RuPaul - wikipedia RuPaul RuPaul RuPaul in 2007 RuPaul Andre Charles ( 1960 - 11 - 17 ) November 17, 1960 ( age 56 ) San Diego, California, U.S. Nationality American Occupation Drag performer model executive producer singer songwriter actor entrepreneur television presenter radio presenter author Years active 1979 -- present Notable work `` Supermodel ( You Better Work ) '' Television RuPaul 's Drag Race Spouse ( s ) Georges LeBar ( m. 2017 ) Website rupaul.com Musical career Origin Atlanta, Georgia Genres Dance - pop dance disco house R&B Eurodance electro house Labels Funtone Every Tommy Boy Rhino RuCo World of Wonder Associated acts Lady Bunny Michelle Visage Todrick Hall Bianca Del Rio Bob the Drag Queen Santino Rice RuPaul Andre Charles ( born November 17, 1960 ), known professionally by the mononym RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, television personality, and singer / songwriter. Since 2009, he has produced and hosted the reality competition series RuPaul 's Drag Race, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards. RuPaul was born and raised in San Diego and later moved to Atlanta to study performing arts. He settled in New York City where he became a popular fixture on the nightclub scene. RuPaul achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single, `` Supermodel ( You Better Work ) '', which was included on his debut studio album Supermodel of the World ( 1993 ). In 1996, he became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics, raising money for the Mac AIDS Fund and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign. That year, he received his own talk show on VH1, The RuPaul Show, which ran for two seasons before he began co-hosting the morning radio show on WKTU with Michelle Visage. He has had continued success as a recording artist, releasing eleven studio albums to date, including Foxy Lady ( 1996 ), Champion ( 2009 ), Glamazon ( 2011 ), Born Naked ( 2014 ) and American ( 2017 ). As an actor, RuPaul has made appearances in films including Crooklyn ( 1994 ), The Brady Bunch Movie ( 1995 ), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything ! Julie Newmar ( 1995 ), But I 'm a Cheerleader ( 1999 ), Hurricane Bianca ( 2016 ) and the Netflix original series Girlboss ( 2017 ). He has also published two books : Lettin ' It All Hang Out ( 1995 ) and Workin ' It ! RuPaul 's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style ( 2010 ). Additionally, RuPaul 's Drag Race has produced nine seasons to date and has inspired several spin - off series, including RuPaul 's Drag U and RuPaul 's Drag Race : All Stars on LGBTQ network Logo TV. He is also featured as a host on series such as Skin Wars, Good Work and Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul. RuPaul is noted among drag queens for his indifference toward the gender - specific pronouns used to address him -- both `` he '' and `` she '' have been deemed acceptable, as stated in his autobiography : `` You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee ; I do n't care ! Just as long as you call me. '' RuPaul has also played men in a number of roles, and makes public appearances both in and out of drag. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 1960 -- 92 : Early life and career 1.2 1993 -- 97 : Supermodel of the World, Foxy Lady, and Ho Ho Ho 1.3 2004 -- 07 : Red Hot, ReWorked, and Starrbooty 1.4 2008 -- 10 : RuPaul 's Drag Race and Champion 1.5 2011 -- 13 : Glamazon, make - up and perfume line 1.6 2014 : Born Naked, What 's The Tee ?, and Skin Wars 1.7 2015 : Realness, Good Work and Slay Belles 1.8 2016 : Gay for Play, Butch Queen, All Stars 2 1.9 2017 : Remember Me, American, return to VH1 and Essential, Vol. 2 2 Impact 3 Personal life 4 Discography 5 Filmography 5.1 Television 5.2 Films 5.3 Short films 6 Other ventures 6.1 Podcasting 7 Awards and nominations 8 Bibliography 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Biography 1960 -- 92 : early Life and career RuPaul was born in San Diego, California, on November 17, 1960. He was named by his mother, a Louisiana native. The `` Ru '' came from roux, which is the term for the base of gumbo and other creole stews and soups. When his parents divorced in 1967, he and his three sisters