Bianca Del Rio: Our Favorite Clown in a Gown

Vaxxed, waxed, and full of attitude, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Six champion Bianca Del Rio is hitting cities across America harder than COVID-19.

This larger than life drag queen and outrageous comic, who is not afraid to shock or offend, is currently traveling with her brand-new comedy tour, Unsanitized, which made a stop at Denver’s Paramount Theatre September 23. Following her 2019 It’s Jester Joke stand-up tour, this is Bianca’s fifth show around the globe. 

Dubbed as the “Joan Rivers of the Drag World,” and first emerging on the New Orleans nightclub circuit, Bianca is not afraid to say what’s on her mind. She may have snarky frankness, impeccable timing, and politically incorrect humor, but she is always quick to point out that she is the biggest joke of all. In addition to comedy, Bianca’s credits include actress, podcaster, author, designer, and businessperson, but above all else, one hell of a good time. 

We were so happy to have you in Denver for your Unsanitized comedy tour! What goes into bringing a Bianca Del Rio production to fruition?
Normally, it’s not formulated like this was. Prior to COVID, I was expected to start in Australia and New Zealand in the summer. If we backtrack to February or March when things changed, I already had a different show plotted, planned, and ready to go. Topics that were discussed then that would have been relevant and important, but obviously, the world changed. Things got pushed back, pushed back, pushed back, so I had more time, which can either be brilliant, or it could be problematic. 

There has been a lot of note taking. In the beginning, like everyone else, I watched the news and was looking at topics. We had an election going on, mask mandates, vaccination possibilities, so all of that started with the hopes that we would start touring within the first three months. Then it got pushed back six months, then nine months, then almost a year, so I had a lot more time, but the world was changing so fast. I have several notes and notebooks because I’m old fashioned. I write everything down. 

Recently, this is how much time I’ve had, I had to switch one notebook from thoughts and jokes, and the other one to grocery lists. Because I was in the grocery store with a list, and next to it was all these jokes about the woman at Starbucks who couldn’t hear me with my fucking mask on. In the end, I learned to separate things and basically label and identify all of it. So, I have been very thoughtful with this new tour, which I don’t usually have this much time. I am hoping it’s good, but it’s not what I am used to. To have a year and a half to prepare for a show, like I said, it can be really good or fucking horrible. We shall see!

You are constantly on the go and always involved with some project. How were you doing while locked down in quarantine, and did it feel weird to have all this down time?
I was losing my fucking mind! I would love to tell you that I learned a new language or that I baked bread. No, I was doing cocaine and inviting hookers that would come over with a mask. That’s where I was. Trying to get to know my new neighborhood. No, it was very challenging, but it was also, I guess, in many ways, I have two senior dogs that are 16 years old, so it was kind of nice to be home with them. 

I moved, which was a perk, but the downside was not connecting, being around people, or being on the go. So, I had to kind of deal with feelings. Can you imagine? Dealing with feelings? Dealing with reality? 

I think it was good in many ways, and I think like most people, it made me appreciate what I do, what I get to achieve, and what I experienced so much more. You don’t realize it till it’s gone or stops. After the first two months, which were probably the hardest, I tried to look at the positive of it all and go, ‘Hey, you’ve got a treadmill. There’s outside, you can wear your mask, you can organize that closet you’ve been waiting on.’

There were a couple digital events you were involved with, most notably co-hosting a fundraiser with Lady Bunny to help queens across the country. Do you think virtual events and live streams will continue or slowly phase out now that the world is reopening?
I don’t know. It was one of those things that was very difficult for me because, obviously, in the beginning, I wanted to take part in anything to help. I wanted to stay busy, focused, and do something. The challenging part for comedy is you really can’t do much online live because there’s no interaction with people, there’s a delay, and the awkwardness of that. I realize it wasn’t set for me to do my own show, so to speak, so any event that I could host or anything I could be a part of, I’d be happy to contribute. 

I applaud anyone who did it. I applaud the dedication and work that everyone put in, but I am also disgusted by the people that did not iron their backdrops, which truly fucking set me off. It was fascinating to get a peek into people’s homes. I was fascinated by that. Not so much by the curtain, but I am always shocked by, like, the dead cat in the corner or the little ball of hair that’s festered up on the side of the curtain. It was interesting to see how people live, what people thought glamour was, and how bad lighting is, but in the end, if people are working, if people are making money, or if that’s their new route, I say go about it. 

