Can we get a "Halleloo"?
A full decade after Shangela Laquifa Wadley burst into our lives as a baby drag queen competing on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race—and then the third, and then on All Stars 3—it's safe to say she's truly having a moment.
Not only did she become the first queen to walk the Oscars red carpet in full drag thanks to her scene-stealing work in the hit film A Star Is Born, but she's finally landed a show of her own, starring alongside fellow RPDR alum Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka on HBO's heartwarming unscripted series We're Here. In the six-episode series, the queens travel across small-town America to recruit local residents in need of a little bit of the love that only a drag mother can provide to put on a one-night-only show.
The series, airing Thursdays on the cable network, is a true delight during these social distancing times, reminding us not only of the transformative power of drag, but the even greater power of community, even if it's sometimes hiding in plain sight.
After watching just one episode, we knew we wanted to talk to Shangela—real name D.J. Pierce—all about her experience filming. And lucky for us, she took the call.
What follows is our full, unedited conversation—complete with her thoughts on the current season of Drag Race, Sherry Pie drama and all—because when the chat is with someone as flat-out entertaining as Shangela, you leave nothing on the editing room floor.
Halleloo!
We're Here airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on HBO, while RuPaul's Drag Race airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on VH1.