Queens for the day: On the set of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ with fun photos, video interviews, behind-the-scenes secrets
MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” recently opened up its doors to select members of the press for a first-ever guided tour of the iconic sets and so much more, with senior editor Marcus James Dixon and associate editor Latasha Ford representing Gold Derby as queens for the day. Read all about their press day experience below, which includes fun behind-the-scenes photos and video confessionals, and be sure to watch their on-set interview above with producers Michelle Visage, Tom Campbell and Mandy Salangsang.
The memorable day began with Pit Crew models and golden speedo enthusiasts Jesse and Bruno welcoming everybody to the Untucked Lounge with House of Love cocktails and mocktails. (Marcus and Latasha highly recommend the Tangerine Margarita!) Lining the walls were epically sized portraits of host/producer RuPaul Charles, plus wigs and high heels of all colors and sizes.
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Head hairstylist Suzette Boozer was on hand to answer every hair-related question imaginable, and even offered to help put some wigs on the reporters. Meanwhile, show staffers explained how this was the first time they were hosting journalists at their super secret set, and that it was a rare “off” day with no filming taking place.
Next up, segment producer Guya Frazier gave a behind-the-scenes tour of the Werk Room via a two-way mirror. Everyone sipped on their margaritas as they spied on a pair of Season 16 fan-faves, Morphine Love Dion and Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige, applying their makeup and having a private conversation. Remember, these competitors weren’t there to film an episode — they merely showed up to make the press day all the more special.
Anyone who has watched “All Stars 2,” featuring Alyssa Edwards‘ “face crack of the millennium,” knows the exact type of two-way mirror in question. It was around this point that Latasha’s black patent leather flower-imprinted kitten heels starting hurting her feet, so she was graciously given comfy slippers to wear for the rest of the set visit.
Onto the Main Stage, which appeared much bigger than it does on camera, with countless lights and cameras at the ready to make sure every hair flip and tongue pop was captured. Journalists took turns strutting down the runway, and yes, they all felt like superstar celebrities. Marcus was clad in his pink-and-purple paisley button-up and Pit Crew bomber jacket, while Latasha donned her gray-and-black jungle print long-sleeve mock-neck dress.
Dozens of “Drag Race” crew members applauded and cheered during the runway walks (no matter how bad they were), creating a real spirit of positivity that no doubt comes from the very top. What else would you expect from a TV show that regularly espouses, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
The biggest surprise of the day occurred when Morphine and Mhi’ya left the Werk Room all dolled-up and performed a one-of-a-kind lip sync on the Main Stage to the song “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé. The reporters watched the breathtaking live performance from behind the judges’ table, and they even had paddles to vote for their favorites.
Marcus gave the edge to Morphine for her dancing skills, while Latasha was wowed by Mhi’ya’s flips upon flips upon flips. Ultimately, no winner was declared — it was a tie! Shantay, you both stay.
Assistant set manager Justin Ruse then helped facilitate the interview portion of the set visit, with Visage, Campbell and Salangsang up first. (Alas, there were no Tic Tacs to munch on.) The trio of producers sat next to each other on the runway where they discussed all things “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” including the origins of the show and what the awards love means to them. The 13-minute video can be seen in its entirety at the top of this post.
Salangsang called the Emmy attention “surprising” and “unexpected.” She added, “I knew we were doing really good work. It was creative, and what the queens were bringing was so compelling and so dynamic. I just wasn’t sure how many people were paying attention to it. And for me, what it has been over the years is an acknowledgment that people are paying attention and that people do appreciate the kind of work that we are doing. It’s a platform for queer entertainers to really showcase their extraordinary talents, tell their amazing, rich stories, and entertain the world through laughter and love.”
Visage chimed in, “We were always the little engine that could.” As she detailed, “I’d been on TV before, but nothing in this capacity that could actually be nominated for an Emmy … The fact that we were, even nine or 10 years down the line, was like, ‘Oh my goodness! We were nominated!’ We were always a queer show, made for queer people, by queer people, on a queer television network [Logo] that not everybody had. So we were always doing it for the love of what we do, and for the love of these incredibly talented and gifted artists.”