I am only saying this because when I started drag, we would bring cassettes to the bar to play our music. That was before CDs, so I believe this could be new, or this could be temporary. I thought CDs weren’t going to last, and they didn’t, but in the end, this is definitely a new way to connect with an audience. If it works for people, yay. It does not necessarily work for me and what I do in general, but kudos to all those bitches that got in drag, sat at home, and tried to entertain us. God bless them because that is really what got us through this pandemic. You need to laugh and enjoy horrible makeup, horrible curtains, and unironed backdrops. It got me through some hard times.

You were also a part of Voss Events’ Drive ‘N Drag Saves 2021 tour earlier this year. What was that experience like, and how much fun was it to play Super Cunt?
It was one of those things where I said, I need to get out of my house. Brandon Voss, who is the head of Voss Entertainment, is a friend of mine and we worked together in New York many years before Drag Race. He said, ‘come on the road,’ and I was like, listen, you know I really need to get out of my house if I’m willing to work with these useless bitches. So, I went out on the road, and it was fun. It was just great to have an audience. The tricky part for me was I had not been on stage in a while. We call it a stage, but literally, we were in a parking lot of every mall in America, which is a high fall from grace. I remember the year before I was at Carnegie Hall, and now I’m in a parking lot facing a JCPenney. 

Then I realized, this is what I deserve. Any audience is an audience, and it made me very humble. The people that were willing to come to a parking lot to see drag, be supportive, sit in their vehicles, watch us, and not run me over, I thought, how great is that? It was a fun moment to get out, and to be Super Cunt was a choice of mine because we were asked what our superpowers were. I just said, well, you know, I’m a cunt. I guess I would be Super Cunt, so I was basically playing myself. 

The way the Voss shows are formulated, you come out in the beginning to say hello and then the show runs itself. So, it was a treat for me. I didn’t have as much to do as I normally do when I’m talking for an hour and a half on stage by myself, so it was a nice mix up for me and to reconnect with some girls. A lot of people think we’re all friends, but I really don’t know a lot of the newer queens because I never really interacted. This was the first time for me to hang out with a lot of them, and I had a great time.

It is hard to believe that the world was introduced to you only seven years ago. How would you say RuPaul’s Drag Race has changed and evolved since your time on the show?
I think it is now a completely different show, and that is no offense. That is not a dig in any way. It’s just completely different. I would love to say that I’m a fan and watch every episode, but I don’t. Mainly just because, in general, on my off time, the last thing I want to see is drag queens. 

I think it’s great that drag is in people’s living rooms, that a lot of these queens get the exposure, and a lot of their talents are being showcased, but I also think there are downsides. There’s social media, everybody’s a critic, everybody knows more than you, and there’s this expectancy that you are supposed to live up to just because you appeared on a drag reality show. It’s tricky.

Once again, I try to look at the good side of it. I think the opportunities we had eight years ago when we filmed it do not necessarily exist anymore. It was a different time, and I am grateful I did it when I did it. 

You are absolutely positive you have no desire to compete again?
Not at all. No, I am not interested. Would you go back to high school? No, it’s good. It was a lovely experience, but I have no desire. It just doesn’t work for my life right now, and it wouldn’t be fun for me. There are lots of other people that would be brilliant at going back. Lots of people who did the show when they were 23 or 25 who want to go back now, it’s perfect for you. Why take up a slot that I don’t want to be in? Let someone else go and enjoy it. 

There is speculation about a winners-only All Stars edition. Out of all the other winners, who do you think would have the best chance of winning?
Oh God, I don’t care [laughs]. I don’t care! I think that’s another part of the problem because everybody won their season for a reason. The narrative was their story and why they should have won. Whether it’s their talent, their looks, their sad story, whatever reason, they won. Going back and putting them all in the same scenario and then trying to pick someone, it will be interesting. I would love to say it’s going to be X, Y, or Z, but I don’t know enough, and maybe they’re an asshole. I don’t know. I only saw the narrative of them from their season. 

So, I think it will be interesting, and you are going to learn a lot about people. In the end, does it really matter if you win anymore? Come on, as soon as you’re done, they immediately throw you into All Stars, or they say, you’ve got next year or there’s another franchise. There is nothing special about it anymore, so what do I care? They get exposure and get to work, good for them. It really depends on the narrative, the challenges, and what they are going to do. I am friends with many of them, so it would be interesting. Like I said, I am not interested in robbing a bank twice. I got away with it once, why go back?

