Michelle Visage on Hopes of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Reclaiming Emmys Dominance and Why the RuPaul Biopic “Needs to Happen”

With 18 mainstay seasons, the discharge of the eleventh All Stars installment and the franchise’s first function movie on the way in which, there’s by no means been a busier time within the RuPaul’s Drag Race universe. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race wrapped its 18th season in April, the place Myki Meeks was crowned America’s Subsequent Drag Celebrity. It didn’t take for much longer (three weeks, to be actual) earlier than Paramount+ premiered the primary two episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, the place 18 queens from the present’s previous returned for a second shot on the crown. 

So as to add to the franchise’s plate, World of Marvel, the Emmy-winning manufacturing firm behind all issues Drag Race, and Bleecker Road are gearing up for the June 12 launch of Stop! That! Train!, the primary movie to hail from the present’s universe. The film is led by RuPaul (in fact) together with a pool of Drag Race alums. 

However to rejoice the mainstay collection’ 18th season, as Emmy voting is about to kick off, The Hollywood Reporter attended an FYC occasion hosted Sunday on the set of the collection. As buzz round Cease! That! Practice! continues to develop, THR requested Michelle Visage and RuPaul’s make-up artist David Petruschin (aka Drag Race season two runner-up Raven) about one movie that’s certain to be made finally: the RuPaul Charles biopic. 

“Oh, I think that’s destiny. It needs to happen,” Visage, who serves as a decide and govt producer of RuPaul’s Drag Race, advised THR. “We’ve talked about it for the past 30 years. It needs to happen.”

When requested when the potential undertaking might come out, Petruschin says, “I think it’s already been in the works. But as far as curating it and getting together, I don’t know. But yeah, that should happen.”

Visage and Petruschin are shoe-ins to be featured within the movie, because the Drag Race Down Underneath host has been an expensive buddy and collaborator of RuPaul’s for the reason that ‘80s and the previous Drag Race contestant grew to become his make-up artist in 2017. 

So who ought to play them within the biopic? Petruschin isn’t so certain but, however is aware of “they’d have to have a fierce tan.” As for Visage, she’d wish to painting herself, but when that’s not an possibility, she gives a number of main ladies as potential choices.

“I think about that a lot, and I feel like Reneé Rapp would be a good person to play me. Julia Garner could be a good me, even Miley Cyrus,” Visage says. “Depends on what age we’re going for here, kids.” 

The “tougher cast,” Visage notes, might be pinpointing a performer to painting the Queen of Drag. Each Visage and Petruschin agree that both an actor or drag queen might tackle the a part of RuPaul, however the position ought to find yourself going to “whoever is good at the job.” 

“I can’t remember who he said wanted to play her,” Petruschin teases. 

The unique RuPaul’s Drag Race collection has lengthy been a powerhouse on the Emmys, with a whopping 29 awards (and 79 noms) underneath its belt. The present was the resident actuality competitors program winner in recent times, earlier than The Traitors started its dominance in 2024. 

Visage says Drag Race snatching again that title with the upcoming Emmys cycle can be “a statement without saying it’s a statement.” 

“I think it would be a championship in a way that voices are being heard without saying things. It’s a statement without saying it’s a statement, do you know what I mean?” Visage stated of the present reclaiming its actuality competitors Emmys win. “Especially with what’s going on in the political climate. But, we are grateful just being in that class of people that we’re in; being nominated, being included, being thought of is truly an honor. We spread the love. We’re still celebratory, but if we did [win], it’s definitely a ‘We’re not going anywhere’ type of statement.” 

The Traitors is RuPaul’s Drag Race‘s key competitor at the Emmys — RuPaul won the reality host award for eight consecutive years before Alan Cumming won the title in 2024, as did the main show in the reality competition category from 2018-2023 (with a one year break in 2022 when Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Massive Grrrls gained).

Visage could be very busy judging the primary and All Stars iterations of Drag Race, additionally serving as a decide on the UK vs. the World spinoff and serving as host of Drag Race Down Underneath (and its upcoming spinoff Down Under vs The World). 

However that doesn’t imply she’s completely written off showing on RuPaul’s Drag Race’s greatest awards competitors. 

“Would I ever do The Traitors? I would love to be a Traitor,” Visage says when requested if she’d partake within the Peacock present. “But I fear that, if I did, people would automatically assume that I was a Traitor. But then, I said, Lisa Rinna was a Traitor. Bob the Drag Queen was a Traitor. Boston Rob was a Traitor — and if they didn’t think he was a Traitor, then, um, you never know!”