Shannel 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 9' Contestant Preview
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00:00Did you steal anything from set? And do you have like an interesting story as to why you
00:04stole something from set of your original seasons? Aside from like hairspray and probably bobby pins,
00:11I didn't. I think I just wanted to get out of there so quickly. I was like,
00:15pack this up and let's go. Let's hit it.
00:21Hello, I'm Joey Nolte with Entertainment Weekly and I am so excited about talking with my next
00:26guest. She has been through it all. She's been here since the beginning of Drag Race,
00:32literally. And each time we see her on stage, she keeps making the legacy of the show
00:36more and more proud. Hook her up for the sweet taste of Miss Mandarin herself. Please welcome
00:41the standing Miss Chanel. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm doing great. I love that
00:48this is this is a first, I have to say, for Entertainment Weekly's Drag Race interviews.
00:52The first time I'm standing with my guest for an interview. It's a first for me. It's the first
00:57time I've done this interview and I'm standing too. So we're in the same situation. We were
01:01joking that this is like our prom photos. So like that's I mean, if you're going to stand for a
01:05look, it's going to be this one. I mean, this is just incredible. You look amazing. Thank you. But
01:09that's to be expected from you truly. And I am going to take us back a little bit because this
01:13is a truly special moment to be welcoming you back into the competition because you are the
01:19very first queen to ever walk into the workroom on RuPaul's Drag Race back on season one.
01:24This is sickening. My persona has always tried to be a little more on the realistic side,
01:31but wearing costuming that is super couture. Can you take me back to that moment and what you
01:37remember about that day? Because there was no blueprint for the show at that point. You know,
01:42there wasn't. And when I got the call that I had been cast on the show,
01:46and with obviously zero prior knowledge or understanding of what the show was going to be
01:51in my head, I was like, well, maybe I'm going to be, you know, driving race cars and drag or
01:54something. I mean, I literally had no idea. They said, bring 18 of your best drag looks,
02:00pack it up and come on down and see us. And that was it. Yeah. I mean, it was like the easiest
02:05thing to kind of have to pack and do. And now it's like, oh, my God, you know, there's so much
02:10going on. I would like to see that show, actually, though, just RuPaul's Drag Race as actually queens
02:15doing drag racing. Like, why have we not made that a spinoff yet? We should speak that into
02:20existence. Now, there have been so many calls for fans to see you back on All Stars and a lot of
02:25your season one sisters, too. So do you keep up with most of the girls from season one? And can
02:31you maybe give us some insight as to maybe why season one is like so underrepresented on All
02:35Stars across the board? Like, do they feel like they don't want to come back, maybe?
02:39Well, you know, having been on season one of the very first season one and then season one of
02:44All Stars, having been at the beginning of everything, it's always kind of that trial and
02:48error. You know, you don't kind of know what you're going into. And so it's it's crazy, uncharted
02:54territory. And so I've always just kind of been at the beginning. But I do. I follow my sisters and
02:59I am always watching and seeing what they're doing. I mean, I see, you know, Nina is just
03:04traveling everywhere and she's DJing. I love her. And Bibi, of course, is always out and about
03:09everywhere. I mean, Giant is always traveling. So it's amazing to think that, you know, 16 years
03:13later, here we still are. And and so many of us are still working and we're still we're still
03:18seen and we're still heard. And now I think for me, you know, 16 years later to to be coming back
03:24and doing all of this, it's just it's crazy to me. Did you ask Angina for advice before going
03:30before going back because she came back for All Stars 5? I did not because I didn't tell anybody
03:35that I was coming back, obviously, to to be able to be here. So it was like, you know, just all
03:40season after season of watching the show and just kind of sucking in all of that knowledge.
03:44And it's crazy for me because while I've been in this industry for 29 years now,
03:50I'm scared of all of these girls. They're all so good. They're so good. They're so amazing.