Have you watched any of the international franchises?
I have not, but I wish I had. Everyone told me that I should have watched Drag Race UK season 2 because they truly loved it. I am also horrible because I don’t like watching things in real time. I don’t like waiting for episodes. So, I would usually catch a marathon at some point, but I have not done it yet. Drag Race is everywhere now! They did ask me to host Drag Race North Korea, so I’m excited to see if that happens!

Were you excited to see your season 6 sister, Trinity K. Bonet, compete on this latest season of All Stars?
Yes, and that is exactly what I think All Stars is about. I think All Stars should be showcasing the talent that was on previous seasons that did not have the opportunities or were cut short. Trinity is one of those people. On our season, I thought we’d never get rid of her because she was a lip sync assassin. Remember, when you were in the bottom on our season, you had to lip sync as your redemption in some way to save yourself, and she saved herself every performance. That’s just what she does. She is magical at that, and I thought we were never going to get rid of her. So, to see her back this time, I go, this is amazing because this showcases the lip sync, which is brilliant for the format for All Stars. I think it is great and deserving. To see these beloved characters and personalities that people fell in love with come back around, it’s great. I am very proud of Trinity. She has grown and figured things out. 

I was gagged to see you come out as the lip sync assassin in that one episode, and I was very much hoping you were going to perform!
Oh, wouldn’t that be something? Yeah, uh huh. What’s funny with that was, I was sitting at home, and I had this ridiculous idea. I knew they were filming the show, so I called one of the producers and said, I have this idea. Could I possibly come in and be a lip sync assassin but don’t lip sync? He cackled and said, ‘okay, I’ll get back to you.’ Me thinking it was never going to happen, but they said yes, which was quite shocking. 

I had to take at least 15 COVID tests and drive down to Los Angeles, but I must tell you, the time you see me on stage, plus an additional, say, 10 minutes, is all I was there for. Literally, maybe in full, I was there for half an hour. All that bullshit for just half an hour, and then I forgot about it. It was a while ago, and I thought they were going to cut it out. Like, they’re not going to air it. Then I got a call saying it’s in. I was like, oh shit! What did I say? What did I do? I don’t remember now. Oh God, it’s a blur. I had not seen it until the episode aired, which was quite wild, but that’s exactly how it happened. Literally in, out, and done.

How meaningful is it to you to be one of the most successful Drag Race queens?
That’s a lovely sentiment, but I think each one of us is different and we measure success on a different level. Have I been lucky? Yes. Am I grateful? Yes. Am I older than dirt? Completely, and I think being older is why I am grateful. Having those years of working in a bar for $50, having to get dressed in a bathroom, having to do bingo for people in the audience that could give two shits definitely made me appreciate this opportunity a lot more. At 46, I go, ‘Thank God I’m working!’ That is how I look at it, but I also know that I have to work harder now than ever. The hustle doesn’t change, and I think a lot of contestants come on the show and think, oh, the show is going to make me a star. No. The show is a platform, and it’s what you do with it afterwards.

What do you think defines a success career in drag?
You can like who you like, you can think who’s successful is successful. For me, it’s just about the work. It is not necessarily about the exposure, followers, or having people like me. As an adult, I know everyone’s not going to like me, and I am not trying to please anybody. I think that’s where a lot of the contestants go wrong now. It’s a lose-lose battle when you’re online or trying to say something, and then someone disagrees. You are in a catch-22. 

You are trying to be an advocate and a role model, but no. I am a man in a wig who is a comedian who does not take myself seriously, and therefore, I don’t need anyone else to take me seriously. It’s either for you or not for you. I can only hope that people realize that we are not curing cancer here. It’s entertainment. Let’s be real, and very rarely is anything that serious, especially coming from me. 

In March, you began The Bianca Del Rio Podcast. How has it been going, and has it been received well?
It’s been amazing! Starburns Audio has been on my ass for a couple of years to do it, and I never thought I could just because of scheduling and the fact that I travel, but the opportunity was for me to do this from home. After a couple months of losing my mind, I thought, sure. Let’s do it, and the best part is I don’t have to get in drag for it. 

