RuPaul | |
|---|---|
.jpg) RuPaul at the 2019 California Hall of Fame Ceremony in Sacramento, California | |
| Born | RuPaul Andre Charles (1960-11-17)November 17, 1960 (age 65) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Television | |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Cory Booker (distant cousin) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
|
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
|
Musical artist | |
| Website | rupaul |
RuPaul Andre Charles[1][2] (born November 17, 1960) is an Americandrag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He[a] produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition seriesRuPaul's Drag Race and has receivedseveral accolades, including 14Primetime Emmy Awards, threeGLAAD Media Awards, aCritics' Choice Television Award, twoBillboard Music Awards, aTony Award, and a Guinness World Records title. He has been dubbed the "Queen of Drag" and is considered the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States, withFortune saying that he is "easily the world's most famous drag queen."[5] In 2017, RuPaul was included in the annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[5][6]
Born and raised in San Diego, California,[7][8] RuPaul studied performing arts inAtlanta, Georgia, before relocating to New York City, where he became a popular fixture on theLGBTQ nightclub scene. He achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single, "Supermodel (You Better Work)" (1993). RuPaul was a spokesperson forMAC Cosmetics in 1994, raising money for theMac AIDS Fund and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign.
RuPaul's Drag Race was created in 2009 and has gone on to produce seventeen seasons in the United States. The show has also seen success internationally and there are several international variants of the show, includingRuPaul's Drag Race UK (2019–present) andCanada's Drag Race (2020–present). There are also several spin-offs of the main show, such asRuPaul's Drag U (2010–2012),RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, (2012–present), andRuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race (2020–2022). His other television work includesThe RuPaul Show (1996–1998),Skin Wars (2014–2016),Good Work (2015),Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul (2016–2017), andRuPaul (2019). In 2018, RuPaul received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry.[9]
RuPaul has made appearances in films, includingCrooklyn (1994),The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), andBut I'm a Cheerleader (1999), as well as television series, includingGirlboss andBroad City (both 2017). He created and starred in theNetflix original seriesAJ and the Queen (2020). As a recording artist, RuPaul has releasedfifteen studio albums. He has also published four books:Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995),Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010),GuRu (2018), andThe House of Hidden Meanings (2024).
RuPaul was born inSan Diego on November 17, 1960, the son of Ernestine "Toni" (née Fontenette) and Irving Andrew Charles. His parents were both fromLouisiana.[10][11] He was named by his mother; "Ru" came fromroux, the French term for the base ofgumbo and othercreole stews and soups.[12] According to DNA analysis byFinding Your Roots staff, his ancestry is 70% African and 30% European.[11][13]
RuPaul was raised in aCatholic household and grew up poor in a "broken home" with an absent father and volatile mother.[14][15] After his mother discovered his father was having an affair, she poured gasoline on his car and attempted to set the house on fire.[16] He described this traumatic event as a "pivotal moment" which caused him to dissociate from his body and deeply impacted him.[16] After his parents divorced in 1967, he and his three sisters lived with their mother.[17][18] He attendedPatrick Henry High School but dropped out in 10th grade.[14][19] At 15, RuPaul and his sister Renetta moved toAtlanta, where they studied performing arts.[20]
RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s, working at Atlanta'sPlaza Theatre. In 1982, he debuted on an Atlantapublic access variety show calledThe American Music Show, and went on to appear on the show frequently.[4]: 59 [21] He also took part inunderground cinema, helping create the low-budget filmStar Booty and an album of the same name. In Atlanta he often performed at the Celebrity Club, managed byLarry Tee, as a bar dancer or with his band, Wee Wee Pole.[22][23][24] RuPaul also performed as a backup singer toGlen Meadmore along with drag queenVaginal Davis.[25] His first prominent national exposure came in 1989, when he danced as anextra in the video forThe B-52s' "Love Shack", and also appeared inTom Rubnitz's video "Pickle Surprise".[26][27]
In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. Initially participating ingender bender-style performances, he performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several New York City nightclubs, most notably thePyramid Club.[28] He played opposite New York City drag performerMona Foot (Nashom Benjamin) in the one-act science-fiction parody "My Pet Homo", written and directed by Jon Michael Johnson for Cooper Square Productions. He performed for many years at the annualWigstockdrag festival and appeared in the documentaryWigstock: The Movie. In the 1990s, RuPaul appeared on the UKChannel 4 seriesManhattan Cable, a weekly series produced byWorld of Wonder and presented by American Laurie Pike about New York'spublic-access television system.