03:55They're so talented. And I really questioned coming back. And I had moments where I said to
04:01myself, I don't know if I can do this. Like I'm I'm so 16 years ago, I don't know if I have what
04:07it takes anymore. Well, but you did. I mean, the what was it season when everybody came back season
04:1310 for the finale. But that's not competing. Right. And that's different. But I think that
04:18the response to that. And also when you were a lip sync assassin, like that response must have
04:23felt so good for people to be like, yeah, she's back. Like they want to see more of this. And
04:28for me, you know, the viewership has changed so much over the years. And I'm I'm so fortunate
04:34now to be a part of this season because now all of those viewers who were some of them not even
04:40born or they were five years old when I was on season one are going to get to experience what
04:44I do now. So, yeah, I'm super excited. Well, speaking of your season one sisters,
04:49what did you think of how Princess Poppy's Rebecca Glasscock look compared to the actual
04:54entrance look for Rebecca Glasscock? I'm going to say they were almost pretty damn on point.
05:00They were. It was a lot of thought that went into that. Yes. A lot of thought and a little
05:05bit of clothing. Very little. Yes. Yes. So I actually well, that was one of my questions
05:10before you already touched on it a little bit about maybe an apprehension of coming back
05:14to the show after so long. What specifically do you think gave you the most apprehension,
05:20like about the fandom and what has changed? What have you observed changing the most in the fandom?
05:25Well, it's difficult now because so many people have so many opinions and it's like, you know,
05:31so many guys that get into drag now, it's like they do drag three times and and they do a TikTok
05:37account or they get on Instagram and they they have half a million followers and they're the
05:41greatest, most amazing thing in the world. And, you know, back in my day when I started all of
05:46this, there was no social media as we didn't have any of those things. And so the evolution of drag
05:51has changed so much and in so many amazing and beautiful ways. And I just thought, you know, maybe
05:57I'm maybe I'm too old school. You know, maybe the type of drag that I do is not going to be revered
06:04and seen the way I want it to be seen and to be able to be appreciated. And then I thought about
06:10it and I said, you know, but but maybe that's the reason why I should do it is to be able to kind of
06:16bring that old school level of drag back that that we don't always see anymore. So
06:21headpieces and big costumes and crazy things.
06:24I was going to say, this seems like a nice mix of like the kind of grandiose old school
06:30drag. But this feels also like a very progressive look to me. Who did this look?
06:33Actually, did you do?
06:34Joshua out of Chicago.
06:35Yes, yes. I love him.
06:37It is amazing. I'm going to be thinking about this look forever.
06:40There's a moment from season one where thinking you should be eliminated and you telling the
06:45judges as such. And I still think every time I watch it, I'm just like, I want to reach to
06:49the screen like, oh, no, don't say it. Don't say it. Do you have any regrets maybe looking
06:54back on that moment or does it play different to you now, you know, 15, 16 years later watching it?
06:59It's interesting because I get asked that all the time. And I think it's a difficult
07:05question to answer because had I known now what drag race was going to become,
07:12I don't know if I would have opted out the way I did. However, I don't regret it because I think
07:18that, you know, in life you make the decisions that you make because you're in that moment and
07:24you make them. And I'm OK with that. For me, what it was always about is I just felt years later
07:30that I had let down, you know, when when you've got the number one drag queen in the world,
07:35the queen that has literally set the standard for what the art of female impersonation is
07:40to welcome you onto their show and then you opt out. That's that's challenging to some degrees
07:46to live with. And so I I have thought about that for many, many years. So I don't know.
07:51You know, I mean, it was a moment and people remember it. So sometimes, you know, bad moments
07:58become good moments or memorable moments. So, you know, I don't think you let anybody down
08:02because, look, you're back now. You're Lip Sync Assassin season 10. You're back at the finale.
08:06I mean, and All Stars. So, like, I mean, clearly, I don't think you let Mama Rue down. But what
08:12particularly made you feel like you were being judged so harshly? And do you think that that
08:16you were also maybe judged harshly on All Stars 9? Well, you know, I think back then without having
08:22the textbook standard of what Drag Race knew that all of the queens were going to be doing,
08:29it was kind of a, you know, a shot in the dark. And not only for Rue and the judges, but also as
08:35a contestant competing on this show, we all went into it so blindly. And I also had never been in
08:41a situation where it was like, you know, 10, 12, 14 hours a day in drag and and under so much
08:46pressure. And for me, what it was is that I had spent so many years in my career trying to really
08:52hone in on my craft and work so hard doing what I do. And then to go on the show and feel like
08:58all of the reasons that you brought me on the show are now not working or they're not good enough.