lived with their mother, Ernestine `` Toni '' Charles. At the age of 15, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister Renetta to study performing arts. In the ensuing years, RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s. He participated in underground cinema, helping create the low - budget film Star Booty, and an album by the same name. In Atlanta, RuPaul often performed at the Celebrity Club ( managed by Larry Tee ) as a bar dancer or with his band, Wee Wee Pole. RuPaul also performed as a backup singer to Glen Meadmore along with drag queen Vaginal Davis. RuPaul 's first prominent United States national exposure came in 1989 with an extra role dancing in the video for `` Love Shack '' by The B - 52 's. In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. Initially participating in gender bender - style performances, RuPaul performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several New York City nightclubs, most notably the Pyramid Club. He played opposite New York City drag performer Mona Foote ( Nashom Benjamin ) in the one - act science - fiction parody `` My Pet Homo '' written and directed by Jon Michael Johnson for Cooper Square Productions. He appeared for many years at the annual Wigstock drag festival and appeared in the documentary Wigstock : The Movie. In the 1990s, RuPaul was known in the UK for his appearances on the Channel 4 series Manhattan Cable, a weekly series produced by World of Wonder and presented by American Laurie Pike about New York 's wild and wacky public - access television system. 1993 -- 97 : Supermodel of the World, Foxy Lady, and Ho Ho Ho In 1993 RuPaul recorded the dance / house album Supermodel of the World. It was released through the rap label Tommy Boy, spawning the dance track hit `` Supermodel ( You Better Work ) ''. The music video was an unexpected success on MTV channels, as grunge and gangsta rap were popular at the time. The song peaked at # 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. It further charted on the UK Singles Chart, peaking on the top 40 at # 39. The song found the most success on the Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart, where it peaked at # 2. Radio airplay, heavy rotation of the music video on MTV and television appearances on popular programs like The Arsenio Hall Show popularized the song. `` What other people think of me is not my business. What I do is what I do. How people see me does n't change what I decide to do. I do n't choose projects so people do n't see me as one thing or another. I choose projects that excite me. I think the problem is that people refuse to understand what drag is outside of their own belief system. '' -- RuPaul His next two singles / videos, `` Back to My Roots '' and `` A Shade Shady ( Now Prance ) '' both went # 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart and furthered his campy persona. Between them, `` House of Love '' was released without a video. It failed to place on any U.S. charts, despite rising to # 68 on the UK Singles Chart. RuPaul was signed to a modeling contract for MAC Cosmetics, making him the first drag queen supermodel. Various billboards featured him in full drag, often with the text `` I am the MAC girl ''. He also released his autobiography, Lettin ' It All Hang Out. He promoted that book in part with a 1995 guest appearance on ABC 's All My Children, in a storyline that put it on the set of Erica Kane 's talk show `` The Cutting Edge ''. The next year he landed a talk show of his own on VH1, called The RuPaul Show, interviewing celebrity guests and musical acts. Diana Ross, Nirvana, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Mary J. Blige, Bea Arthur, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton - John, Beenie Man, Pete Burns, Bow Wow Wow, and the Backstreet Boys were notable guests. His co-host was Michelle Visage, with whom he also co-hosted on WKTU radio. On one episode, RuPaul featured guests Chi Chi LaRue and Tom Chase speaking about the gay porn industry. RuPaul ( left ) seen out of drag in March 2009. Later in the year he released his second album, Foxy Lady, this time on the L.A. - based Rhino Records label. Despite his growing celebrity, he failed to chart within the Billboard 