Jinkx Monsoon

Hera Lilith Hoffer, known professionally as Jinkx Monsoon, is an American drag queen, actress, singer, and comedian. She achieved national prominence after winning the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2013. In 2022, she returned for the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, an all-winners edition, where she won the grand prize of $200,000 and the title of Queen of All Queens, becoming the franchise's first and only two-time champion.

Hoffer was born on September 18, 1987, in Portland, Oregon, and raised in an Irish Catholic household. Facing a difficult childhood with an absent father and an alcoholic mother, she assumed parental responsibilities for her two younger brothers and half-sister at age twelve. During her teenage years, she discovered her maternal grandmother's Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, which she later drew upon to help shape her drag persona. She attended local arts schools, worked as a janitor, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from Cornish College of the Arts in 2010.

Hoffer came out as gay at thirteen and began performing in drag at fifteen under the name Heidi Destruction. She later adopted the stage surname Monsoon from the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. After relocating to Seattle, she became active in the local stage scene, appearing in web series, the documentary Drag Becomes Him, and local theatrical productions including Spring Awakening and Rent. These performances built her reputation prior to her national television debut.

During her initial run on Drag Race, Hoffer stood out for her comedic timing and celebrity impersonations, winning challenges including Snatch Game as Little Edie Bouvier Beale before capturing the season title. When she returned for the All Stars all-winners competition in 2022, she won five main challenges, including another Snatch Game victory impersonating Judy Garland and Natasha Lyonne. Beyond the show, New York magazine ranked her among the top drag queens in America, and City Arts named her an Artist of the Year in 2013.

Following her initial Drag Race victory, Hoffer built a versatile music and theatrical career. She released her cabaret-influenced debut, The Inevitable Album, in 2014, and her grunge- and ska-inspired follow-up, The Ginger Snapped, in 2018. Alongside frequent collaborator BenDeLaCreme, she developed annual holiday stage productions and the 2020 film The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Special. Hoffer expanded into high-profile stage roles, making her Broadway debut as Mama Morton in Chicago in 2023, followed by roles in Little Shop of Horrors, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, and Oh, Mary!.

On television, Hoffer co-created and starred in the series Sketchy Queens, played the antagonist Maestro on Doctor Who, voiced a character on Steven Universe, and appeared in Blue Bloods, Capitol Hill, and Happiest Season. In her personal life, Hoffer identifies as trans-femme non-binary and pansexual, uses she/her pronouns, and legally changed her first name to Hera in 2024. She lives in Portland, Oregon, in a home named Monsoon Manor.