With a total of 19 Emmys, 13 seasons and counting, and a growing number of
international franchises under its belt, Rupaul’s Drag Race has undeniable become
a pop culture phenomenon that brought the art of drag to the mainstream.
“You can’t love yourself how the hell you’re gonna love somebody else, can I get an amen?”
Oh, amen to that, Ms. RuPaul!
It’s hard to keep track now of all the drag queens that graced the Drag Race runway,
but some of them have gone on to carve a name for themselves in red hot lipstick.
Category is: charisma, uniqueness, nerve,
and talent! As we round up the 10 Most Successful RuPaul’s Drag Race Queens!
What’s up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse,
serving up your daily dose of the most outrageous, outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
Our top 1 pick has proven that it takes more than serving fierce looks
and body-ody-ody to become a certified drag superstar, so stay tuned for that.
“Racers start your engines, and may the best drag queen win!”
#10: Trixie Mattel
“hi I’m Trixie Mattel, I’m 27 years old, and I’m from sunny West Hollywood.
Some people might say I’m fake, but those people are alcoholic.”
This self-proclaimed “skinny legend,” who goes by Brian Michael Firkus out of drag,
is the epitome of a total package. She’s a folk singer,
actor and TV personality who originally competed in Season 7 and lost, but came
back strongly to snatch the crown as the winner of Drag Race All Stars season 3.
“I know you’re busy so I’ll make this quick. I’m getting the old gang together
and I want you guys to be my maids.” “Oh, hell no.”
After her stint in Drag Race, the “Malibu Barbie” wasted no time
building her drag empire, which has currently produced three record albums,
a best-selling book, her own make-up line Trixie Cosmetics,
several wildly successful tours, and a YouTube channel that has amassed over 1.36 million subs!
She was also featured in a Netflix documentary titled “Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts,” and
continues to host a massively popular web series with fellow Drag Race alum, Katya.
This queen certainly has a lot of tricks up her sleeve! Get it? Trixie? tricks? Anywho.
Keep watching ‘til number one to learn more about one of the most
savage and brutally funny queens in the industry today.
“Baloney!” #9: Shangela
Halleloo! It’s none other than the world-famous debutante of the Deep South!
“Halleloo I’m back Ru, yes!”
Shangela, a.k.a. DJ Pierce in real life, has been back, back, back again on the Drag Race stage,
having competed on the reality show 3 times during Season 2, Season 3 and All Stars 3.
Although she failed to death drop her way to the
crown with her sickening dance moves and over-the-top humor…
She successfully sashayed her way into superstardom after the show.
She has written and released her own music,
served as creative director for the Werq the World tour, guest-starred in countless
TV shows, and toured across America with her self-written stand-up show called “Shook.”
A known Beyonce tribute artist, Shangela has also had the privilege to perform in front
of the Queen Bey herself! And if that ain’t enough star power for you, here she is acting
alongside Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the 2019 Oscar-nominated movie “A Star is Born.”
Yaaaz queen! Now that’s how you slay the silver screen!
#8: Alyssa Edwards
Justin Johnson, more popularly known in the drag scene as Alyssa Edwards, became a Drag Race fan
favorite not just because of her infamous feud with fellow cast member Coco Montrese in season 5.
Her fierce dance skills, that signature tongue pop…
And her not-so-flattering back rolls have all left an indelible mark in Drag Race herstory.
After the show, Alyssa continued to grow her award-winning dance studio in Texas
called Beyond Belief, starred in her own web series “Alyssa’s Secret,” and
she starred in her own docu-series on Netflix titled “Dancing Queen.”
No wonder Alyssa has ranked 5th in New York magazine’s list of
America’s most powerful drag queens in 2019!
#7: Manila Luzon
Her first rodeo in Snatch Game as the notorious First Lady of
the Philippines Imelda Marcos didn’t quite tickle RuPaul’s funny bones.
But she came back with a vengeance when she impersonated the legendary Barbara Streisand,
proving that she’s not just a look queen, but a comedy queen too!
Manila Luzon, a.k.a. Karl Westerberg,
captivated the fans of the reality show with her show-stopping
runway looks—from her Big Bird eleganza to the sparkly silver number, and of course,
the iconic pineapple dress. Her sharp wit and naturally shady sense of humor didn’t hurt either!
Post-Drag Race, Manila has cemented her status as drag royalty,
collaborating with her fellow queens in dance tracks and outrageous music videos,
appearing in TV shows such as America’s next Top Model and General Hospital,
and garnering more than 1 million followers on Instagram! You can also catch her kiki-ing
with fellow Drag Race star and her best judy, Latrice Royale, in their podcast “The Chop.”
#6. Alaska
For his drag persona, Justin Honard transforms into the campy-glamorous diva known as Alaska.