200. However, the first single `` Snapshot '' found success in the dance market and went to number four on the Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart. It also enjoyed limited mainstream success, charting at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 ( which was his second and only other Hot 100 entry to date ). The second single `` A Little Bit of Love '' only charted at number 28 on the Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart. The album featured covers of a 1981 Diana Ross song `` Work That Body '', co-written by Paul Jabara and `` If You Were a Woman and I Was a Man '', originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler. Because of his strong fan base within the gay community, RuPaul has performed at gay pride events and numerous gay clubs. During this time RuPaul helped launch the return of WKTU radio in New York City and would serve as host of the morning show until 1998. In 1997 he released his third album, a Christmas album entitled Ho Ho Ho. He has had guest appearances in many films, including both Brady Bunch movies, in which he played Jan 's female guidance counselor. In 1997 RuPaul teamed with Martha Wash to remake the classic disco anthem, `` It 's Raining Men ''. The song was included on the 1998 compilation CD RuPaul 's Go Go Box Classics, which was a collection of some of his favorite dance songs by other artists ; this would be his third and final release through Rhino Records and a major record label. It was during this time that he appeared in Webex TV commercials and magazine ads. In 2002 he recorded with Brigitte Nielsen, credited as Gitta, the Eurodance track `` You 're No Lady ''. 2004 -- 07 : Red Hot, reworked, and Starrbooty In 2004, RuPaul released his fourth album, Red Hot on his own RuCo Inc. Music label. It received some dance radio and club play, but very little press coverage. On his blog, RuPaul discussed how he felt betrayed by the entertainment industry, particularly the gay press. In one incident, it was noted that the magazine Entertainment Weekly refused to review the album, instead asking him to make a comedic contribution to a fashion article. He likened the experience to `` a black person being invited to a party, but only if they 'll serve. '' Despite his apparent dissatisfaction with the release, Red Hot showed RuPaul returning to the top of the dance charts in the US with the lead off single `` Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous '' hitting number two on the dance chart. The second, `` WorkOut '', peaked at number five. The third and final single from the album `` People Are People '' a duet with Tom Trujillo peaked at number 10. The album itself only charted on the Top Electronic Albums chart, where it hit number nine. When asked about this in an interview, RuPaul said, `` Well, betrayed might be the wrong word. ' Betrayed ' alludes to an idea that there was some kind of a promise made to me, and there never was. More so, I was disappointed. I do n't feel like it was a betrayal. Nobody promises anything in show business and you understand that from day one. But, I do n't know what happened. It seemed I could n't get press on my album unless I was willing to play into the role that the mainstream press has assigned to gay people, which is as servants of straight ideals. '' Wikinews has related news : RuPaul speaks about society and the state of drag as performance art On June 13, 2006, RuPaul released ReWorked, his first remix album and fifth album overall. It features reworked versions of songs from his back catalog, as well as new recordings. The only single released from the album is a re-recording of `` Supermodel ( You Better Work ) '', reaching number 21 on the U.S. dance chart. June 20, 2007, saw the release of Starrbooty ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ) in the United States. The single `` Call Me Starrbooty '' was digitally released in 2007. The album contains new tracks from the singer as well as interludes with dialogue from the movie. The film was released on DVD in October 2007. 