Roots.
Discography
- Supermodel of the World (1993)
- Foxy Lady (1996)
- Ho Ho Ho (1997)
- Red Hot (2004)
- Champion (2009)
- Glamazon (2011)
- Born Naked (2014)
- Realness (2015)
- Butch Queen (2016)
- American (2017)
- Christmas Party (2018)
- Slay Belles (2015)
- You're a Winner, Baby (2020)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Gong Show | Himself (out of drag) | |
| 1993 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (in drag) | Charles Barkley |
| 1994 | Sister, Sister | Marje | |
| 1995 | In the House | Kevin | |
| 1996–98 | The RuPaul Show | Himself (in drag) | Presenter, 100 episodes |
| ash Bridges | Simone Dubois | 2 episodes | |
| 1998 | ercules | Rock Guardian | Episode: "Hercules and the Girdle of Hyppolyte" |
| Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | The Witch Judge / Hair Dresser | Episode: "Sabrina's Choice" | |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | Bob | Episode: "Royal Heist" | |
| 2001 | Popular | Sweet Honey Child | |
| Port Charles | Madame Alicia | ||
| Weakest Link | Himself (in drag) | ||
| 2002 | Son of the Beach | Heinous Anus | credited as RuPaul Charles |
| 2006 | Top Chef: San Francisco | as herself | "Food of Love." On Bravo. (15 March 2006). |
| 2008 | Project Runway | Himself (in drag) | Guest judge, Season 5, episode 6 |
| 2009 | Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World | Tyler | |
| 2009–present | RuPaul's Drag Race | Himself (in and out of drag) | Host and judge |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Rudolph | Episode: "Chica and the Man" |
| 2010–12 | RuPaul's Drag U | Himself (out of drag) | Host, judge and producer |
| 2012–present | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Himself (in and out of drag) | Host and judge |
| 2013 | Happy Endings | Krisjahn | Episode: "The Incident" |
| Life With La Toya | Himself (out of drag) | ||
| Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular | Himself (in drag) | Guest performer: "Fashion!" alongside Lady Gaga | |
| 2014 | The Face | Himself (out of drag) | Guest judge |
| Mystery Girls | Emillo | Guest star, episode: "Bag Ladies" | |
| The Comeback | Himself (out of drag) | Guest star, episode: "Valerie Films A Pilot" | |
| 2014–16 | Skin Wars | Himself (out of drag) | Judge |
| 2015 | Harvey Beaks | Jackie Slitherstein | Guest star, episode: "Harvey's Favorite Book" |
| Good Work | Host | ||
| Bubble Guppies | Drag Snail/Costume Boxing Judge | Guest star, episode: "Costume Boxing" | |
| 2016 | The Muppets | Himself (out of drag) | Episode: "Got Silk?" |
| 2016–17 | Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul | Host | |
| 2016 | The Real O'Neals | Himself (out of drag) | Episode: "The Real Thang" |
| 2017 | 2 Broke Girls | Himself (out of drag) | Episode: "And the Riverboat Runs Through It" |
| Animals | Dr. Labcoat (out of drag) | Episode: "Humans" | |
| Girlboss | Lionel | Recurring role, 6 episodes | |
| Then and Now with Andy Cohen | Himself (out of drag) | ||
| BoJack Horseman | Queen Antonia | Episode: "Underground" | |
| Broad City | Marcel | 3 episodes | |
| Adam Ruins Everything | Gil | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | Drag Race Thailand | Himself (out of drag) | |
| The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Himself (out of drag) | Season 15, episode 120 | |
| The Simpsons | Queen Chante (voice) | Episode: "Werking Mom" | |
| 2019 | The Bravest Knight | Stanley the Big Bad Wolf (in drag) | Two episodes |
| he World's Best | Himself (out of drag) | Judge | |
| Benjamin Le Day |
Guest star
|
| |
| RuPaul | Himself (out of drag) | Host | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Himself | Host and judge | |
| 2020 | AJ and the Queen | Ruby Red | Main role; co-creator and executive producer |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself/Host | Episode: "RuPaul/Justin Bieber" | |
| RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Himself (in and out of drag) | Host and judge | |
| The Price Is Right at Night | Himself | Guest | |
| Canada's Drag Race | Himself (in drag) | Cameo (video message in every episode) | |
| Muppets Now | Himself (out of drag) | Episode: "Due Date" | |
| Drag Race Holland | Himself (in drag) | Cameo (video message) | |
| Earth to Ne | Himself (out of drag) | Guest; Episode: "You Better Work, Ned" | |
| 2021 | RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under | Himself | Host and judge |