- Hey little love lumps, it's Michelle Visage.
Welcome to another episode of "Whatcha Packin'"
(upbeat club music)
And we've got all the way from New York City,
it's Jan.
- Yas, hi. - Simply Jan.
- Just Jan.
That's it, Jan.
- Where did Jan grow up?
- Jan grew up in New Jersey.
- Holla, why'd you not claim New Jersey then?
- Right, you know, I didn't do drag
in New Jersey, but you can't take the girl out of Jersey,
as I'm sure you know.
- What are you talking about?
Where are you from?
- I'm from Old Bridge, New Jersey.
- Oh, are you kidding?
- Yeah. That's where I'm from, girl.
- [Michelle] Route 35? - Mm-hm.
- Seriously? - [Jan] 35, Route 9,
120 off the Parkway.
- Where did you go to high school?
- I went to Christian Brothers Academy.
- Oh my goodness, that explains a lot.
- CBA, or when I'm there CB Gay.
- Yes, I'm sure there were a lot of CB Gays there.
- Absolutely, one of my best friends to this day,
which is great. - Oh, how wonderful.
So when did you hop on to 35
and then get across the George Washington Bridge
or the Lincoln Tunnel and get into New York City?
- I moved about two years ago,
and I started doing drag about 3 years ago,
and I was commuting back and forth from New Jersey,
like four times a week,
and my gas went up, my bills for tolls.
- The tolls are so high now.
- [Jan] Exactly, and I was like, you know what.
- How much is it now?
- It's like $13 or $14,
- [Michelle] Shut it. - if not more.
Like, maybe 20 sometimes, depending on which way you go.
Yeah, so I was like, you know what,
we're not gonna do this anymore.
We're just gonna put all of that money
towards some rent, and I'm gonna move.
- Let's talk about your time on "RuPaul's Drag Race".
Your favorite challenge was?
- The Madonna challenge, hands down, hands down.
It was the Rusical, come on.
- Yeah.
- [Jan] That's amazing, and it wasn't just that
I was excited for myself, everyone was so good.
Everyone was.
- I have news for you Jan,
this whole season is a bunch of really talented girls
to the point where like, even in the very beginning,
it was like, I don't know.
This could go any way.
All you girls, it's a really strong cast.
- Thank you, yeah.
- So the fact that you're all on here,
you should be proud of yourself,
this is like really good girls.
Did you have a good time on "RuPaul's Drag Race"?
- I had a great time.
It's a dream come true for me.
This is where I learned about what drag was,
and I started watching live when Season 6 was happening,
and if you would have told me
that I would be on Season 12,
I would have laughed in your face.
And you know, I got to do what I loved the most
for you guys, for the girls here,
and for the world to see,
and that's such a gift.
- Well you are super talented,
I was really excited when I got
to hear you sing in the Madonna challenge
because it comes really easily for you,
and you can always tell a singer who loves to sing
because they get out there, and they do their thing.
Actually, that comes with anything,
like I love to dance, and I'm not good at it,
but if you put me out there
and give me some, I'm gonna do the best
that I can do.
But when you put somebody into a scenario
where they're doing what they love to do,
you can't help but to sing out Louise.
- [Jan] Absolutely.
- And I felt like when I got to coach you
in the Madonna challenge, it was very that
and I was like, "Girl can sing."
- [Jan] Thank you.
- [Michelle] Very pretty voice.
- [Jan] Thank you.
I love to do it.
- [Michelle] You can tell.
- It's like my gateway into performing.
Like I love lipsynching, I love doing mixes,
but the real time that I am enjoying myself
to the fullest is when I'm singing for people.
- I can tell you as a fellow performer,
when I tour and do all the tours,
I always sing live, I always sing live.
The only time I don't is if I'm having vocal issues,
which does happen. - [Jan] Of course.
- Those smoke machines send me into a tizzy.
- Girl. - Yes, some people can do them
I cannot, so you'll always see me sing live.
So I'm gonna tell you, that's where you can get it all.
You get to be in drag and perform live.
Let's talk about your fashions here.
- Let's. - 'Cause I know
Jan likes her fashion.
- I love the fash.
- So this latex one was from the "Frozen".
- Basically, my best friend Andrew had this idea
of me looking like an icicle,
and when I got the prompt I was like,
you know what, let's just go for it, there's somebody
who I feel can really, really make this come to life,
and she actually did Aquaria's mermaid as well,
so I was like, I think that she would knock this
out of the park.
