Kerri Colby | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kerri Colby atRuPaul's DragCon LA, 2024 | |
| Born | (1996-07-30)July 30, 1996 (age 28) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Other names | Elyse Alessandra Anderson Kerri Elyse Colby |
| Occupation | Drag performer |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Known for | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 14) andDrag Performer |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 14) |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Website | kerricolby |
| Signature | |
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Kerri Colby is thestage name ofElyse Alessandra Anderson (born July 30, 1996), an Americandrag performer best known for competing onseason 14 ofRuPaul's Drag Race, where she placed ninth overall. Kerri Colby is based in Los Angeles, California.[1]
Anderson was born inDallas, Texas.[2] She was raised in aPentecostal household.[3] She stated that she has never fit in with those beliefs, and after watching thefifth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race, she learned aboutdrag. She left home at 15, and she has stated the reasoning for leaving is the toxic environment that her family created for her. She couch-surfed, mostly in Dallas'sOak Lawn neighborhood, which is the city'sgayborhood,[4] and found friends to take care of her after leaving home. She has stated that many of the people taking care of her were much older, and it led to abusive situations.[5]
One day when Kerri was resting at a train station, a stranger named Manuel who was ofEl Salvadorian[4] descent recognized her from her posts on bothInstagram and online and offered to help. Kerri told them that unless they helped with her homelessness, they could not help. This person then took Kerri in until she was eighteen. Kerri has stated in an interview, "[My friend was] completely my angel... I would not have made it."[6]
She moved toLos Angeles at 18 after someone hit her up on an app, ending up living inWest Hollywood, California with a man who flew her to the city.[4]
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She competed onseason 14 ofRuPaul's Drag Race. On episode 4, she landed in the bottom and lip-synced againstAlyssa Hunter toJennifer Lopez's song, "Play".[7] On episode 8, she landed in the bottom again withJasmine Kennedie, and lost the lip-sync to "Un-Break My Heart" byToni Braxton.[8]
She was a featured performer during Jennifer Lopez's performance at the2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards.[9] In May, her nomination was announced at the2022 WOWIE Awards as part ofRuPaul's DragCon inLos Angeles in the category Best Viral Moment (The America's Next Top Meme Award), shared with drag queensDaya Betty andKornbread "The Snack" Jeté.[10]
In 2022, Colby appeared in an advertising campaign forcannabis beverage brand Cann, alongside fellow season 14 contestantsWillow Pill,Jorgeous, and Kornbread, as well as other LGBTQ+ celebrities includingHayley Kiyoko andGus Kenworthy.[11] During press for the Cann campaign, Colby shared that she worked at adispensary before appearing on Drag Race.[12]
In 2023, she appeared in a cameo duringseason 15Untucked episode to give a video message to her drag mother and season 15 winnerSasha Colby.[13]
Kerri Colby is atrans woman. FellowDrag Race contestant and trans womanKornbread Jeté credits Kerri Colby with helping her in her own transition.[14][15] She has also helped inspireJasmine Kennedie to come out as a trans woman on an episode ofUntucked on season 14 ofRuPaul's Drag Race.Bosco has also cited Kerri Colby as a source of "clarity" in her transition, which she announced after season 14 wrapped filming.[16]
| Year | Title | Genre | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 14) | TV | Contestant | 9th place (11 episodes, includingQueen Ruveal special) |
| 2022-2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | TV | Herself | Season 13, 7 episodes |
| Cameo (Season 14, 1 episode) | ||||
| 2022 | Whatcha Packin' | Web series | Herself | Guest (Season 15, episode 6: Kerri Colby) |
| 2022 | MTV Movie & TV Awards Red Carpet | Web show | Herself | Co-host |
| 2023 | Kerri Kares | TV | Herself | Host (8 episodes) |
| 2023 | Photo Fashion RuView | Web series | Herself | Co-host (12 episodes) |
| 2023 | Look at Huh | Web series | Herself | Guest (Season 1, episode 7) |
| 2023 | Bring Back My Girls | Web series | Herself | Guest (Season 2, episode 1: Season 14) |
| 2024 | Hey Qween | Web series | Herself (Voice only) | Cameo (Season 10, episode 2: Mirage) |
| TBA | Slaycation | TV | Herself | Main cast[17] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Real TV Awards | Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series (Shared with theSeason 14 cast) | RuPaul's Drag Race | Won | [18] |
| 2023 | Queerties Awards | Future All-Star | Herself | Nominated | [19] |
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Media related toKerri Colby at Wikimedia Commons