As the first French-Canadian drag queen to snag the title of ‘Canada’s Next Drag Superstar’, Gisèle Lullaby didn’t just win Canada’s Drag Race Season 3 for herself, she won for the French Canadian performers that came into the competition before her. With stunning runway looks and a now-iconic ‘Snatch Game’ performance, Lullaby has plans to tour the world, and specifically show some love for the French countries she adores so much. I sat down to chat with the newly crowned winner (she received her crown and scepter right as we began our interview and I was lucky enough to be the first journalist to see it)! We discussed her Drag Race experience, her gorgeously detailed ‘Snatch Game’ performance, and what it is like being the first French-Canadian performer to win the crown.
Michael Cook: Condragulations on winning season 3 of Canada’s Drag Race!
Gisèle Lullaby: Thank you so much! My crown & scepter just arrived today, it is really really pretty; you’re the first one to see it! They even put on a Candian Maple Leaf!
MC: How does it feel that you have actually been crowned Canada’s Next Drag Superstar?
GL: It is really intense. I feel like I have no pressure or any money problems, and I think everyone can relate to that. I have been working really hard and trying to just be stable, and I have been doing well. It is amazing to have that relief though. The title is amazing, but the money, it was a surprise!
MC: What is the first thing you are going to buy when the check clears?
GL: I am going to book a Disney trip with my mom. I am going to put some money away for when I get old, that is for the future. Mainly, just put so much love into my boyfriend, we’re going to buy some food and eat in bed!
MC: Looking back on your Canada’s Drag Race experience, what are your rose and thorn?
GL: When I believe in something, I can do anything. When I prepared for the show, I went in with a focus and a mindset that I was going to win. I didn’t go in to play, I came to slay; and I did it. That was my motive most of the time. I am someone that loves being around people; I am okay being alone, but I love sharing and I love caring. I love having my friends, family and boyfriend. It was so weird and new to me to be alone all this time. I learned a lot about me and about my strengths and what I can do. It was an amazing experience on the show, but even about myself.
MC: As the first French-Canadian winner, you definitely brought a new and fresh perspective to the competition. What was it like to bring your distinct flavor to the competition?
GL: Oh it was an honor; An honor for real. We are a lot of French-Canadian queens and we are literally no where on the map. We know that the best thing in Canada is Celine Dion and she is French Canadian and that is literally, the only thing that they know. I arrived in the competition with a lot of people around me not knowing anything about my culture. It’s not like I’m from space, I’s a big community. It was a big surprise to me to know that a lot of people don’t know anything about Quebec. I would say that now, it is such an honor to realize when I watch the show that I am pure Quebec. Forget about how much I bought it on the show, every little step I was doing something and putting my French Canadian somewhere!
English is not my strength, so I was really scared with the French/English and making sure that my sense of humor could be translated all the time. It worked, so I am really happy about that for sure. I don’t care about my accent anymore, we are really hard on ourselves about our French accent when we speak English. When someone said I was the Sophia Vergara of French Canadians with my accent I was like “Oh my God is my accent that bad” (laughs)?
MC: Your humor truly did translate, and your ‘Snatch Game’ was a risk. What kind of mind brings forth Marie Curie as their ‘Snatch Game’ character?
GL: (laughs) That was plan C! When I left for Drag Race, I was doing Mado, who is an icon in French Canadian drag and LGBTQ culture. She made it happen; she has shown that you can be on television and do a great job as a drag queen. When Lady Boom Boom bought it also, I was like “Oh My God“…I know Boom Boom and she is not the “best” comedian here (laughs). I told her if she practiced on that character, I would give it to her, and it was the same thing with Celine; I was going to do Celine. I remember my best friend in Montreal, Marla Deer, who is an amazing drag queen here. We had that flash of doing Marie Curie and bringing her to the extreme. When I left, Marla said “bring tentacles, make it like she’s mutating”.
I was leaving the next day and there was no way, I was doing Mado. The hair that I had brought as a backup, it was just a black blouse that I put a corset on top of. I made the skirt in the workroom along with the tentacle. They told us we had an hour before Brooke Lynn was coming and I thought “that’s all I need”. I could make false teeth, I can find a bald cap, make tentacles, etc. I was running and everyone wondered what I was doing! I cut Miss Fiercealiscious‘ hair for Kourtney Kardashian and I still had the hair and thought to myself “I should do a bald cap and just wear it on my head”. I was ready for it and I got so into it. Even talking to Brooke Lynn about it, she wasn’t sure about it and I just said “trust me on this”. I knew it was gonna be so good, I felt it in my bones. I am really happy about it.
MC: What do you think you want to do now with the massive platform you have?
GL: Of course, I am going to tour around Canada and hopefully around the world. I want to go see the Francophile countries also! I am French-Canadian, and I love France! I want to work in tv, I have a friend working on a movie, and if I can get on in English I would do that too, Television, movie and music video maybe!
MC: For both Canada’s Drag Race as well as your career as a whole, what are you the most proud of?
GL: To bring the crown to Quebec. Rita Baga was amazing and went so far, but when I got there I wanted to be sure that I could bring the crown home for Pythia, for Rita, for everyone. We killed it there, and I am so excited that I did it and that I won. It’s not real yet, it is a bit of a dream still. How do you deal with it when you have accomplished your dream?-I don’t know….
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