In 1993, RuPaul recorded the dance/house albumSupermodel of the World. It was released through the rap labelTommy Boy, spawning the dance track hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)". The song peaked at 45 on theBillboard Hot 100. It charted on theUK Singles Chart, peaking on the top 40 at 39. The song found the most success on theBillboardHot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it peaked at 2. Radio airplay, heavy rotation of the music video onMTV, and television appearances on popular programs likeThe Arsenio Hall Show popularized the song. His next two singles/videos, "Back to My Roots" and "A Shade Shady (Now Prance)", both went to the top spot on theBillboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. His following release "House of Love" failed to place on any U.S. charts but peaked at 68 on theUK Singles Chart. In 1994, he released "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", a duet with Elton John.[29]
RuPaul was signed to a modeling contract forMAC 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 onABC'sAll My Children, in a storyline that put it on the set ofErica Kane's talk show "The Cutting Edge". The same year, he was featured in his first of two appearances in theBrady Bunch movies, in which he played Jan's female guidance counselor.In 1994 he had a duet withElton John who was of the superguests of theSanremo Festival in Italy as superguests, one of the main festivals worldwide; the permance generated both positive and concerned reactions from the public.[30]
In 1996, he landed a talk show of his own onVH1, calledThe RuPaul Show interviewing celebrity guests and musical acts.Cher,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 theBackstreet Boys were notable guests. His co-host wasMichelle Visage with whom he also co-hosted onWKTU radio. On one episode, RuPaul featured guestsChi Chi LaRue andTom Chase speaking about the gay porn industry.
Later in the year he released his second album,Foxy Lady, this time on the L.A.-basedRhino Records label. The album failed to chart on theBillboard 200. However, its first single "Snapshot" went to number four on theHot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It also enjoyed limited mainstream success, charting at 95 on theBillboard Hot 100, which was his second and final solo Hot 100 entry to date. The album's second single "A Little Bit of Love" was not as successful, peaking at 28 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. During this time, RuPaul hosted a morning radio show atWKTU radio in New York City and would serve as host until 1998.[31]
In 1997, he released his third album, the Christmas-themedHo Ho Ho. That year, RuPaul teamed withMartha Wash to remake the classic disco anthem, "It's Raining Men". The song was included on the 1998 compilation CDRuPaul's Go Go Box Classics. During this time, he appeared inWebex TV commercials and magazine ads. In 2002, he was featured on theEurodance track "You're No Lady" alongsideBrigitte Nielsen.
In 2004, RuPaul released his fourth album,Red Hot, on his own RuCo Inc. music label. It received dance radio and club play, but very little press coverage. RuPaul later noted, "I don't know what happened. It seemed I couldn't get press on my album unless I was willing to play into the role that the mainstream press has assigned to gay people, which is as servants of straight ideals."[32]Red Hot's lead single "Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous" peaked at number two on the dance chart. The second, "WorkOut", peaked at number five. The third and final single from the album "People Are People" a duet with Tom Trujillo, peaked at number 10. The album itself only charted on theTop Electronic Albums chart, where it hit number nine.[33] In September, he was hired atWNEW.[31]
On June 13, 2006, RuPaul releasedReWorked, his firstremix album. The only single released from the album was a re-recording of "Supermodel (You Better Work)", which reached number 21 on the U.S. dance chart. June 20, 2007, saw the release ofStarrbooty: 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.
