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RuPaul Andre Charles Profile
RuPaul Andre Charles is an American drag queen, television judge, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race, he has received several accolades, including 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Tony Award.
RuPaul Andre Charles Age
RuPaul is 63 years old as of 2023. He was born on 17th November 1960 in San Diego, California, United States of America. Additionally, he celebrates his birthday on 17th November every year.
RuPaul Andre Charles Height
He stands at a height of 6 feet 4 inches tall.
RuPaul Andre Charles Family
RuPaul was born in San Diego, California, on November 17, 1960, the son of Ernestine “Toni” and Irving Andrew Charles. His parents were both from Louisiana. He was named by his mother; “Ru” came from roux, the term for the base of gumbo and other creole stews and soups. According to Finding Your Roots, his DNA composition is 70% African and 30% European.
When his parents divorced in 1967, he and his three sisters lived with their mother, a practicing Seventh-day Adventist. He was raised in the Catholic faith and attended Patrick Henry High School. At 15, RuPaul and his sister Renetta moved to study performing arts in Atlanta, Georgia.
RuPaul Andre Charles Husband
RuPaul met painter Georges LeBar in 1994 at the Limelight nightclub in New York City. They married in January 2017. They have an open marriage, with RuPaul stating he would not want to “put restraints” on the person he loves. The two split their time between a home in Los Angeles and a 60,000-acre (24,000 ha) ranch in Wyoming.
The couple was criticized by environmentalists in 2020 after RuPaul revealed that they lease mineral rights and sell water to oil companies on their ranch, as well as allowing fracking, an environmentally harmful practice. There are at least 35 active wells on the ranch, according to public maps. RuPaul previously held a climate-themed ball on his show to raise environmental awareness, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.
RuPaul Andre Charles Early Career
In the ensuing years, RuPaul struggled as a musician and filmmaker during the 1980s, when he worked at Atlanta’s famed Plaza Theatre. In 1982, he debuted on an Atlanta public access variety show called The American Music Show, on which he made frequent appearances over the years. He also 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 national exposure came in 1989 dancing as an extra in the video for “Love Shack” by The B-52s.
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 Foot (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 public-access television system.
RuPaul Andre Charles Music Career
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 charted on the UK Singles Chart, peaking in 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. His next two singles/videos, “Back to My Roots” and “A Shade Shady (Now Prance)”, both went to the top spot 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 Andre Charles modeling
RuPaul was signed to a modeling contract for MAC Cosmetics. Various billboards featured him in full drag, often with the text “I am the MAC girl”. Furthermore, he released his autobiography, Lettin’ It All HangOut. He promoted the 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. In one episode, RuPaul featured guests Chi Chi LaRue and Tom Chase speaking about the gay porn industry.
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 on 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 95 on the Billboard Hot 100. Which was his second and only other Hot 100 entry to date (1996?). The second single “A Little Bit of Love” only charted at 28 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
RuPaul Andre Charles “A Little Bit of Love”
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”.
RuPaul Andre Charles Relationship with the transgender community
RuPaul has been the subject of multiple controversies regarding his comments and actions toward the transgender community. According to Vox, he has a complicated relationship with this community, in part due to differing philosophies: through drag. He seeks to mock gender and identity stereotypes, while in his view the trans community takes identity seriously.
Nevertheless, RuPaul’s Drag Race has featured several contestants who are trans women. Some of whom made their identity public while competing on the show. Included Sonique, Carmen Carrera, Jiggly Caliente, Monica Beverly Hillz, Kenya Michaels, and Gia Gunn.
Later seasons of the show have included contestants who had already disclosed their trans identity before their season began. In 2017, Peppermint became the first contestant to compete throughout her season as an openly trans woman. Additionally, in 2021, Gottmik was the first to compete as an openly trans man.
Other non-conforming gender identities expressed by former contestants include non-binary In 2014. Trans activists and former contestants Carmen Carrera and Monica Beverly Hillz criticized the show’s use of words such as tranny. Including the main challenge announcement phrase up to season 6, “You’ve got she-mail”, which they described as transphobic.
RuPaul Andre Charles drag queens
That year’s season also included a “Female or Trans” segment that required contestants to guess whether various photographs featured cisgender. Biological women or “psychological women” (drag queens) cause further criticism. RuPaul and the producers issued a statement promising “to help spread love, acceptance, and understanding”.
Logo TV removed the “You’ve got she-mail” phrase from subsequent broadcasts. Replacing it instead with the phrase “She did already done had herses.” RuPaul criticized those attempting to police his language in bad faith. Noted that tranny referred to transvestites and drag queens, not just trans women. In 2018, RuPaul gave an interview with The Guardian in which he stated that a post-transition trans woman would “probably not” be accepted onto the show.
Noting that at the time of competition, Peppermint had not yet had breast implants. After facing criticism on social media and from former contestants for his remarks. RuPaul compared trans drag queens who had transitioned to athletes who had taken performance-enhancing drugs. He subsequently expressed regret for the hurt caused by his remarks. And that the only screening criteria for contestants were “charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.” Since he made these statements, multiple transgender contestants have competed on the show.
RuPaul Andre Charles Net Worth
RuPaul has a net worth of $60 million. He is widely considered to be the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States.
RuPaul Andre Charles Social Media Platforms
RuPaul is very active on his Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. He has 1.5 Million followers on Twitter, 5.1 Million followers on Instagram, and 1.9 Million followers on Facebook.
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