RuPaul shares tips for hiding haters: “To Hell” with them
RuPaul is the undisputed queen of self-confidence – and he shares his tips for learning to love yourself in the new issue of Us weekly.
“Whenever I go on stage, I say to myself, ‘Ru, you’re going into mom’s living room,'” he says RuPaul’s Drag Race The 62-year-old host tells us exclusively. “I used to perform for my mother and that helps me get over the nervousness about everything, including what people have said about me. What others say about me is none of my business!”
The Emmy-winning actress is now arguably the most famous drag queen in the world, but it wasn’t always like this. The guru The author began as a go-go dancer in the 1990s, performing at New York venues such as the Pyramid Club.
“It was a place for all the weirdos to come together and get inspired,” recalled the California native — whose full name is RuPaul Charles — during a conversation with Us at 2018 TIME 100 Gala. “I slept at Chelsea Piers because I didn’t have a stable home and kept all my stuff in the basement of the pyramid.”
Since those beginnings, the AJ and Queen Alum has become a master at learning how to get through tough times.
“Life is tough, there’s no avoiding it, but you can arm yourself with knowledge,” RuPaul said Us when asked what advice he would give his younger self. “And to hell with what anyone thinks — you have to do things because you want to and not rely on anyone else for validation.”
Since RuPaul’s Drag Race The series premiered in 2009 and has spawned several spin-offs including RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars And RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Raceas well as numerous international editions in Belgium, Thailand, Sweden, Spain, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries.
While some observers might be surprised Drag RaceRu is not shocked by his global dominance or his own success. “I’ve always thought of myself as a star and always envisioned having my own show,” he said UsHe added that he was “so happy” that the series was such a phenomenon.
“Drag has evolved a lot in the last 10 to 20 years,” the media mogul explained. “Drag is much more accessible, which is a nice thing. Remember, we are all born naked – and the rest is resistance.”
Sign up for Us Weekly’s free daily newsletter and don’t miss the latest news or exclusive stories about your favorite stars, TV shows and more!
To learn more about RuPaul, watch the video above and grab the new issue of Us weeklynow in stands.
