Meet the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12. (VH1)
The Drag Race season 12 cast is finally here, with 13 brand-new queens ready to compete for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.
RuPaul has asked 13 brand new queens “to pledge allegiance to the drag” for Drag Race season 12.
A mix of fashion, pageant, comedy and campy queens, the Drag Race season 12 cast includes a number of firsts: a “J-pop” queen, a French-born queen and an Iranian-Canadian queen.
“This cast of queens is, dare I say, the most talented we’ve ever had,” RuPaul told EW. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a fresh crop of queens arrives and blows our minds all over again.”
RuPaul promises that season 12 will “raise the bar for all competition of reality,” with “twisted, outrageous challenges” and “truly legendary” celebrity guests.
With just a few weeks to go until season begins on Friday, February 28, here’s your first look at the cast.
Drag Race season 12 cast in full
Aiden Zhane, 29
Aiden describes her drag as “the lovechild of Judge Doom from Roger Rabbit and the Alien from the movie series.”
“It’s equal parts cartoon, dark, horror – all mixed into one.”
Hailing from “the middle of nowhere, Georgia,” Aiden admits that she brings less experience to the competition that other queens, but plans to use that to her advantage.
“I came from a drag background of doing everything myself, figuring it out and making things happen.”
Brita, 34
Another New York queen, Brita was cast after auditioning for Drag Race for the very first time.
She was previously known as Brita Filter, but explained that for Drag Race: “I decided to be anything but pure and just be Brita.” A decision which presumably had nothing to do with copyright infringement.
Previously an aspiring actor, Brita now spends her time “off, off, off, off, off Broadway – at a gay bar.”
“They always say that performance queens don’t look that good, but b**** I look sickening.”
Crystal Methyd, 28
Crystal describes herself as “really quirky,” and teases that her drag doesn’t conform to gender norms.
“I don’t always like to look like a woman. I like to dress up in weird stuff.”
Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, Crystal says she is a “budget girl.”
“My looks don’t matter if they look expensive. She’s fun, she’s nice, she’s creative, she’s definitely thrifty.”
Dahlia Sin, 28
Dahlia is the drag daughter of season nine’s Aja.
“She was the first person to ever put me in drag. She taught me everything from the ground-up.”
Describing herself as “banjie, kawaii realness,” Dahlia draws a lot of inspiration from Rihanna and admits to being a “petty” queen.
Based in LA, she’s already appointed herself as the trade of the season.
Gigi Goode, 21
Another first-time auditionee, Gigi has been doing drag since she was 15.
She describes herself as a fashion illustration come to life, “but with no concept of direction or basic math.”
“Ninety percent of the time Gigi Goode is lost and completely delusional, but the other 10 percent of the time she’s all about fashion.”
Despite this, Gigi insists that she isn’t just a look queen, and promises an all-singing, all-dancing performance style.
Heidi N Closet, 24
Heidi says that her distinctive drag name is inspired by her small-town North Carolina roots.
“It started out as a joke. A lot of men from my home town are closeted and they would try to get my goodies.”
A dancing queen with a pageant background, Heidi considers herself an “oddball” who isn’t here for drama.
“Being the good Christian woman that I am, when drama occurs I like to say get out of my face.”
Jackie Cox, 34
Jackie is a “campy, fun” Iranian-Canadian queen who lives in New York.
“A musical theatre diva,” she is influenced by the Cabaret scene and considers herself “like your cool aunt, always ready to have some fun but usually in bed by 10.”
“I’m a little scared of sewing and the avant-garde kind of make-up,” she admits, but insists she has the “charisma, uniqueness, nerd and talent” to win the crown.
Jaida Essence Hall, 32
Hailing from Milwauke, Wisconsin, Jaida says that her middle name was given to her by her boyfriend, who told her she was “the essence of beauty.”
She describes herself as “a fully realised, hyper-feminine version of a woman,” but insists that she is much more than just a pageant girl.
“You can be a pageant queen but that does not make you less stunning, less fashionable, less wealthy. I’m living proof. Right now I’m the richest woman on the planet.”
Jan, 26
The daughter of season nine queen Alexis Michelle, Jan describes herself as a “the girl next door plus so much more” from New York City.
She started doing drag as Kris Jenner, and met her drag mother while performing as the Kardashian matriarch.
Formerly known as Jan Sport (after the backpack brand), she is one-third of the singing drag girl group Stephanie’s Child, along with Rosé and Lagoona Bloo.
The trio competed on America’s Got Talent and have performed on The Voice US.
Nicky Doll, 28
The first French queen to compete on Drag Race, Nicky Doll hails from Paris but now lives in New York.
“Where I’m from the drag culture is very fashion forward. I take a lot of inspiration from the runways of the 90s.”
Nicky paints her face to look “entitled,” and says that as well as being a “fashion whore” she is also a “video game whore.”
She began doing drag after realising she was gay while living in Morocco, adding: “I really became a man once I started acting like a woman.”
Rock M Sakura, 28
Rock M Sakura is an “anime, J-pop, manga queen” from San Francisco, California.
She says that people’s biggest misconception of her is that she’s “just a look queen,” but promises to bring a high-octane performance style.
“I bring a big bright energy and a light to every dressing room or club that I’m in. I want to be the catalyst for people to feel unashamedly joyful.”
Sherry Pie, 27
Sherry Pie is a “glampy” New York queen with a throw-back drag style – “classic camp with a little glamour and a tiny peppering of referential gay culture, baked all together.”
She considers herself a blend of drag’s past and future, “mixed in to make a lovely yummy pie.”
“Drag is so magical, I love the idea that you can get all gussied up and feel your fantasy and give other people a glimpse into their fantasy.”
Widow Von’Du, 30
Widow Von’Du’s name was inspired by the black widow spider, Kat Von D and Erykah Badu, which gives you an idea of her eclectic style
“A ratchet ass queen with high class fashion,” Widow says she’s “that b**** who was raised in the nice areas but has to hang out with the hos down the street.”
Hailing from Kansas, Missouri, Widow is a body-confident performer. “Don’t let the size fool you, mama gets down.”