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In mid-2008, RuPaul began producingRuPaul's Drag Race, a reality television game show which aired onLogo in February 2009. On the program drag queens compete to be selected by RuPaul and a panel of judges as "America's next drag superstar". The first season's winner wasBeBe Zahara Benet, and first runner-upNina Flowers was chosen by fans as "Miss Congeniality" through voting via the show's official website. To publicize the new show, RuPaul appeared on several other shows in 2008, includingProject Runway, as guest judge, and onPaula's Party as a guest "chef".[34][35]
In March 2009, RuPaul released the albumChampion. 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 theBillboardDance/Electronic Albums as well as 26 on theBillboardTop Heatseekers chart. Logo's second annualNewNowNext 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 albumChampion.[36]
In April 2011, coinciding with the finale of season 3 ofRuPaul's Drag Race, RuPaul released his sixth studio albumGlamazon, produced byRevolucian. The album charted onBillboard'sDance/Electronic Albums and theBillboardTop Heatseekers chart at 11 and 8 respectively. In July 2011, he released another remix EP entitledSuperGlam DQ which features remixes of tracks fromGlamazon, remixes of the "Drag U Theme Song", and a new song, "Sexy Drag Queen". The second season ofRuPaul's Drag U began in June 2011. In late 2011, RuPaul made appearances onThe Rosie Show andThe Chew, and also attended aDrag Race NY Premiere party atPatricia Field's store in New York. Season 4 ofRuPaul's Drag Race premiered onLogo on January 30, 2012, with RuPaul returning as the main host and judge. In the fall of 2012, the spin-offRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars premiered and featured past contestants of the previous four seasons. Season 5 ofRuPaul's Drag Race premiered on January 28, 2013. On April 30, 2013, he released "Lick It Lollipop" featuringLady Bunny.
In fall of 2013, RuPaul joined forces with cosmetic manufacturers Colorevolution to launch his debut make-up line featuring ultra-richpigment cosmetics and a beauty collection. Released alongside the line was aunisex perfume entitled "Glamazon". Talking toWorld of Wonder he 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.[37][38]
On January 28, 2014, RuPaul releasedRuPaul Presents The CoverGurlz, a collaborative album featuring new versions of RuPaul songs from 2009 to 2013. His seventh studio album,Born Naked, was released on February 24, 2014, to coincide with the premiere of the 6th season ofRuPaul's Drag Race.Born Naked placed at number 4 on the USBillboard dance chart and 85 on theBillboard 200 chart. On April 9, 2014, RuPaul andMichelle Visage released the first episode of their podcast,RuPaul: What's the Tee? with Michelle Visage. In August, he joined the reality competition showSkin Wars acting as a judge.
On March 2, 2015, RuPaul released his eighth studio album,Realness. The release coincided with the premiere of the seventh season ofRuPaul's Drag Race. In April, he launched and began hosting a new show,Good Work, a plastic surgery-themed talk show forE!. In October he released his secondChristmas album, and ninth studio album,Slay Belles. The album contains ten original Christmas-themed songs and features collaborations withMichelle Visage,Siedah Garrett,Todrick Hall, andBig Freedia. The album charted at 21 on the USBillboardDance chart.[39]
In January 2016, it was announced RuPaul would present a new game show forLogo TV calledGay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul which premiered on April 11, 2016, afterRuPaul's Drag Race.[40] In March 2016, he released his tenth album,Butch Queen, just prior to the premiere of theeighth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[41] A song from the album, "U Wear It Well" was featured in the teaser campaigns for the season and was released as its first single. The album charted at number 3 on the USBillboardDance chart.[39] "'Be Someone" featuring American singerTaylor Dayne was released as the album's second and final single. Additionally,Butch Queen: The Ru-Mixes was released.
