California Queen Willam Sashays His Way To RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4
The wait is over! The sensation that is RuPaul is back and better than ever! RuPaul’s Drag Race marks its fourth season with an all-new fierce cast of 13. RuPaul says that they’ve challenged themselves to make this season more outrageous than ever and happily reports that such attempts were a success. Viewers are about to experience the race of our lives when the new season begins at the end of this month!
This year, the show has expanded by adding an additional two episodes, raising the Drag Race experience to 18 weeks. The cast is diverse and clever as ever, with contestants coming from as far away as Puerto Rico. Lucky for us, SoCal is represented well, as two contestants - Chad Michaels and Willam-sashay their way onto the runway in RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 4!
The Rage Monthly sat down with both local contestants to get the scoop on all that is RPDR4!
Willam, not to be confused with William, is another one of our Cali-queens who will be appearing on season 4 of Drag Race . Willam is quite the character, who sums up his experience and personality as follows, "Short story - couldn’t get work in N.Y.C., moved to L.A., duct taped my nuts into a dress, got nip/tuck’ed, opened a business booking strippers in L.A. Hobbies include telling assholes they’re assholes and commenting on dumb sh*t... and let’s just sound it out, "Will-uhm Bell-Eye."
Hey Willam, thanks for your time, prior to all the glitz and glam, where were you hanging your lady parts?
I’ve been a union actor (usually in drag) since I was 16 but I got fired from my first job in Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding (an interactive dinner theater) for telling a large woman that back fat and halter tops didn’t go together. I was "in character" but they still took offense. She could’ve at least tanned-tan fat’s better than pale fat.
Looking back at previous seasons of Drag Race, what are your thoughts on the girls from before?
Well I didn’t watch Season 1 because I was Logo-less and I was filming overseas when Season 2 aired. I loved Season 3 but already knew that Raja won due to a gossip site so it kinda ruined it for me. After filming, I watched a lot of Season 1 and 2, and I’m glad I didn’t view it beforehand.
Tell us about one of your most embarrassing moments as a performer.
Sean William Scott told millions of people in an interview that I was "over eager" and "handsy" after working with him on American Wedding. As soon as I heard it, I shut off the TV thinking, "If I shut it off real quick, no one else will hear it." Being told to put on some panties when I did my first episode of Nip/Tuck wasn’t exactly a high point either.
Where do you think your experience with Drag Race will lead you?
I’d like to continue doing what I do with my acting and my band TranzKuntinental, but I’d also like to get into more personality-typesof jobs.
What inspired you to begin drag in the first place?
A combination of Fraggle Rock, RuPaul and the car-stealing queens in Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead. I like loud, shiny things that get away with sh*t.
Where do you find inspiration for your character? Who are some of your idols that you look up to when working on your performances?
I’m not a character, I’m the same in and out of drag. I don’t have a drag name partly because of that reason. All the really good queens have kept their male names, i.e., RuPaul, Charles Busch, Kevin Aviance, and Joey Arias. Jem & The Holograms inspire a lot of my look but NOT Jem/Jerrica. I always wanted to be Pizzazz from the Misfits. Jem was a weak-ass bitch who needed to be checked. Also, Rio her boyfriend was definitely a pantysniffer.
In your own community back home, what are some things you’ve done or participated in to give back?
I’ve been a regular volunteer at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center for the past five years. I only do it because I want to offset the healthy dose of c*nt that I dole out regularly. I wish volunteerism were as mandatory in the gay community as Diesel jeans.
Tell us one or two words that your friends would use to describe you?
Witty and ratchety.
How has your family responded to your drag life?
They’re cool. My dad took me out in drag for the first time at 13 when my boyfriend and I needed a ride.
Our readers love a good scandal, what’s one of the most dramatic events that you’ve been involved with as a queen and what was the outcome?
GLAAD protested the film Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives after caving to pressure from a few fugly transsexuals over the word Tranny and its content, even though it starred three trans-women, another queen and me. The man who made the decision to rescind support for our film was later ousted as president of GLAAD for underhanded dealings with funds. Freedom of speech is a bitch, ain’t it? TRANNY, FAGGOT, DYKE!
How do you think being on TV will change or affect you as a person and as a performer?
I’ve been on television for years. I think only an act of God could change me at this point. I’m just hoping more people say my name right now. It’s not William. It’s Willam, as in "Will...umm...would you close your legs please?"
Join RuPaul, the most famous drag queen in the world, as the host, mentor and inspiration on Logo’s fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the ultimate drag queen competition. Playing a dual role, RuPaul the queen reigns supreme in all judging and eliminations-while RuPaul the man, helps guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge.
Catch all the action as it begins, with the season premiere on Monday, January 30 at 9 p.m. For more information and cast videos, visit logotv.com
