As part of our Decade of Drag Race week, we caught up with one queen from each season of the Emmy-award-winning series to reminisce about the show’s journey, share some never-been-told memories and throw shade where shade is due.
Below, we spill the tea with the current reigning drag superstar, Aquaria. Read all the interviews here.
Is there something that happened behind-the-scenes or off-camera that you’re surprised didn’t make the television edit?
I wish that some of my funny moments with Asia [O’Hara] or Monet [X Change] would get put in. I feel like we were always messing with each other and had inside jokes, but I think they also might have been to inside for people to relate to.
Since your season aired, what have you gotten tired of fans bringing up?
As someone who knows what’s not funny and has done a fine job figuring out what is funny, I think I have the authority to say that coming to the meet and greets and calling me “Miz Cracker” and calling Cracker me or commenting these boring comments on our pictures — I think that’s not that funny. There’s definitely funny ways to do it but to say “Is this Miz Cracker?” on a picture that clearly isn’t her or vice versa is annoying for everyone. Like, will you shut up with your no-drag-knowledge mouth?
Has there been a starstruck moment since the season aired?
It’s so stupid but I used to subscribe to Rachel Ray’s magazine when I was little because I loved cooking and home things and stuff like that. And she’s friends with RuPaul and had him on her show. She commented on a couple of my pictures and I was really gagged about that. Or like when Padma was a guest judge on the show. Not everyone on my season was gagged, but I was like, “Oh my God Padma Lakshmi? Y’all can send me home this week. I’m having a blast.”
Which one queen have you grown the closest to since your season?
I think everyone is always so surprised to see the friendship that I have with The Vixen. We are very supportive of each other. We always trying to text each other if there’s anything up or just to get the lowdown on some drama. I guess it shocks and surprises a lot of people. She’s a cool cat. I love seeing her out and at gigs. I love working with her. She’s always a good time.
Is there a lip-sync-for-your-life decision you would’ve changed if you were in Ru’s shoes?
It is a known fact that I was not a fan of the first double-save of the season. That being said, I was more annoyed with the situation and not the decision. Otherwise, I basically stand by everything else.
What’s one of the most overrated runway looks from your season?
Okay, I get that it was clean in a construction sense but I really, really, really was not obsessed with Miz Cracker’s Drag on a Dime. I get that the whole concept of the challenge was to create these outfits out of trash and she did do a seemingly great job constructing something that didn’t look like more trash but the colors to me were just really rotten. I hated the styling choices. The makeup was off for me. Hated the contacts. Hated the over-highlighted face and body. I can go on. I hated the pattern of the skirt. Obviously, it wasn’t a pattern she went to the store and picked herself but I hated that. No shade. She did lovely!
What’s the worst decision someone made during your season?
I think that all thirteen of them made a horrible decision to compete against me. It didn’t work out for any of them. I think, if they went back in time, they would chosen a different season.
Did the right person win?
I definitely think the right person won. Whether you agree with the wins I had on the show or if you like my style of drag, I don’t think anyone can really deny the effort I put into preparing for this season which was obviously composed of very specific looks and concepts just for season 10. Everything was something I had a big hand in making and designing and creating and styling. I really rose to the occasion where people expected me not to excel and succeed. I tried to give everyone a really fantastic and fierce show. Somethings don’t go as planned all the time, but I think with my final number I really sold it. At that point, there was no question that I was going to have a successful end to my run on the show. I’m really grateful for that. As with any season, there are plenty of people who would have made fabulous winners and I just hope to honor the legacy of RuPaul’s Drag Race and I hope to continue to make my fans, my friends, my family, and my sisters from my season proud.
Season 1: Ongina | Season 2: Tatianna | Season 3: Stacy Layne Matthews
Season 4: Jiggly Caliente | Season 5: Detox | Season 6: Laganja Estranja
Season 7: Ginger Minj | Season 8: Bob the Drag Queen
Season 9: Nina Bo’Nina Brown | Season 10: Aquaria?
All Stars 1: Mimi Imfurst | All Stars 2: Roxxxy Andrews | All Stars 3: Aja