He appeared for many years at the annual Wigstock drag festival and appeared in the documentary Wigstock: The Movie. He played opposite New York City drag performer Mona Foot (Nashom Benjamin) in the one-act science-fiction parody "My Pet Homo" written and directed by Jon Michael Johnson for Cooper Square Productions. Initially participating in gender bender-style performances, he performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several New York City nightclubs, most notably the Pyramid Club. In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. RuPaul's first prominent national exposure came in 1989 dancing as an extra in the video for " Love Shack" by The B-52's. RuPaul also performed as a backup singer to Glen Meadmore along with drag queen Vaginal Davis. In Atlanta he often performed at the Celebrity Club, managed by Larry Tee, as a bar dancer or with his band, Wee Wee Pole. : 59 He also participated in underground cinema, helping create the low-budget film Star Booty and an album by the same name. In 1982, he debuted on an Atlanta public access variety show called The American Music Show, on which he made frequent appearances over the years. RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s he worked at Atlanta's famed Plaza Theatre. Īt 15, RuPaul and his sister Renetta moved to study performing arts in Atlanta. He was raised in the Catholic faith and attended Patrick Henry High School. When his parents divorced in 1967, he and his three sisters lived with their mother, a practicing Seventh-day Adventist. According to Finding Your Roots, his DNA composition is 70% African and 30% European. He was named by his mother "Ru" came from roux, the term for the base of gumbo and other creole stews and soups. RuPaul was born in San Diego on November 17, 1960, the son of Ernestine "Toni" (née Fontenette) and Irving Andrew Charles. RuPaul speaking about growing up in California and how it influenced his work ethic at the 2019 California Hall of Fame induction ceremony Outside of film and television, he also continues to write and record music he has released fifteen studio albums as of 2023, and received a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop. In 2017, he was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. RuPaul is considered the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States, with Fortune saying that he is "easily the world's most famous drag queen." For his work on RuPaul's Drag Race, he has received 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most-awarded person of color in the history of the Primetime Emmys. In addition, he has also published three books: Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995), Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010), and GuRu (2018). He later created and starred in his own Netflix original television series AJ and the Queen (2020). RuPaul has made appearances in films such as Crooklyn (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), television shows such as Girlboss (2017), Broad City (2017), and Grace and Frankie (2019). He is also featured as a host on other reality television series such as Skin Wars, Good Work, and Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul. This has also inspired several spin-offs of the main show, including RuPaul's Drag U, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race. There are several international variants of the show including RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Canada's Drag Race. The show has also seen success internationally. RuPaul's Drag Race was created in 2009 and has gone on to produce fifteen seasons in the United States. He later received his own talk show on VH1 called The RuPaul Show, which he hosted for over 100 episodes while co-hosting the morning radio show on WKTU with Michelle Visage. He became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics in 1994, raising money for the Mac AIDS Fund and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign. He achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single, " Supermodel (You Better Work)", which was included on his debut studio album Supermodel of the World (1993). He settled in New York City, where he became a popular fixture on the LGBT nightclub scene. He has been dubbed the "Queen of Drag".īorn and raised in San Diego, RuPaul later studied performing arts in Atlanta. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, he has received several accolades, including 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, a Critics' Choice Television Award, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Tony Award. RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model.
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