From music to snagging to crown on All Stars 4 (with Trinity The Tuck), you would be hard pressed to find an accomplishment that Monét X Change hasn’t managed to “soak up”. Now as she battles it out with a stellar group of accomplished winners on All Stars 7, Monét is turning to a new challenge on a different kind of stage. I caught up with this New York City legend to chat about her Drag Race journey, her favorite challenges, and what she has planned for the next phase of her career.
Michael Cook: What does it feel like to have returned to RuPaul’s Drag Race for a third time on All Stars 7?
Monét X Change: You know it feels really good to come back to Drag Race. Every time I’ve been on Drag Race, I’ve always had a good time; I was Miss Congeniality and All Stars 4 I won. It feels really good and this feels super celebratory. Every time I’ve gone on Drag Race I’ve had nothing but super-positive experiences with RuPaul, but especially this time, seeing all of these winners there, he just gushes over us and is just so proud. He has that extra twinkle in his eye and every runway he is just like “wow, you all just look so beautiful I can’t believe this”. It feels good, and very sweet; it feels like coming home from college and you’re mom is like “look at you”!
MC: During your Drag Race journey, you have truly gotten to experience every Drag Race landmark, from ‘Snatch Game’ to the the ‘Reading Challenge’ to the Balls. What do you think is your favorite challenge?
MXC: One of my favorite ones that I’ve ever done is the one where we designed the rooms in All Stars 4 that Monique (Heart) and I did. It had never been done before and I fucking loved that. One of the staples I would say is probably writing a verse and dancing to it because I feel that that could go so bad so quickly. Like “hi my name is this, I’m fierce, I’m gonna slay, give me a crown now” it’s really easy for it go go that way. I love those because it forces you to be super creative and make a really dope song. You can be Roxxy Andrews and “be here to make it clear” or you can do whatever and they’ve led to some really iconic things on the show. I love the song and dance challenges.
MC: What was it like seeing The Vivienne walk into the workroom? Much like Bebe Zahara Benet’s entrance, it was a bit of a shocker.
MXC: I had worked with Vivienne before, but it definitely took a few days to really get into the groove of like “Americans”. We are loud, rambunctious, and crazy people. It took her like. a beat to say “okay, everyone just screams all the time, got it” and once she got that she was right there in the fray. I am in awe of The Vivienne. I tell people all the time, she looks like she has a filter on her in real life. You look at her and say “how is your skin so smooth, how is your makeup so blended”? It honestly is impressive to see.
MC: Returning to Drag Race and coming back with a perspective of being one of two co-winners, what did you want to prove on your own?
MXC: Nothing, there was literally nothing I was going in to prove on my own. When Trinity and I both won, we didnt have to do anything together, anything we did together was because we wanted to do it. We got our own money, crown and scepter, it was literally all of our own stuff; so there was nothing I wanted to prove in that regard. As for us winning together, if you ask me, it’s fiercer than normal. I am 95.92% sure it is never going to happen on Drag Race again; it was such a unique things. Bitch, we are going to be in the queer history books as the “only” time in Drag Race herstory. I had nothing to prove and I know she didnt have anything to prove either.
MC: You’ve gotten to host The Pit Stop, and it is truly a perfect space for for you to truly let who Monét X Change is really breathe and showcase what you can do, as well as play off of some other queens in a more intimate setting.
MXC: I love doing The Pit Stop. The Pit Stop honestly speaks to how great The Pit Stop is, that people still need to consume it. Drag Race is an hour and a half long, and people watch that, then they watch a half hour of Untucked. Then by Saturday morning at 9am PST, they are ready to consume a half hour of The Pit Stop. People love Drag Race and they love The Pit Stop because of the editing, because of the team. It really is a village of great people; Joe Gerbino, who produces The Pit Stop, does a really great job and it is so much fun to do, to sit down with all of these other Drag Race girls and talk to shop about a show that we have all experience and that we have all done. It really is a unique experience that I enjoy doing and The Pit Stop is one of my favorite things that I have done.
MC: What do you think you want to do now? You are taking your massively popular podcast with Bob The Drag Queen Sibling Rivalry on tour, but what else does the summer have in store for you?
Monet X Change: Thank you, I love the pod! I am taping my own standup special at Tribeca Film Festival this year in New York City. Being a New York City queen working six nights a week a lot of it is standing alone holding the attention of a room fort h0ours, and a lot of it was telling jokes. I never formally called myself a comedian but I have done a lot of things to make myself that way. This year, I sat down and put my thoughts on paper and constructed some material and I’ve done some test shows and I have done standup around the states. I just did the Just For Laughs Festival in Vancouver, and that is the largest comedy festival in the world-and I got a standing ovation. I think that I am putting my comedy out there and I am really excited about what it is going to be for me. If people laugh it is up to them, but I am definitely gonna be telling some jokes, so we’ll see what happens.
MC: What are you the most proud of where you are in your career right now?
MXC: I am proud of mustering up the courage to leave New York City and I mean that in two ways. Being a born and raised New Yorker, New York is my home, Brooklyn is my stomping grounds. I love New York so much, but I need to spread my wings somewhere else. Moving to Los Angeles has come with its own set of challenges, and I will never forget the place the made me, New York City. But I am proud that I had the courage to grow some wings and fly a little bit from New York City.
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