One of the most memorable Debbie Downers to come out of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nina Bo’Nina “Banana Fanana Fo’Fina” Brown has been serving chameleon realness since before she snatched the first win of Season 9 with her Lady Gaga-inspired MTV VMAs look.
I’ll admit, for the first few weeks I felt Nina could have been the one to watch because of her creativity and knack for breathing life into her characters. But ultimately, it was Nina’s negative perception of herself that led to the drag queen’s elimination from RPDR.
Pierre Leverne Dease is the makeup artist and drag performer behind the persona that was working the looks the likes of PhiPhi O’Hara’s 365 Days of Drag. And now, months after Season 9 has ended, I can’t but help and appreciate Pierre’s ability to transform himself into the fierce Nina Bo’Nina “Maya Angelou” Brown—serving face, body, and a message through the art of drag.
I was recently inspired by Nina’s inspirational message on Twitter:
See? There’s lots of good in Nina Bo’Nina “Eleanor Roosevelt” Brown. A drag queen that can work the internet with a purpose while not taking herself so seriously. It makes me wish she would have been able to embrace her talents and gone all the way in the competition.
These are the many faces of Nina Bo'Nina "Oda Mae" Brown:
While Nina continues to conquer her inner saboteur, you can follow the drag queen on Twitter @atlsexyslim and on Instagram @nina_bonina_brown