She only made it to top 4 during season 5, but she made it to the Drag Race Hall of Fame
when she was crowned the winner of All Stars 2. And perhaps her
performance during the Roast of RuPaul sealed the deal for her.
Beyond the competition, Alaska’s star continued to shine with a prolific music career. To date,
she has released three full-length studio albums and 13 dance tracks.
She’s also competed in the horror reality show “Scared Famous,”
hosted a podcast, launched her own comedy special,
and created “The Drag Queen of the Year Pageant Competition Award Contest Competition” – yes,
it’s a real contest and something that could only come from Alaska’s crazy imagination!
#5. Bob the Drag Queen
Early on in season 8, Bob the Drag Queen was already a force to be reckoned with,
so it didn’t come as a surprise when she ended up taking home the crown. Heck,
she schooled all the queens on how to do Snatch Game by doing more than 1 character!
After pulling off Crazy Eyes from Orange is the New Black,
she transformed midway into Carol Channing!
After winning, Bob the Drag Queen--or Caldwell Tidicue when she’s untucked--strutted her
way into the dance music scene, turning her classic line “Purse First” into a hit single!
She also headlines the inspirational HBO show “We’re Here” along with her partners-in-drag,
Shangela and Eureka. In the docu-series, they recruit and train queens from small town America,
and give them a much-needed boost in confidence and self-worth through the art of drag.
You can also find her spilling the tea with drag sister and
doppelganger Monet X Change in their podcast called “Sibling Rivalry.”
#4: Valentina
Serving telenovela realness is season 9 and All Stars 4’s Latina drag diva, Valentina!
The fashionista fish queen, who also goes by James Andrew Leyva out of drag,
sashayed away from the ninth season in the most
controversial way possible. And it was all because she didn’t memorize her lip sync song!
It was one of the most shocking moments in drag race herstory, especially since Valentina was a
huge fan favorite. But not winning Drag Race didn’t stop Valentina’s star from shining.
The so-called “Linda Evangelista of Drag” went on to become a cast member of the Werq
The World tour, and she was also chosen to play the iconic role of Angel Dumott
Schunard in the live TV special of the award-winning musical, Rent.
#3: Jinkx Monsoon
Non-binary performer Jerick Hoffer’s drag alter-ego, Jinx Monsoon, took
Season 5 by storm when they emerged as the winner despite being the dark horse of the competition.
Being a trained singer and theatre actor with the gift of reading people to filth,
Jinkx certainly had lady luck on her side, despite what their name suggests.
After the show, their life story became the subject of the web series-turned-feature-length
film titled “Drag Becomes Him.” Jinkx also released their own studio albums and toured
the world with music partner Major Scales. In 2020, Jinkx and their squirrel friend BenDeLaCreme
brought some much-needed yuletide cheer with their own holiday TV special!
#2: Courtney Act
Before RuPaul’s Drag Race, Aussie drag performer Courtney Act, otherwise known as Shane Jenek,
already earned quite a bit of fame when she made it to the semi-finals of Australian Idol.
But the sickening singing queen from Down Under
achieved global celebrity status when she joined and made it to top 3 of RPDR season 6.
She might not have won the competition, but Courtney certainly won the hearts of
drag fans the world over. She was caught in the act joining other reality shows
like Celebrity Big Brother UK, and Dancing with the Stars Australia,
where she made history as the first contestant on the show to perform in a same-sex pairing!
Before we go to our number 1 pick, do us a solid
and make sure to smash the subscribe button and hit the notification bell!
Don’t forget to choose “all” so you won’t miss out on any of our latest life-changing,
boredom-busting content! And of course, be sure to turn on notifications in your app’s settings!
#1. Bianca del Rio
Drag Race judge Michelle Visage
often clocked her for her harsh and heavy clown makeup. But instead of being deterred,
Bianca stuck to her guns and kicked everyone’s padded butts with her razor-sharp comedic chops.
And her expertise? Reading people through the mud!
Season 6 grand winner Bianca del Rio, a.k.a. Roy Haylock, is not your typical queen, not by a long
shot. She sashayed her way to the top not with fabulous runway looks or a perfectly-beat face,
but with snarky comebacks and brutal honesty that make her one of the most
legendary drag queens in the business.
Her unique brand of comedy helped her land a lot of high-profile gigs,
including a title role in 2 comedy films, several sold-out comedy tours that saw her performing
in iconic venues like the Wembley Stadium, and countless guestings in TV shows and web series.
And Hurricane Bianca shows no signs of stopping.
So, which of these fierce
glamazons is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below!
Take home any of our exclusive gear by browsing our merch shelf
or clicking the link in the video description! And while you’re at it,
take our quiz to find out how you can earn extra cash online doing what you do best! Awesome right!
Equally holding the pride flag high are these celebs who have bravely spoken their truth.
Check out our list of the 13 Young Stars Who Came out as LGBTQ.
‘Til then, stay sickening, fact-natics! And see you in the next video!