RuPaul (b. 1960)

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Biography

RuPaul Andre Charles is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race and has received several accolades, including 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, a Critics' Choice Television Award, two Billboard Music Awards, a Tony Award, and a Guinness World Records title. He has been dubbed the "Queen of Drag" and is considered the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States, with Fortune saying that he is "easily the world's most famous drag queen." In 2017, RuPaul was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

In Their Own Words (3)

People ask, "Why do you dress like a woman?" I don't dress like a woman. I dress like a drag queen.

Quoted in Let's Talk about Sex: More Than 600 Quotes on the World's Oldest Obsession, Felicia Zopol, ed. (2002) , 2002

I will not be ignored. I am here to stay.

Quoted in Queer Quotes: On Coming Out and Culture, Love and Lust, Politics and Pride, and Much More, Teresa Theophano, ed. (2004) , 2004

What other people think of me is not my business. What I do is what I do. How people see me doesn’t change what I decide to do. I don’t choose projects so people don’t see me as one thing or another. I choose projects that excite me.

Interview with David Shankbone (2007) , 2007

Timeline

The story of RuPaul, told in moments.

1960 Birth

Born RuPaul Andre Charles in San Diego, California. His mother named him RuPaul because "ain't another motherfucker alive with that name." She wasn't wrong.

Did your mother's naming logic prepare you for a life of uniqueness? What was San Diego like for a kid destined to be RuPaul? When did drag become more than performance?

1993 Event

Released "Supermodel (You Better Work)," which became a club anthem and crossed over to mainstream radio. At 6'4" (over 6'7" in heels), RuPaul became the most visible drag queen in America overnight.

What did going mainstream with 'Supermodel' feel like? Was being the most visible drag queen in America a burden or a crown? Did 6'7" in heels ever feel like armor?

1994 Event

Signed as a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics. First drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign. The money raised went to the MAC AIDS Fund.

What did being the first drag queen in a major cosmetics campaign mean? Was the MAC AIDS Fund personal to you? Did the beauty industry change after you or just briefly open a door?

2009 Life

Created RuPaul's Drag Race, a reality competition show. It started small on Logo TV. Within a decade it had moved to VH1, won 14 Emmys, spawned international versions, and turned drag culture into mainstream entertainment.

Did you know Drag Race would become this big? What does turning drag into mainstream entertainment mean for the community? Is 14 Emmys enough recognition?

2018 Legacy

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Named to Time's 100 most influential people list. Fortune called him "easily the world's most famous drag queen." His catchphrase: "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?"

Does 'If you can't love yourself' still feel like the truth? What does a Hollywood Walk of Fame star mean to a drag queen? Is being the world's most famous drag queen lonely or liberating?

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Explore what happened on the days that shaped RuPaul's life. Today In History connects historical figures with the events, births, and deaths that defined their era. Browse all historical figures or explore today's events.