2008 -- 10 : RuPaul 's Drag Race and Champion In mid-2008, RuPaul began producing RuPaul 's Drag Race, a reality television game show which aired on Logo in February 2009. The premise of the program has several drag queens compete to be selected by RuPaul and a panel of judges as `` America 's next drag superstar ''. The first season 's winner was BeBe Zahara Benet, and first runner - up Nina Flowers was chosen by fans as `` Miss Congeniality '' through voting via the show 's official website. In publicity preparation for the new show, RuPaul made appearances as a guest on several other shows in 2008 including as a guest judge on episode 6 of season 5 of Project Runway and as a guest `` chef '' on Paula 's Party. In March 2009, RuPaul released the album Champion. The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Dance / Electronic Albums as well as number 26 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. It features the dance singles `` Cover Girl '' and `` Jealous of My Boogie '', both anthems from the reality show RuPaul 's Drag Race. Logo 's second annual NewNowNext Awards in 2009 were hosted by RuPaul. There he performed `` Jealous of My Boogie ( Gomi & RasJek Edit ) ''. In March 2010, RuPaul released his second remix album, Drag Race. The album features remixes of songs from the 2009 album Champion. 2011 -- 13 : Glamazon, make - up and perfume line In April 2011, coinciding with the finale of season 3 of RuPaul 's Drag Race, RuPaul released his sixth studio album Glamazon, produced by Revolucian, who previously worked with RuPaul on his album Champion. The album charted on the Billboard Dance / Electronic Albums chart and the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart at # 11 and # 8 respectively. In July 2011, RuPaul released another remix EP entitled SuperGlam DQ, which features remixes of tracks from Glamazon, remixes of the `` Drag U Theme Song '', and a new song, `` Sexy Drag Queen ''. Starting in June 2011, the second season of RuPaul 's Drag U aired. In late 2011, promotions for season 4 of Drag Race began. RuPaul made appearances on The Rosie Show and The Chew, and also attended a Drag Race NY Premiere party at Patricia Field 's store in New York. Season 4 of RuPaul 's Drag Race premiered on Logo on January 30, 2012, with RuPaul returning as the main host and judge. After season 4 ended, TV.com declared that it was the best reality TV show on television. In the fall of 2012, the spin - off RuPaul 's Drag Race : All Stars premiered after a large fan demand. The show featured past contestants of the previous four seasons to compete. Season 5 of RuPaul 's Drag Race premiered on January 28, 2013, with a 90 - minute special and RuPaul returning as the main host and judge. On April 30, 2013, RuPaul released a single `` Lick It Lollipop '' featuring Lady Bunny, who RuPaul previously collaborated with on Champion. On October 25, 2013 RuPaul reported via Twitter that the new album would be released in January 2014. In fall of 2013, RuPaul joined forces with cosmetic manufacturers Colorevolution to launch his debut make - up line featuring ultra-rich pigment cosmetics and a beauty collection. Released alongside the line was a unisex perfume entitled `` Glamazon ''. Talking to World of Wonder, RuPaul said : `` Glamazon is for women and men of all ages and preferences who share one thing in common : They are not afraid to be fierce. For me, glamour should be accessible to all, and I am committed to helping the world look and smell more beautiful. '' The line was exclusively sold on the Colorevolution website in various gift sets. 2014 : born Naked, what 's the Tee ?, and Skin Wars RuPaul and Revolucian both confirmed through their Twitter and Instagram accounts that they had been working on an upcoming seventh studio album. Born Naked was released on February 24, 2014 to coincide with the premiere of the 6th season of RuPaul 's Drag Race. Prior to the premiere, an album of RuPaul cover songs performed by the Season 6 cast was released on January 28, 2014. The covers album is titled RuPaul Presents The CoverGurlz and contains RuPaul songs from 2009 -- 2013. To further promote the Drag Race season premiere, RuPaul, representing Logo TV ( and parent company Viacom ) was chosen to ring the NASDAQ closing bell on February 24, 2014. The week of its release, Born Naked reached number one on the iTunes dance album chart. The following week it placed at number 4 on the US Billboard dance chart and number 85 on the Billboard 200 chart. In a profile by The New York Times it was revealed that RuPaul is currently working on a porcelain statuette of his likeness. On April 9, 2014 RuPaul and Michelle Visage released the first episode of their podcast, RuPaul : What 's the Tee ? with Michelle Visage. In August, he joined the reality competition show Skin Wars acting as a judge. 