I started it, and it has been fun. Reaching out to people, I was shocked by anyone who said yes. Anybody who decided to talk to me. There are so many podcasts out there based on Drag Race, discussing Drag Race, or giving their opinion on Drag Race, and I did not want to do that. I thought, if I’m going to talk to Vanessa Williams, she doesn’t give two fucks about Drag Race. We should talk about Vanessa Williams because that is more important. So, I was grateful to talk with people like Vanessa Williams, Cheyenne Jackson, and my good friend Lady Bunny. I didn’t want to spend the hour talking to drag queens about endless bullshit. I wanted to talk to people that had something they wanted to discuss. 

It has been delightful, insightful, and we are taking a break at the moment because I am going back on the road. The schedule gets a little tight, so I am hoping, if all goes well, I can then return in the fall, but who knows? As we know right now, the world could change in a minute. If all my dates get canceled because of COVID, I’ll be back a little sooner than expected.

I heard that there is going to be a third installment of Hurricane Bianca. What can you tell us about this?
Yes! It has been lurking for quite some time and that was on the schedule for 2020. We were hoping to at least be in pre-production by the end of 2020, but obviously, that was put on hold. I have not spoken with my friend Matt Kugelman in some time about the project, so I don’t know where we stand with it. I think it’s a little too risky at the moment to get anything accomplished, but fingers crossed that we can maybe do it sometime soon. Like I said, everything could fall apart, and all of a sudden, I’m filming. I’m flying by the seat of my pants. I am hoping that we can get it made because it is written, and it is quite an interesting, funny scenario. To be honest, I’m just looking forward to working in any capacity at this point.

One of your projects over the summer was playing Carol Brady for Dragging the Classics. What was that experience like?
Oh my God, it was so much fun. First of all, I do not consider myself a Carol Brady at all. I don’t know where they got the idea of me being Carol Brady, and they weren’t very clear about the scenario. I thought I was going into some legitimate production, and for some reason, they wanted to have me as Carol Brady, which I thought was absolutely insane. I had just gone to Mexico and sat on the beach for far too long, so I was extremely suntanned, and I thought, oh my God, I’m going to get fired. I am, like, too brown to play a convincing Mrs. Brady. I thought this was a look-alike impersonation show. That’s why I was like, why are they picking me? Then when I found out that Kandy Muse and Shea Coulee would be my daughters, I knew I was good. 

When I realized there would be other drag queens, it all made sense. Typical, I don’t get all the information in the beginning, but I said yes, and it was just amazing to get to work with the real Brady’s. It was that thing where you’re like, oh my God, these are the real Brady’s. I had a lot of time to chat with the real Jan Brady, Eve Plumb, who I fell in love with. She is a sassy, fun, brilliant woman, who is a hoot. We became fast friends on our shoot. I think we rehearsed for three days and filmed for two. 

If you know anything about filming for television, it’s always start, stop, slow. It takes a hot minute, which is always so much fun when you’re in drag, but throw in the fact that we were filming everything on a green screen. The whole set was virtual. So, not only do you have to know your lines, but you have to make sure you’re not walking into the refrigerator, walking over another person, or on top of the counter. You had to hit your marks, which was new for a lot of us, just on that level. In the end, I was happy with the product, but I still don’t know why they did it. I don’t know if there’ll be more. I just said yes, and it was fun.  We shall see.

Which classic would you love to see a drag version of?
There are so many! Laverne & Shirley would be funny, Bewitched would be funny, but I am also a huge fan of shows from the 70s, like Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, and Maude. I am up for any of them. Like I said, I still don’t know why this one particular Brady episode happened, but I’m up for any of them. Anytime drag queens are involved, sign me up!

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
Oh my God, this is a good pageant question! I lived in New York for many years, so I say this–if I’m on the platform, I am just waiting for the train. Wherever it takes me, I am up for it, and I think as long as I’m still enjoying it, that’s important. With this cultural setback, it has definitely made me appreciate it more, and this fire is back in me. 

I can only hope that there will be a renaissance of new art and new life, especially the gays. Please put down your phone and interact with people, God damn it! I am hoping that the world is a more fruitful and artful place, and I know there have been several setbacks. So, my fingers are crossed that things do get better, and as long as I’m enjoying the ride, I will keep doing it. That’s the point. I don’t want anyone to escort me out. I’m still drinking. I’m not drunk yet, I’m drinking, and I’m tipsy. Once I get drunk, then it is time to bow out. It has been an amazing ride. I never dreamt this, I didn’t expect it, and I am beyond grateful that it has happened. 

Connect and stay up-to-date with Bianca by following her on Twitter, Instagram, or visit her official website.

Photos Courtesy of Denise Malone and Matt Crockett