RuPaul facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
RuPaul
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RuPaul at the 2019 California Hall of Fame Ceremony in Sacramento, California
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RuPaul Andre Charles
November 17, 1960 San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Television |
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| Spouse(s) |
Georges LeBar
(m. 2017) |
| Relatives | Cory Booker (distant cousin) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is a famous American drag queen, television host, actor, singer, producer, and writer. He is best known for creating, hosting, and judging the reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race. This show features drag queens competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar."
RuPaul has won many awards for his work. These include 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, which are top honors in television. He is often called the "Queen of Drag" and is seen as the most successful drag queen in the United States. In 2017, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
RuPaul was born in San Diego, California, on November 17, 1960. His parents, Ernestine and Irving Charles, were from Louisiana. When his parents divorced in 1967, he lived with his mother and three sisters. He grew up in the Catholic faith.
At 15, RuPaul moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister Renetta. There, he studied performing arts. In the 1980s, he worked hard as a musician and filmmaker. He often appeared on a public access TV show called The American Music Show. He also took part in independent films.
In the early 1990s, RuPaul became well-known in the Georgia club scene. He performed at the yearly Wigstock drag festival. He also appeared in the film Wigstock: The Movie.
RuPaul's Amazing Career
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RuPaul became famous around the world with his song "Supermodel (You Better Work)". This song was part of his first album, Supermodel of the World (1993). The music video for the song was a big hit on MTV. This was surprising because grunge and rap music were very popular then.
The song reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. It also made it to number 39 in the UK. Its biggest success was on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it reached number 2. The song became popular thanks to radio play, its music video on MTV, and RuPaul's appearances on TV shows.
In 1994, RuPaul became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics. He helped raise money for the Mac AIDS Fund. He was the first drag queen to get such a big beauty campaign. Later, he hosted his own talk show on VH1 called The RuPaul Show. He hosted over 100 episodes of this show.
The Success of RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race first aired in 2009. It has had many successful seasons in the United States. The show has also become popular worldwide. Many international versions have been made, like RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Canada's Drag Race. This show has also led to several spin-off series.
RuPaul also hosts other reality TV shows. These include Skin Wars, Good Work, and Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul.
RuPaul's Beauty Line
In 2013, RuPaul worked with Colorevolution to launch his own make-up line. It included colorful cosmetics and a beauty collection. He also released a perfume called "Glamazon".
RuPaul said that Glamazon is for everyone who wants to be "fierce." He believes that glamour should be available to all. He wants to help the world look and smell more beautiful. The products were sold online in gift sets.
Acting and Writing
RuPaul has acted in many films. Some of these include Crooklyn (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), and But I'm a Cheerleader (1999). He has also appeared in TV shows like Broad City (2017) and Grace and Frankie (2019).
He created and starred in the Netflix show AJ and the Queen (2020). RuPaul has also written four books. These include Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995) and GuRu (2018). His memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings, was released in 2024.
As a singer, he has released fifteen studio albums. He also won a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop (2019).
For his work on RuPaul's Drag Race, he has won 12 Primetime Emmy Awards. This makes him the most-awarded person of color in the history of the Primetime Emmys.
Other Ventures
Podcasting
RuPaul co-hosts a podcast called RuPaul: What's The Tee? With Michelle Visage. It started on April 6, 2014. His co-host is his long-time friend and RuPaul's Drag Race judge, Michelle Visage.
This weekly show shares their thoughts on many topics. They talk about what happens behind the scenes of RuPaul's Drag Race. They also give life advice, beauty tips, and chat with famous guests.
Activism
RuPaul actively supports voter registration. He has made public service announcements to encourage everyone to register to vote.
Personal Life
RuPaul met painter Georges LeBar in 1994 in New York City. They got married in January 2017. They divide their time between a home in Los Angeles and a large ranch in Wyoming.
Music Albums
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)
- Christmas Party (2018)
- You're a Winner, Baby (2020)
- Mamaru (2022)
- Black Butta (2023)
Awards and Fun Facts
In 2020, scientists named a new species of Australian soldier fly after RuPaul. It is called Opaluma rupaul. The name was chosen because the fly has "shiny metallic rainbow colours," like a drag queen's costume. Other flies found at the same time were named after other drag queens.
See also
In Spanish: RuPaul para niños