2015 : Realness, Good Work and Slay Belles On March 2, 2015, RuPaul released his eighth studio album entitled Realness. The release coincided with the premiere of the seventh season of RuPaul 's Drag Race. In April, he launched and began hosting a new show, Good Work, a plastic surgery - themed talk show for E !. In October he released his second Christmas album ( and ninth studio album ) Slay Belles. The album contains 10 original Christmas - themed songs and features collaborations with Michelle Visage, Siedah Garrett, Todrick Hall and Big Freedia. The album charted at number 21 on the US Billboard Dance chart. 2016 : gay for Play, Butch queen, All Stars 2 In January 2016, it was announced RuPaul would present a new game show for Logo TV called Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul which premiered on April 11, 2016 after RuPaul 's Drag Race. In February 2016, RuPaul announced his tenth album, Butch Queen. It was released on March 4, 2016, just prior to the premiere of the eighth season of RuPaul 's Drag Race. A song from the album, `` U Wear It Well '' was featured in the teaser campaigns for the season and was later officially released as the first single on iTunes on February 29, 2016. The album charted at number 3 on the US Billboard Dance chart, marking his highest position on this chart to date. `` ' Be Someone '' featuring American singer Taylor Dayne was released as the album 's second and final single. Additionally, Butch Queen : The Ru - Mixes was released. On July 14, 2016 it was announced that RuPaul was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality - Competition Program. He would go on to win the award at the September 11 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Ceremony. 2016 also saw the release of the dance single `` Read U Wrote U '' that features rap parts by the RuPaul 's Drag Race : All Stars 2 finalists Roxxxy Andrews, Katya Zamolodchikova, Alaska Thunderfuck and Detox Icunt. 2017 : Remember me, American, return to VH1 and Essential, Vol. 2 On January 27, 2017, RuPaul announced that a new album would be released the week after. The album, named Remember Me : Essential, Vol. 1 was put up for pre-order on February 2 and eventually released the next day. It is a collection of both, new songs and remakes of classic RuPaul hits that feature new artists. Two singles have been released from the album so far : `` Rock It ( To The Moon ) '' which is a new song loosely based on the lyrics and the melody of `` Hey Booty '' which was released on the Starrbooty soundtrack in 2007 and an updated version of RuPaul 's 1996 hit single `` Snapshot '' from the album Foxy Lady. The album failed to chart on the Dance Albums Chart but managed to debut at number four on the Billboard Dance Albums Sales Chart in the United States. It also charted at number eleven on the UK Dance Albums Chart, becoming RuPaul 's highest charting album on that chart, after Realness managed to debut and peak at number 13. On March 24, 2017, RuPaul released his eleventh studio album, American. Later that same day, the ninth regular season of RuPaul 's Drag Race debuted on basic cable channel VH1, home of RuPaul 's talk show in the 1990s. This marked a move from expanded cable channel Logo TV, which aired all previous seasons of the show. The season 9 premiere featured singer Lady Gaga as its guest judge and proved a success, with ratings of nearly 1,000,000 viewers, making it the series ' most viewed episode. This figure was double LogoTV 's season 8 premiere ratings from the year prior, and triple VH1 's usual Friday night viewership in that programming timeslot. When the ratings were released, World of Wonder Productions announced they are casting contestants for a tenth season. On June 2, Essential, Vol. 2 was put up on pre-order on iTunes. It will be released