09:03It was just frustrating to me. And I think I kind of got to the point where I was like, you know,
09:08I probably am better off just peacing out and leaving. So, yeah. Well, what do you think is
09:14the biggest area of improvement? And I know you've had a very long career since the show, but
09:18since All Stars one and season one, what do you think is your biggest area of improvement and
09:22ways that maybe you might surprise the fans on All Stars nine? Well, you know, I know who I am
09:27now and I don't think I knew who I was. I think that I spent so much of my life in my career
09:32wanting to please others by doing what I felt I needed to do. And now at 44 years old, I
09:42am just comfortable in my own skin. After my mom passed in 2009, it was a huge eye opener. It was
09:49a huge awakening for me when something so devastating happens and you realize that
09:53so many of those small things in life that you kind of harp on and you obsess on,
09:59they're really just not that important. They're just not that important. And so I kind of just
10:04came into own with my own being and I developed a comfortability that I now can say, you know,
10:12I do what I do and it may not be for everybody and that's OK, but I'm OK with it. And, you know,
10:19not everybody's going to like you and not everybody has to like you. It's unfortunate
10:23that we live in a day and age where, you know, so many people live on their computers to just
10:28troll you and to make you feel terrible. And all of these past seasons with all of my sisters,
10:33to see the scrutiny and the way that people are talked to, these queens are talked to,
10:38it's so sad to me. And I just can only hope that people watching this season are going to
10:46see the elevation in everybody and realize that this is not easy. This is hard. This is a lot of
10:52work that we all put into this. And that's why we're here. That's why we're doing what we do.
10:56And so for me, it just kind of was a reality that I am good enough. And obviously Mama Ru brought
11:03me here for a reason. So do you. How do you think All-Stars 9 sort of steps it up from past
11:08All-Stars season? Well, I will say wardrobe is not to be played with on this season. And I don't
11:17just mean me. I mean, everybody is truly dressed to the nines. The level of just incredible
11:27perfection and beauty and the elevation on everybody's hair and makeup and wardrobe and
11:32just overall professionalism is so elevated and so beautiful on this season. And I think because
11:39of the fact that we know that we are there for a good cause, the overall demeanor of everybody is
11:47just like you want to be there and you want to be engaged because you want to be able to raise
11:52money for your charities. It's a beautiful thing, essentially. Yeah. So professionalism,
11:59there's no romper room. I would say on this season. Right, right. Oh, right. Okay. So
12:05not no drama season. There really isn't a lot of drama. There really isn't a lot of drama. In fact,
12:12at one point in time throughout the season, we had said that this is the very first season of
12:16RuPaul's Best Friends Race. The long storied, awaited RuPaul's Best Friends Race. Yeah.
12:23Finally, from Chanel's lips. I mean, granted, there has to be pieces of drama. And of course
12:28there is. However, for the most part, like everybody kind of got along pretty, pretty well.
12:35We love to hear it. Yeah, we do love to hear that. Something I am looking forward to,
12:38though, with you is you were on the only two seasons that did not have Snatch Game
12:43previously. So you've perhaps had the most time of anyone to prepare to come back and do Snatch
12:50Game. So what is the biggest thing you maybe studied about Snatch Game going forward? And
12:54how do you feel about what you accomplished with Snatch Game? Snatch Game really is a challenge
13:00because I actually spent many years of my career doing character illusions. So I actually have done
13:05a lot of character illusions. However, I always was of the mindset that I had to make my character
13:10illusion as realistic as possible. And so trying to truly like funny eyes, although that's not a
13:19word, we're going to use it. We're going to funny eyes, you know, a character that may or may not be
13:24funny. That's challenging. And especially when you're put on that spot where you've got Ru asking
13:30you questions and you've got a panel of people and you've got everybody looking at you and you're
13:34like, what's happening? So yeah, it's hard. It's really, really hard. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think you
13:40did. I mean, a lot of study time equals great results. So we will see on All Stars 9. Now you
13:46also live and work in Vegas, correct? And we know Vegas can get very catty, especially when it comes
13:53to All Stars. On All Stars 5, we famously had India versus Alexis versus Derek. So where did
13:57you stand on all of the All Stars drama with the girls from your city? And did it surprise you that
14:01the Vegas girlies were the ones who were given it that season? To be honest with you, I really did