- [Michelle] Yeah, she's someone
that's done some other girls for this season, too.,
and other stuff, and latex is her thing?
- [Jan] Yeah, silicone.
- [Michelle] Silicone, right.
- [Jan] And so she is fantastic.
- And this middle one, you looked absolutely gorgeous.
- Thank you.
- [Michelle] That was the black wedding.
- [Jan] Uh-huh, the one I got sent home in.
- [Michelle] Yes but it was really beautiful.
- [Jan] Thank you.
It's like, you know, if I'm gonna go out,
I'm gonna go out with a bang.
- [Michelle] And that's the way to do it.
A bang bang actually.
(Jan laughs)
But it is really beautiful, and it's beautiful on you,
you looked glamorous in it,
and actually you looked gorgeous
in all of your looks. - [Jan] Thank you.
- There wasn't really one where I was like, "No, Jan."
And the one behind us tells a story.
- Yeah, exactly.
I feel like in New York, a lot of people think
that I'm just like, okay, show up in shorts and a shirt,
and do the gig, do two hours, and then whip my hair,
but I have fun ideas, I wanna show people
that there's just more to me than just a glamor girl.
This is gonna be something totally different
than what that is.
And I really wanted to show that.
I want it to be weird. - [Michelle] I totally
appreciate that.
- [Jan] I wanted to show a variety,
and that's why I was so proud of my package,
I feel like there was smart things.
- Are you proud of your package?
- Yeah, girl, so proud of my package.
- (laughs) She's Italian after all.
- Yes she is.
- So I love these eyebrows you're giving,
these are your boy brows.
- [Jan] These are
my boy brows. - May I say boy brows?
- Yes, you may.
- [Michelle] Yes, and these are your boy brows,
and these are painted girl.
- Girl absolutely.
- Painted with a highlight underneath.
- Yes, absolutely, just giving you some soft glam right now,
just a little concealer, and just a carved moment.
- Is it because you shaved your eyebrows.
- Yes, yeah, there's no hair here.
- You can paint a very mean brow.
- Thank you, and also, even when they're off,
I've been told by some of the queens here
that they like me more without my eyebrows.
I don't know if that's shade, I don't know
what's going on. - yeah, are they throwing
you under the bus?
- I just think that they think
that I'm a very handsome boy.
- [Michelle] You are
a handsome boy. - In all regards.
Thank you. - I love an eyebrowless face,
but you know, I'm used to Ru and
- Right.
- [Michelle] it just, it's part of who I am as a person,
and what I've been around for the past 30 years.
- Right.
- So I think it's endearing to me,
but I understand you feel like a freak
walking outside like that. - It's like yeah,
sometimes, I was like, you know.
- [Michelle] Especially when she wants to trade,
it's hard to get without the eyebrows.
- Exactly. - [Michelle] I understand.
- Well it's funny, my bofriend is like,
he's one of them too, he's like,
"I like you without eyebrows,
"it's fine by me." - [Michelle] Really?
- Yeah.
- [Michelle] Oh that's wonderful.
- So I'm very lucky.
- I just want you to know before you go
that you have been a joy to watch.
I knew every time you came out on that stage,
I could stay that to a few of the different girls
because they're different girls
that kind of instilled different feelings within me.
With Jan, I always knew that you had it,
and that we were taken care of,
especially when it came to a singing, acting,
or performing challenge.
- [Jan] Yes ma'am.
- [Michelle] You're a theatre kid,
and I can smell one a mile away.
- Absolutely.
- [Michelle] Time to bathe.
- Yes, girl.
- Yes.
- Get some luscious Lush on me
right now. - On Jersey Jan.
- A little Twilight on Jersey Jan.
- Yes I love it.
Thank you so much for taking time to sit with me today,
I hope you go out there and take the world by storm,
I know you will.
Do that album, perform everywhere you want,
I'll see you out on tour I'm sure,
and we'll get to hang out and talk more Jerseyisms.
- Let's duet about Jersey.
- Oh I'd love it.
We'll find a song to do.
- [Jan] Can't wait, I would love for us.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- And thank you guys for joining me
for another episode for "Whatcha Packin'"
I'll see you next time.
Ciao, that's Italian.
(upbeat club music)