on June 9 and is preceded by the single `` Crying On The Dance Floor '' which is a re-recording of the 2010 single `` Main Event '' from the Champion album. Impact RuPaul is widely considered to be the most commercially successful drag queen of all time. He has been accredited with creating wider exposure for drag queens from LGBT culture in to mainstream society, thanks to his early - career chart success, and later, the successive climb in viewership of RuPaul 's Drag Race. His talk show The RuPaul Show was the first ever national talk show to have a drag queen as a host. Along with his partner Michelle Visage, he welcomed an array of high - profile guests such as Cher, Lil Kim, and Diana Ross over the show 's 100 - episode span. As well as having a variety of comedy skits, the show was noted for discussing topics such as black empowerment, female empowerment, misogyny, and liberal politics which were otherwise unheard of in 90 's television at the time. In 1999, RuPaul was awarded the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for work in promoting equality in the LGBT community. RuPaul has also been noted as having a large part in RuPaul 's Drag Race 's continuous television success. By pioneering queer representation on television, many believe RuPaul to have essentially revolutionised the portrayal of the LGBTQ + community on screen. He first won an Emmy for his work on the show in 2016, and one year later the show garnered 8 nominations, including Outstanding Reality - Competition Program for the first time in it 's 11 - season run, and a second consecutive win for RuPaul in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality - Competition Program. In 2017, he was named by TIME Magazine as one of the most influential people in the world, where model Naomi Campbell cites `` it 's incredible what he 's done for the drag queens (... ) bringing them out, introducing them to a mainstream audience and letting them be proud of who they are and what they want to be. '' Personal Life RuPaul has been with his Australian partner, Georges LeBar, since 1994, when they met at the Limelight nightclub in New York City. They married in January 2017. LeBar is a painter and runs a 50,000 - acre ( 200,000,000 m ) ranch in Wyoming. RuPaul publicly endorsed the Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. He expressed dismay at Clinton 's defeat by Republican Party nominee Donald Trump, stating that `` The America that we have all fought so hard for, the narrative of love and peace and liberty and equality, it feels like it is dead. '' He has described doing drag as a `` very, very political '' act because it `` challenges the status quo '' by rejecting fixed identities : `` drag says ' I 'm a shapeshifter, I do whatever the hell I want at any given time '. '' Discography Main article : RuPaul discography Studio albums Supermodel of the World ( 1993 ) Foxy Lady ( 1996 ) Ho Ho Ho ( 1997 ) Red Hot ( 2004 ) Champion ( 2009 ) Glamazon ( 2011 ) Born Naked ( 2014 ) Realness ( 2015 ) Slay Belles ( 2015 ) Butch Queen ( 2016 ) American ( 2017 ) Filmography Television Year Title Role Notes 1988 The Gong Show Himself ( out of drag ) 1993 Saturday Night Live Himself ( in drag ) Guest Star, Episode : `` Charles Barkley / Nirvana '' 1994 Sister, Sister Marje 1995 In the House Kevin 1996 -- 98 The RuPaul Show Himself ( in drag ) presenter, 100 episodes Nash Bridges Simone Dubois 2 episodes 1998 Hercules Rock Guardian episode `` Hercules and the Girdle of Hyppolyte '' Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Member of the Witches Council / Hair Dresser Walker, Texas Ranger Bob 2001 Popular Sweet Honey Child Port Charles Madame Alicia Weakest Link Himself ( in drag ) 2002 Son of the Beach Heinous Anus credited as RuPaul Charles 2008 Project Runway Himself ( in drag ) Guest judge, Season 5, Episode 6 2009 Rick & Steve : The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World Tyler 2009 -- present RuPaul 's Drag Race Himself ( in and out of drag ) presenter Ugly Betty Rudolph, Emcee of the Cabaret 2010 -- 12 RuPaul 's Drag U Himself ( out of drag ) presenter, producer 2012 -- present RuPaul 's Drag Race All Stars Himself ( in and out of drag ) presenter 2013 Happy Endings Krisjahn Life With La