Miz Cracker became one of the breakout stars last year during season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent became one of the many factors that helped the beloved show score its first Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in September.
Fans also raised hell when she was eliminated shortly before the finale, where Cracker would’ve no doubt had a good shot at winning the whole thing. She’s proof however, just like many others who have come and gone on this show, that you don’t have to win to become a star (Katya, Alyssa Edwards, the list goes on).
Cracker is set to have quite the 2019, as her one woman show American Woman launches later this month in her hometown of Manhattan. I got to chat with my fellow NYC’er about the show, how she feels about her longtime pal Monet X Change winning All Stars 4, if she would do AS5, and so much more.
It’s been a year since your season of RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered. Can you tell us how everything has been for you since then?
Well, I mean, they always say that the real “race” starts after the race, and it’s very true. I have to say that the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that what you have is what’s right in front of you. Don’t worry about what other people are doing or saying or what you’ve done in the past or what you are going to do in the future or what’s rumored… blah blah blah. All of that stuff can be forgotten. Just look around at what you have right now and that’s what your actual life is. I have to say that I’ve had a pretty great life. Every single day I was somewhere different. I’ve been all over the UK, South America, Australia, Portugal, every single city in the US, one at a time, and it’s incredible.
The thing that I love doing personally is getting out there in every city in drag, and not just passing through a town but sort of meeting people there. And now people know that if I’m in town they can probably go and see me for free during the day and connecting with them is exactly what I wanted to do. It feels great to do it.
I have to ask you about All Stars 4 and your fellow season 10 contestant and friend Monet X Change winning the entire season with Trinity the Tuck. What was your thought on the overall season and Monet winning in the end?
Oh I thought the season was really entertaining. The best part for me was getting to love queens that I didn’t understand so well. Like getting to love Farrah (Moan), getting to love Valentina, getting to know Naomi (Smalls) in a better way. I think that was wonderful, but then to see someone that I had a show with every single Sunday, at the edge of Hell’s Kitchen, for three years… like to see her gain that platform, when something wonderful like that happens in your family there’s just no way for it to feel anything but amazing.
Would you consider doing All Stars 5 if it happened?
Well, it’s so tempting because I love reality television. I’ve been sort of living the reality television life, but I kind of want to get back to actual reality for a little while and I have a bunch of exciting projects coming up so I’m just like… it’s tempting but I really want to be out here in the real world for a while.
One of those projects coming up this month is the launch of your show American Woman. Can you tell us more about that?
American Woman is two things. First of all, the condition that women are living in in America, but all over the world right now. So many people have been crying out for women to have basic rights and I needed to respond to that I think as a person with a platform. But then also, when I look out in the audience, on a very real level, 90 percent of the people that I see are women… especially young women. And I was like, “How can I go on doing shows that don’t acknowledge who my audience is?” And its time with this show to do that.
The new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race just kicked off where New York City, our hometown, is once again represented heavily. We’ve won four out of the past five seasons (Aquaria, Sasha Velour, Bob the Drag Queen, Bianca Del Rio): why do you think that is?
The subway. I think that if you can feel yourself to ride the MTA subway system, and get through that without having a mental breakdown, then you can do anything and the pressure cooker of Drag Race is nothing in comparison.
Is there anyone in particular that you are rooting for this season?
I want to see Vanessa Vanjie Matteo every single day on season 11. Do you know what I mean? She’s a blessing. She’s living television.
For more information on Miz Cracker, click here.