In July 2016, it was announced that RuPaul was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. He was presented the award at the SeptemberCreative Arts Emmy Awards Ceremony. 2016 also saw the release of the single "Read U Wrote U" that features rap parts by theRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2 finalistsRoxxxy Andrews,Katya Zamolodchikova,Alaska Thunderfuck, andDetox Icunt with production byEllis Miah.[42]
On February 3, 2017, RuPaul released the albumRemember Me: Essential, Vol. 1. It is a collection of new songs and remakes of RuPaul hits that feature new artists.[43] Two singles were released from the album: "Rock It (To The Moon)", and an updated version of RuPaul's 1996 single "Snapshot" fromFoxy Lady. The album debuted at number four on theBillboard Dance Albums Sales Chart in the United States and at number eleven on the UK Dance Albums Chart. On March 24, 2017, RuPaul released his eleventh studio album,American.[44] On the same day, theninth regular season ofRuPaul's Drag Race debuted on basic cable channel VH1. It moved from the expanded cable channel Logo TV which aired all previous seasons of the show. The season 9 premiere featured singerLady Gaga as its guest judge and was a success, with ratings of nearly 1,000,000 viewers, making it the series' most viewed episode.[45]
On June 9, 2017,Essential, Vol. 2 was released. It was preceded by the single "Crying on the Dance Floor", a re-recording of the 2010 single "Main Event" fromChampion. On March 16, 2018, RuPaul received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry.[46] He was the first drag queen to be given the award.[47] RuPaul released his third Christmas album in October 2018.[48]
In June 2019, the daytime talk showRuPaul premiered. It was cancelled after a three-week test run.[49][50] He also appeared inTaylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" music video.[51] In late 2019, thefirst season ofRuPaul's Drag Race UK was released onBBC3.[52][53] It was renewed for asecond season which was released in 2021.[54] RuPaul also created and starred in theNetflix drama-comedy showAJ and the Queen, which was released on January 10, 2020.[55] On March 6, 2020, Netflix announced that the series had been cancelled.[56] RuPaul hostedSaturday Night Live on February 8, 2020.[57] On May 11, RuPaul made an appearance onThe Price Is Right at Night.[58] He also made an appearance in the premiere episode ofCanada's Drag Race.
In August 2021, RuPaul guest hosted two episodes of the talk showJimmy Kimmel Live!.[59] He did voice work inAmphibia portraying theFBI agent Mr. X. He won theTony Award for Best Musical in 2022 as a producer of the Broadway musicalA Strange Loop.[60] He also voices himself as the announcer onThe Tiny Chef Show.[61] He began hosting a revival of the game showLingo forCBS in 2023,[62] as well asCelebrity Lingo, a spinoff ofthe UK series of the same name onITV.[63]
HarperCollins published the RuPaul memoirThe House of Hidden Meanings in March 2024.[64]
ThepodcastRuPaul: What's the Tee? With Michelle Visage debuted on April 6, 2014. Ru-Paul co-hosts with longtime friend and fellowRuPaul's Drag Race judgeMichelle Visage. The weekly show features their thoughts on topics including behind-the-scenes ofRuPaul's Drag Race, life advice, beauty tips, and conversations with featured guests from the entertainment world.[65][66]
In 2018, RuPaul was one of the actors who voiced the audiobookA Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo.[67]
Launched through production companyWorld of Wonder,RuPaul's DragCon LA is an annual drag-themed convention held in Los Angeles which started in 2015, followed byRuPaul's DragCon NYC. It began in 2017 in New York City; the public is able to meet with RuPaul, formerRuPaul's Drag Race contestants, and other drag queens.[68] The conventions feature performances, meet-and-greet booths, merchandise sales and panel discussions.[69]