Toya Himself ( out of drag ) Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular Himself ( in drag ) Guest performer : `` Fashion ! '' alongside Lady Gaga 2014 The Face Himself ( out of drag ) Guest judge Mystery Girls Emillo Guest star, Episode : `` Bag Ladies '' The Comeback Himself ( out of drag ) Guest star, Episode : `` Valerie Films A Pilot '' 2014 -- present Skin Wars Himself ( out of drag ) Judge 2015 Harvey Beaks Jackie Slitherstein Guest star, Episode : `` Harvey 's Favorite Book '' Good Work Host Bubble Guppies Drag Snail / Costume Boxing Judge Guest star, Episode : `` Costume Boxing '' 2016 The Muppets Himself ( out of drag ) Episode : `` Got Silk ? '' Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul Host The Real O'Neals Himself ( out of drag ) Episode : `` The Real Thang '' 2017 2 Broke Girls Himself ( out of drag ) Episode : `` And the Riverboat Runs Through It '' Animals. Dr. Labcoat ( out of drag ) Season 2 Episode 5 Girlboss Lionel Netflix series, recurring role Then and Now with Andy Cohen Himself ( out of drag ) Bojack Horseman Queen Antonia Episode : `` Underground '' Films Year Title Role RuPaul Is : Starbooty ! Starbooty 1994 Crooklyn Connie 1995 The Brady Bunch Movie Mrs. Cummings Wigstock : The Movie Himself Blue in the Face Dancer To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything ! Julie Newmar Rachel Tensions Red Ribbon Blues Duke A Mother 's Prayer Deacon `` Dede '' Fled Himself A Very Brady Sequel Mrs. Cummings 1998 An Unexpected Life Charles 1999 EDtv RuPaul But I 'm a Cheerleader Mike 2000 The Eyes of Tammy Faye Narrator The Truth About Jane Jimmy For the Love of May Jimbo 2001 Who is Cletis Tout ? Ginger Markum 2005 Dangerous Liaisons Himself 2006 Zombie Prom : The Movie Delilah Strict 2007 Starrbooty Starrbooty / Cupcake 2008 Another Gay Sequel : Gays Gone Wild Tyrell Tyrelle 2016 Hurricane Bianca Weather Man Short films Year Title Role The Blue Boy Terror Wild Thing Terror II 1984 Terror 3D 1986 Mahogany II Psycho Bitch American Porn Star Voyeur Police Lady 1989 Cupcake Vampire Hustlers Beauty 1997 Shantay Shantay 1999 Rick and Steve : The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World Daryl.com Skin Walker 2006 Zombie Prom Delilah Strict 2008 How We Got Over Other ventures Podcasting The podcast RuPaul : What 's The Tee ? With Michelle Visage debuted on April 6, 2014. Ru - Paul co-hosts with longtime friend and fellow ' ' RuPaul 's Drag Race ' ' judge Michelle Visage. The weekly show features their thoughts on topics including behind - the - scenes of RuPaul 's Drag Race, life advice, beauty tips, and conversations with featured guests from the entertainment world. Awards and nominations Year Award Result 1993 1993 MTV Video Music Awards Best Dance Video -- `` Supermodel ( You Better Work ) '' Nominated 1999 GLAAD Media Awards GLAAD Vito Russo Award Won 21st GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Reality Program -- RuPaul 's Drag Race Won NewNowNext Awards Best New Indulgence -- RuPaul 's Drag Race Won 2012 Critics ' Choice Television Award Best Reality Show Host -- RuPaul 's Drag Race Nominated TV.com 's Best of 2012 Awards Best Reality Show Judge / Host - RuPaul 's Drag Race Won 2013 Critics ' Choice Television Award Best Reality Show Host - RuPaul 's Drag Race Nominated Entertainment Weekly Best Dressed Reality TV judge - RuPaul 's Drag Race Won TV.com 's best of 2013 Awards Best Reality Show Judge / Host - RuPaul 's Drag Race Won 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality - Competition Program Won 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards Won Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program Nominated Outstanding Reality - Competition Program Nominated Bibliography Lettin ' It All Hang Out : An Autobiography. Hyperion Books. 1995. ISBN 0 - 7868 - 6156 - 8. Workin ' It ! RuPaul 's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style. It Books. 2010. ISBN 978 - 0061985836. See also List of number - one dance hits ( United States ) List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart References Jump up ^ RuPaul ( 1995 ). Lettin ' It All Hang Out : An Autobiography. Hyperion Books. ISBN 0 - 7868 - 6156 - 8. Jump up ^ Gianoulis, Tina ( August 16, 2005 ). `` RuPaul ( RuPaul Andre Charles ) '' ( PDF ). GLBTQ : An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. GLBTQ, Inc. