RuPaul

RuPaul Andre Charles, born November 17, 1960, is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. Dubbed the "Queen of Drag," he is widely regarded as the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States. He is best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, which launched in 2009 and expanded into a global franchise with numerous international versions and spin-off shows.

RuPaul was born in San Diego, California, to parents from Louisiana, and was raised in a Catholic household alongside three sisters. Following his parents' divorce in 1967, he lived with his mother. At age 15, he relocated with his sister to Atlanta, Georgia, to study performing arts. During the 1980s, he worked in theater, debuted on the public-access variety program The American Music Show, performed with bands such as Wee Wee Pole, and participated in underground filmmaking.

After moving to New York City, RuPaul became a prominent fixture in the LGBTQ nightclub scene and performed regularly at the Wigstock drag festival. He achieved international breakthrough fame in 1993 with the release of his hit single "Supermodel (You Better Work)" from the album Supermodel of the World. In 1994, he became the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign as a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics. He subsequently hosted his own talk program, The RuPaul Show, on VH1 from 1996 to 1998 alongside co-host Michelle Visage.

Over the course of his career, RuPaul has released fifteen studio albums, including Foxy Lady, Red Hot, Champion, Glamazon, Born Naked, and Realness. He has appeared in films such as Crooklyn, The Brady Bunch Movie, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and But I'm a Cheerleader, as well as television series like Girlboss and Broad City. He also created and starred in the 2020 Netflix series AJ and the Queen. In addition to his music and screen work, he co-hosted the podcast RuPaul: What's the Tee? and authored four books, including Lettin' It All Hang Out and The House of Hidden Meanings.

RuPaul's Drag Race has produced eighteen seasons in the United States, giving rise to international variants like RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Canada's Drag Race, alongside spin-offs such as RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. His work has earned him 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, two Billboard Music Awards, five GLAAD Media Awards, and a Guinness World Records title. He was named to the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2017 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.