RuPaul has been an active supporter of voter registration, producing a public service announcement supportingNational Voter Registration Day[70] and urging everyone to register.[71] As RuPaul saidvoter ID laws vary from state to state; the details of the voter ID required in each state are provided byHeadCount andVoteRiders. As one in five LGBTQ adults are not registered to vote, voter registration efforts have expanded recently. Several stars fromRuPaul's Drag Race act as Ambassadors for Drag Out the Vote.[72]
In March 2023, in response to theTennessee Adult Entertainment Act, RuPaul, World of Wonder producers Randy Barbarto and Fenton Bailey, and MTV began a fund to fight anti-drag initiatives.[73][74][75] TheACLU maintains the fund,[76] which received donations from efforts at DragCon LA 2023,[77] the "Drag Isn't Dangerous" livestream telethon,[78] "Can't Hold us Down",[79] "Born This Way",[80] and "God Save the Queens",[81] as well as a small donation from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets.[82]
The Instagram post RuPaul made prior to the establishment of the fund called on followers to vote, saying, "Register to vote so we can get those stunt queens out of office." The video ends with the statement, "By the way, a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote."[83]
Lauren Herold ofMic.com deemed RuPaul "arguably the most commercially successful drag queen in America."[84] Sami Main ofAdweek credited him with creating wider exposure for drag queens fromLGBTQ culture intomainstream society, thanks to his early-career chart success, and later, the successive climb in viewership ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[85] His talk showThe RuPaul Show was the first-ever national talk show to have a drag queen as a host. Along with his partner Michelle Visage, he welcomed an array of high-profile guests such asCher,Lil Kim, andDiana Ross over the show's 100-episode span. As well as having a variety of comedyskits, the show was noted for discussing topics such as black empowerment,female empowerment,misogyny, and liberal politics that were otherwise unheard of in 1990s television at the time.[86] In 1999, RuPaul was awarded theVito Russo Award at theGLAAD Media Awards for work in promoting equality in theLGBTQ community.
RuPaul has also been noted as having a large part inRuPaul's Drag Race's continuous television success. By pioneering queer representation on television, many believe RuPaul to have essentially revolutionised the portrayal of theLGBTQ+ community on screen.[87] He first won anEmmy for his work on the show in 2016, and one year later the show garnered eight nominations, includingPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program for the first time in its 11-season run, and a second consecutive win for RuPaul in thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program.[88] In 2017, he was included in the annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[6] In 2019,Fortune noted RuPaul as "easily the world's most famous" drag queen.[5]
RuPaul has been the subject of multiple controversies regarding his comments and actions towards the transgender community. According toVox, he has a complicated relationship with this community, in part due to differing philosophies: through drag he seeks to mock gender and identity stereotypes, while in his view the trans community takes identity seriously.[89] Nevertheless,RuPaul's Drag Race has featured a number of contestants who aretrans women, includingKylie "Sonique" Love,Carmen Carrera,Jiggly Caliente,Monica Beverly Hillz,Kenya Michaels, andGia Gunn, some of whom made their identity public while competing on the show.[90][91] Later seasons of the show have included contestants who had already disclosed their trans identity prior to their season beginning. In 2017,Peppermint became the first contestant to compete throughout her season as an openly trans woman and in 2021Gottmik was the first to compete as an openlytrans man.[92][93] Othernon-conforming gender identities expressed by former contestants include bothnon-binary (Jinkx Monsoon,Aja,Valentina,Divina de Campo,Ginny Lemon,Violet Chachki,[94] andSasha Velour)[95] andgenderfluid (Courtney Act[96] andKelly Mantle)[97] persons.