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2009. Jump up ^ The Bonnie Hunt Show March 12, 2010 Jump up ^ Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo ( April 1, 2013 ). `` RuPaul Runs The World ''. Spin. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017. Jump up ^ French, Ellen Dennis ( 2005 ). `` Rupaul 1960 -- ''. Encyclopedia.com ( Thomson Gale ). Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2012. Additional WebCitation archive on March 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Warren, Robert Burke. `` Southern Belles, Latchkey Kids and Thrift - Store Crossdressers ''. BitterSoutherner.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Kot, Greg ( September 1, 1995 ). `` What a Drag ''. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2013. ^ Jump up to : RuPaul in Shankbone, David. Interview with RuPaul, Wikinews, October 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Dance / Electronic Albums : Oct 16, 2004 Billboard Chart Archive ''. Billboard.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Project Runway Season 5 Good Queen Fun Bravo TV Official Site ''. Bravotv.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Diva Party : Paula 's Party ''. Food Network. Retrieved December 3, 2013. Jump up ^ `` RuPaul 's `` Glamazon '' Limited Edition Makeup and Fragrance Available Now ! ``. World of Wonder. November 12, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Colorevolution Mineral Makeup - Ru Paul ''. Colorevolution.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013. Jump up ^ Schulman, Michael ( February 21, 2014 ). `` In Drag, It Turns Out, There Are Second Acts ''. The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` RuPaul - Chart history - Billboard ''. Jump up ^ Elizabeth Wagmeister. `` Logo Greenlights Two New Series Including RuPaul Game Show, Following Year - Over-Year Growth ''. Variety. Jump up ^ Dan Avery. `` Rupaul Announces New Album, `` Butch Queen, '' Dropping March 7 ! ``. NewNowNext. Jump up ^ Forbes Jump up ^ Out.com Jump up ^ Deadline.com Jump up ^ Worldofwonder.net Jump up ^ `` How RuPaul Became a Leading Icon in the Gay Community ''. Mic.com. May 29, 2013. Jump up ^ http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/rupaul-on-moving-to-mainstream-television-and-the-political-nature-of-drag-culture/ Jump up ^ http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/33452/1/why-rupaul-was-a-cultural-icon-long-before-drag-race Jump up ^ http://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-rupauls-drag-race-led-a-gay-cultural-revolution Jump up ^ http://www.vulture.com/2017/07/rupauls-drag-race-emmy-nomination-finally.html Jump up ^ http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736291/rupaul/ Jump up ^ `` RuPaul reveals he married boyfriend in January ''. BBC News. 16 March 2017. Jump up ^ Georgeslebar.com Jump up ^ HuffPost OWN ( 12 November 2013 ). `` RuPaul 's Partner Of 19 Years Is A Rancher From Wyoming ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 3 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` '' Do n't f * ck it up `` : RuPaul issues plea ahead of US presidential vote ''. PinkNews. November 7, 2016. Jump up ^ `` RuPaul `` feels like death '' about Donald Trump 's election ``. PinkNews. December 15, 2016. Jump up ^ `` ' RuPaul 's Drag Race ' Is Leaving TV 's Biggest Gay Network -- Now What ? ''. Huffington Post. 23 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` RuPaul to Appear on Next Wednesday 's Episode of ' The Face '. ''. DragOfficial.com. April 2, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014. Jump up ^ LeRoy, Jason ( September 12, 2015 ). `` Peaches & Bianca : The Ultimate Old Lady Drag Smackdown ''. Left Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Peeples, Jase. `` Listen : RuPaul Debuts Official Podcast ' What 's the Tee ? ' ''. Advocate.com. Jump up ^ RuPaul : What 's The Tee ? With Michelle Visage website. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to RuPaul. 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Question: who achieved international fame as a drag queen
Answer: RuPaul Andre Charles