14:06not pay it a whole lot of attention, if I'm being completely honest. Probably wise. You know what,
14:11there's always so much drama anyways. And I was like, I'm just, I wasn't there. I wasn't a part
14:16of it. I'm cool. Y'all do you. That's this new era of like what you were saying before of like
14:22growth and introspection. And we just, we don't pay attention to that kind of drama. There's also
14:26a new twist this season. Well, I mean, on All Stars 7, I think there was also no eliminations,
14:30but there's no elimination twist this season. So how did that change the dynamic of the way
14:36everybody was competing this season when you know there's no eliminations? Well, in a sense,
14:40and essentially, it kind of makes it like a breath of fresh air. Yeah. And I'm not going to say
14:45necessarily makes it easier, but yet to a certain degree, it does when you're like, you know, even
14:51if I f*** up, I'm still not going home. You're still here. I'm still here. And I think because
14:56it was a season of charity, we knew that we were there for the right causes, the good causes,
15:01and knowing that we weren't going to be going home. You kind of were able to play the game
15:06and have fun with your sisters, you know, and that, that was what was important. You know,
15:10we've all traveled together, we've all worked together. And so it kind of comes, becomes a
15:16reunion of sorts and just being able to be in that setting again and, and competing, but knowing that
15:23like, you know, hey, you do better than I do this week. I might do better than you next week or
15:26whatever, but we're still going to be here. We're going to be able to showcase all of who we are,
15:30all the wardrobe that we brought, all of those things. It, it kind of just was like, yeah,
15:35I guess a breath of fresh air. Do you think it also raises the stakes a little bit too,
15:39because I almost felt like watching All-Star 7, the decisions that were made with the blocking
15:43and that everybody had to stick around to deal with those implications, that almost made it
15:49more exciting than an elimination because you got to see how the strategy played out
15:53the next week. Did you also feel that way or did you feel differently?
15:56No, I would agree with that. I would, I would definitely agree with that. I mean,
15:59inevitably, whenever you're standing there in front of Rue and the judges, there's the, always
16:04the, you know, you want to s*** your pants moment where even though you're not going to go home,
16:08you still don't want to ever feel like, oh God, I've let her down. Or, oh God, is Michelle going
16:12to read me or what's Carson going to say or whatever. So yeah.
16:15There's another thing that I have to ask you about is one of the all-time,
16:19the fandom's all-time favorite moments from All-Stars. Everyone versus Mimi. I'm first.
16:23I mean, it's, it's such a good moment.
16:24I have a question. We were in the gold bar talking about this.
16:27What's the beef between you and Alexis?
16:35I lost my job because of Mimi taking over my whole bar.
16:39So looking back and seeing how iconic that was, do you remember any fun details of filming that,
16:44that might like surprise fans or didn't understand going into that moment?
16:48As far as like being in the untucked area when everything, oh yeah. I think tensions had been
16:54definitely building for like probably a day or two in advance for that. So the actual blow up itself
17:01was really not surprising to me at all. I mean, Pandora did not want a whole lot to do with,
17:08with Mimi in any way, shape or form. The pairing of them together was definitely,
17:13you know, the, the odd couple per se. And so it was, it was a moment. It was a moment. I mean,
17:20I'm not going to say I remember it like it was yesterday because it was many, many years ago,
17:23but I remember sitting there thinking, this is really good TV right now. This is really good TV.
17:29Do you remember any other famous celebrities? Tammy Brown saying that her father.
17:35No, I don't remember any.
17:36I don't.
17:37Just Marlena Dietrich.
17:39I don't even remember that. When did you say that?
17:42She was, there's just a side. Tammy's just going off. It's one of my favorite all-time
17:45drag race moments ever when the camera just cuts to Tammy and she just goes,
17:48my father Marlena Dietrich and nobody acknowledges it. So maybe you didn't hear it.
17:53I don't think I even, I don't remember that at all. I'm glad you picked up. I don't remember
17:58that.
17:58The look. I know that she was looking directly at me when I asked that question, but the look of
18:02shock on her face when I asked that question is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
18:07Oh my gosh.
18:08Glad to have educated you on something today.
18:11I also read in a 2016 interview that you said you have one of the world's largest collections
18:16of Lucille Ball memorabilia, which I loved reading that. So how much, and what is the
18:23rarest or most like the craziest piece of memorabilia that you own from her?