In 2014, trans activists and former contestants Carmen Carrera and Monica Beverly Hillz criticized the show's use of words such astranny andshemale, including the main challenge announcement phrase up to season 6, "You've got she-mail", which they described astransphobic.[98][99]That year's season also included a "Female or She-male" segment that required contestants to guess whether various photographs featuredcisgender "biological women" or "psychological women" (drag queens), causing further criticism.[100] 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, replacing it instead with the phrase "She done already done had herses."[101] RuPaul criticized those attempting to police his language in bad faith and noted thattranny referred totransvestites and drag queens, not just trans women.[102][103]
In 2018, RuPaul gave an interview toThe 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 hadbreast implants.[104] After facing criticism on social media and from former contestants for his remarks,[105] RuPaul compared trans drag queens who had transitioned to athletes who had takenperformance-enhancing drugs.[106] 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."[107] Since RuPaul made these statements, multiple transgender contestants have competed and won on the show.[108]
RuPaul met painter Georges LeBar in 1994 atthe Limelight nightclub in New York City.[109] They married in January 2017.[110] They have anopen marriage; RuPaul has said he would not want to "put restraints" on the person he loves.[111] The two split their time between a home in Los Angeles and a 60,000-acre (24,000 ha) ranch inWyoming.[112] Environmentalists criticized them in 2020 after RuPaul revealed that they lease mineral rights and sell water to oil companies on their ranch, and allowfracking there.[113][114][115] According to public maps, the ranch has at least 35 active wells.[116] RuPaul previously held aclimate-themed ball on his show to raiseenvironmental awareness, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.[117]
RuPaul publicly endorsedDemocratic nomineeHillary Clinton in the2016 United States presidential election.[118] He expressed dismay at Clinton's defeat byRepublican nomineeDonald Trump, saying, "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."[119] He has described doing drag as a "very, very political" act because it "challenges thestatus quo" by rejecting fixed identities: "Drag says 'I'm a shapeshifter, I do whatever the hell I want at any given time'."[120]
RuPaul started smokingcannabis at age 10 or 11.[121][122][123] Since 1999, he has been sober and has not had alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. In 2020, he found out while appearing on the TV showFinding Your Roots that he andNew Jersey SenatorCory Booker are "DNA cousins."[124] In a 2013 interview, RuPaul said, "I'm not religious, but I do have spiritual practices like yoga and meditation and I do pray."[125]
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Blue Boy Terror | |
| Wild Thing | ||
| Terror II | ||
| 1984 | Terror 3D | |
| 1986 | Mahogany II | |
| Psycho Bitch | ||
| American Porn Star | ||
| 1987 | Voyeur | |
| Police Lady | ||
| 1989 | Cupcake | |
| Vampire Hustlers | ||
| Beauty | ||
| 1997 | Shantay | Shantay |
| 1999 | Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World | Daryl.com |
| 2004 | Skin Walker | |
| 2006 | Zombie Prom | Delilah Strict |
| 2008 | How We Got Over | |
| 2019 | Ru's Angels[131] | Bos-Slay |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Gong Show | Himself (out of drag) | |
| 1993 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (in drag) | Guest star, episode: "Charles Barkley/Nirvana" |
| 1994 | Sister, Sister | Marje | |
| Sanremo Music Festival | Himself (in drag), duet withElton John | Special performance | |
| 1995 | In the House | Kevin | |
| 1996–1998 | The RuPaul Show | Himself (in drag) | Presenter, 100 episodes |
| Nash Bridges | Simone Dubois | 2 episodes | |
| 1998 | Hercules | 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 |
| The Groovenians | Champagne Courvoisier | TV pilot | |
| 2006 | Top Chef: San Francisco[132] | as herself | "Food of Love." On Bravo. (March 15, 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" |
| 2010–2012 | 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!" alongsideLady Gaga | |
| 2014 | The Face | Himself (out of drag) | Guest judge[133] |
| Mystery Girls | Emillo | Guest star, episode: "Bag Ladies" | |
| The Comeback | Himself (out of drag) | Guest star, episode: "Valerie Films A Pilot" | |
| 2014–2016 | Skin Wars | Himself (out of drag) | Judge |
| 2015 | Harvey Beaks | Jackie Slitherstein | Guest star, episode: "Harvey's Favorite Book" |
| Good Work | Host | ||
| Bubble Guppies | RuPearl | Guest star, episode: "Costume Boxing" | |
| 2016 | The Muppets | Himself (out of drag) | Episode: "Got Silk?" |