Campbell, the self-proclaimed “historian” of “Drag Race,” reminded viewers that “George W. Bush was President when we pitched ‘Drag Race’ with RuPaul. We would go to networks and we pitched to executives who were our friends, who loved us and loved Ru, and they would lean into us and say, ‘We love this idea, but we can’t get this past our ad sales guys.’ And it was stunning.” He later noted, “We got to do it our way. We weren’t compromising. It’s a queer voice. It’s a queer vision.”
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Gold Derby also chatted off-camera with director Nick Murray, lighting designer Gus Dominguez, director of photography Michael Jacob Kerber and production designer Jen Chu in the Untucked Lounge, and with head makeup artists Natasha Marcelina and David “Raven” Petruschin in the Werk Room.
One of the keys to directing “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is “not being invasive,” Murray divulged. “It’s pulling back the cameras a little bit. It’s giving people room. You try and make the process transparent so you’re able to eavesdrop and make them comfortable to be who they are, and to allow them to be their best and tell a story.” Drag is something that has “always been there,” he conceded, “and we’ve managed to move it onto a much bigger global scale now.”
Dominguez explained how the lighting department is “a collaborative effort” from everyone on the team. “When we came in, we wanted to disrupt a little bit,” he said. “The show was very comfortable. It was in a space. And we push people. It’s kind of like drag. We keep pushing, whether it’s the way we present queens on the runway stage, or the way we present the set in the Werk Room or in Untucked Lounge … We want to elevate it and take it somewhere where it kind of hasn’t been before.”
Kerber likened “Drag Race” to a “cultural movement,” adding that “shifting the paradigm is something that is so expressive.” The series is “representative of these amazing artists that the queens are,” he noted, “so it’s really neat to see it and get the recognition.” The cinematographer admitted that “one of the beautiful things about the show is that we get to touch on all of these different genres” during challenges, including music videos, movies, sitcoms, soap operas, etc.
Chu opened up by stating she’s “generally one of the most artistic people in the room,” but not on this particular set. “These queens are more technical than I am. They’re more creative. They learn faster. They have more swag, more flavor than me and everybody, frankly. And it’s really nice to go somewhere where you know that people are not just good at what they do, but they’re doing stuff that still amazes you.” As she recalled, “Sometimes I’ll see them make a dress and I’m like, it has been seven hours and you made a couture gown. That is insane.”
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During an episode of “All Stars 4,” the contestants roasted Lady Bunny while she was in a coffin, and now Marcelina owns that coffin and she’s turned it into a bookcase. “It’s upright and it’s kitty-corner to where the TV is, and my Emmy is there,” she laughed. “The Emmy fits perfectly just barely in one of those little slots. It’s right there with all my books and records and everything.” The makeup artist especially loves coming up with “moment on the fly” decisions backstage where “the beauty is in the unexpected and the unintended use of a lot of products.”
Petruschin theorized that some of the awards attention for “Drag Race” is because of “the amount of work that we put into the show,” revealing, “From the minute we’re on set to the minute we leave, every single person on the show does so much work that it’s kind of like we all won.” He previously competed as Raven in Season 2 and in “All Stars 1,” finishing as the runner-up both times. It’s a “natural fit” that he’s now RuPaul’s makeup designer, he remarked. “Luckily we both love each other. When it happened, of course I bawled my eyes out, but then I’m like, well, of course it should be me!”
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Throughout the day-long journey, Marcus and Latasha quizzed some of the staffers about how many Emmy Awards “RuPaul’s Drag Race” had won through the years, and everyone seemed genuinely shocked by the immense number: 29 wins for the regular show and one more for “Untucked.” At the upcoming 2024 Emmys, the franchise is up for 10 total nominations (eight for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and two for “Untucked”). How many will it win? Stay tuned.
Finally, it’s time to ru-veal Marcus and Latasha’s video confessionals, filmed behind the scenes during the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” set visit:
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