18:28As far as how much, too much. I mean, there's so much. I do have a pair of shoes that Lucy
18:37almost always rehearsed in during when she was doing I Love Lucy. I have some of her makeup
18:43that was used back in the day. Some prop pieces that were actually used on set of I Love Lucy.
18:50I have several things that Lucy and Desi and then later on, Gary Morton, her other husband
18:56gave out as gifts that have like their signatures on them. So yeah, it's pretty cool.
19:01That's incredible. Did you, do you like have any clothing or anything,
19:05props that you maybe incorporated into your All Stars 9 package?
19:07Uh, no. I have props, but nothing that was ever incorporated into the package.
19:12Too, I guess, rare and precious to do that. So I also, I'm asking all of the queens a few
19:20questions. And the one I want to start with is, did you steal anything from set? And do you have
19:26like an interesting story as to why you stole something from set of your original seasons?
19:30Aside from like hairspray and probably bobby pins, I didn't. I know a lot of queens do.
19:37I didn't take anything though. I think I just wanted to get out of there so quickly. I was like,
19:42pack this up and let's go. Let's hit it.
19:44This is a first.
19:45Yeah. No, I didn't.
19:46Chanel did not take anything from set.
19:46A lot of girls be taking like sewing machines and surges and stuff like that.
19:50No, I didn't.
19:51How do you fit that in a suitcase? Like you had, I think it was,
19:54was it mistress or candy that was like, oh no, I had to have production buy me an extra suitcase
19:58for all the **** that I stole from season. Good to know that you were the good, pure angel that
20:03did not steal anything. Do you know of anything that anybody from season one or all stars one
20:07did steal that like gagged you?
20:09No, you know, actually kind of thing. I don't even,
20:11I don't know anything on those two seasons that anybody stole. Hairspray.
20:16Hairspray.
20:16Yeah.
20:17Great. I'll take it. Another thing I'm asking everybody is,
20:20who is the shadiest queen of all stars nine? And who is the biggest drama queen?
20:25Shadiest queen. I don't think anybody was shady per se. I really, because everybody kind of got
20:33along and I think everybody went in there with like a game plan of just doing the best version
20:40of you.
20:41Does anybody need the mistress Isabel Brooks drag delusion vaccine?
20:45No, that was, that was the thing. I mean, and I'm not just saying that like,
20:49because I'm here with these people, like everything was, was pretty smooth. I mean,
20:54yeah, there was some drama between Nigeria and Roxy. That was juicy in some moments.
21:01The Angie and I had a moment, but I love Angie and I think it was just based on misunderstanding.
21:07So yeah.
21:10Well, if you can't think of an answer, it's the answer's you.
21:14I'll go with it. I'll go with it.
21:16Totally kidding. No, you've been so sweet at this entire interview. The last thing I'm asking
21:21everybody is who do you think of your sisters? And for this, you cannot say yourself. Um,
21:26who do you think of your sisters had the biggest glow up from their original season to now?
21:33Plastique or Vangie for sure.
21:35Interesting.
21:36They were exquisitely done.
21:41Makeup, hair, wardrobe, Vangie's glow up from her original makeup on her season to now is like
21:49not even in the same like planet. I mean, it's, she's so beautiful and she's so put together.
21:54Plastique is always beautiful, but her wardrobe, it's, it's so next level. It's like there's,
22:01there's almost just not even words like to describe how amazing it really is.
22:06That's interesting. Cause I think both of them did a lot of stunning looks back on season 11.
22:11Um, I just think that Vangie's astrology sign look and then Plastique, um,
22:17her also astrology look that was, they were so good. So.
22:20You're not ready.
22:20That's making me very excited. And if that's coming from the woman wearing this.
22:24I will say this. I felt underdressed.
22:27Okay. I just got chills. I'm so excited.
22:29So yeah.
22:30Very, very excited. Chanel, thank you so much. It has been such a pleasure getting to talk to
22:35you today and I cannot wait to see what you do on all stars.
22:38Thank you. I'm excited. I'm looking forward to it. And it's, uh,
22:42it's going to be a journey. We're going to do it.
22:44Yep. Can't wait.
22:44Awesome. Thank you.
22:45Thank you so much. And stay tuned for more with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, all stars nine.