| 2016–2017 | 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[134] |
| The World's Best | Himself (out of drag) | Judge | |
| Grace and Frankie | Benjamin Le Day | Guest star[135] | |
| RuPaul | Himself (out of drag) | Host | |
| 2019, 2021 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2019–present | RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Himself | Host and judge |
| 2020 | AJ and the Queen[136] | Ruby Red | Main role; co-creator and executive producer |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself/host | Episode: "RuPaul/Justin Bieber" | |
| 2020–present | RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Himself (in and out of drag) | Host and judge |
| 2020 | The Price Is Right at Night[58] | Himself | Guest |
| 2020–present | Canada's Drag Race | Himself (in drag) | Cameo (video message in every episode) |
| 2020 | Muppets Now | Himself (out of drag) | Episode: "Due Date" |
| 2020–present | Drag Race Holland | Himself (in drag) | Cameo (video message) |
| 2020 | Earth to Ned | Himself (out of drag) | Guest; Episode: "You Better Work, Ned" |
| 2021–2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under | Himself | Host and judge[137][138] |
| 2021 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself (guest host) | 2 episodes |
| Chicago Party Aunt | Gideon (voice) | 8 episodes | |
| Drag Race Italia | Himself (guest) | Season 1: Episode 6 | |
| 2021–2022 | Amphibia | Mr. X (voice) | 4 episodes |
| Painted with Raven | Himself (guest judge) | Episodes: "All That Sparkles", "Fairy Tale Ball" | |
| 2022–present | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World | Herself (in and out of drag) | Host and judge[139] |
| Drag Race Philippines | Himself (in drag) | Cameo (video message in every episode) | |
| Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World | Himself (in drag) | Cameo (video message in every episode) | |
| 2022 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Himself | Star Guest Announcer (Series 18, Episode 1) |
| The Late Late Show with James Corden | Himself | Guest Star (Season 7, Episode 1080)[140] | |
| Celebrity Lingo | Himself | Host[141] | |
| The Tiny Chef Show | Announcer (voice) | Main role | |
| 2023 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Self – Celebrity Player | Episode: "RuPaul vsLauren Lapkus andSteve Schirripa vsLoni Love" |
| 2024 | RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars | Himself | Host and judge |
| Year | Title | Role | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Love Shack" | Extra | The B-52's |
| 2019 | "You Need to Calm Down" | Himself | Taylor Swift |
RuPaul has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for which he was inducted in 2018. In 2019 he became the first drag queen inducted into theCalifornia Hall of Fame.[142] He has also won 14Primetime Emmy Awards, including 8 forOutstanding Host for a Reality or Competition program. This makes him the most awarded in the category as well as the most-awarded person of color in Emmy history.[143] His other notable accolades include aTony Award, twoBillboard Music Awards, fourCanadian Screen Awards, tenCritics' Choice Real TV Awards, aCritics' Choice Award, fourGLAAD Media Awards including theGLAAD Vito Russo Award in 1999, fiveProducers Guild of America Awards, and a Guinness World Records title.[144]
In 2020, a species of Australiansoldier fly was namedOpaluma rupaul. The name was chosen in reference to the fly's "costume of shiny metallic rainbow colours." Other species described in the same article were namedO. ednae (after fellow drag queenDame Edna Everage) andO.fabulosa.[145][146]
Memoir of growing up Black, poor, and queer in a broken home ... with his absent father and temperamental mother
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) AdditionalWebCitation archive on March 10, 2017.RuPaul, Lahoma and Larry Tee went to Red Zone to perform their disco act La Palace de Beaute. This video includes fabulous backup dancing by RuPaul and Lahoma.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)To understand why RuPaul has always been resistant to let go of what he finds to be harmless jokes, you have to understand that he built his career on the principle that no one should take themselves or gender particularly seriously. In fact, as he told Vulture, his vision of drag is that it's meant to "remind culture to not take itself seriously." When he gets asked about the trans community's relation to drag, he said, he just gets bored because "we mock identity. They take identity very seriously."
RuPaul, who splits time between Los Angeles and a 60,000-acre ranch in Wyoming, says one of the secrets to his success is adaptability.
My Mother grew up Catholic.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
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