After giving us golden tickets and two full balls, RuPaul’s Drag Race decided to turn yet another one of their staple challenges — the acting challenge — on its head last week.
In season 14’s fourth episode, which aired on Friday, Jan. 28, the queens were tasked with creating a series a heightened, campy, drama-filled super-teasers to promote Drag Race. Splitting into teams, the girls concocted fake drama, hilarious costumes, and even an iconic way to pronounce the word “ugly.” Ultimately, Angeria Paris VanMicheals earned her second win of the season for her incredibly arch acting skills, while queens Alyssa Hunter and Kerri Colby wound up in the bottom.
Performing in a lip sync to Jennifer Lopez‘s “Play,” both queens worked the stage trying to earn the judges’ attention. Kerri’s sexed-up, smooth lip-sync earned her another week, while Alyssa’s dance-fueled interpretation left her in the bottom, and with no ticket to save her. Below, Billboard chats with Alyssa Hunter about her fashion inspirations, being deemed “the trade of the season,” and how a money gun may have cost her a spot in the competition.
How are you feeling about your time on the show?
I feel proud and grateful! I know that I was pretty emotional when RuPaul told me to sashay away, but I was crying because I was so grateful to be on the show, and so I feel a lot of emotions still. At the same time, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, it’s gonna change my life forever. So I’m definitely proud.
This episode in particular felt like one of those very emotional episodes of Drag Race where we had a lot of queens crying in a lot of different parts of the episode. What is it about that environment that really brings these emotions up to the surface?
It’s crazy. I know there’s some fans who think that it’s fake and that a lot of us are acting in those moments — but there are so many things going on behind the scenes that fans don’t get to see. Like, when the camera is off, it’s so much pressure. We’re doing our makeup, pulling long hours rehearsing and putting costumes together, filming challenges — we don’t have our cell phones or communication with the outside world, so it is just a lot to process while you’re in the middle of competing. Like, you need to be a strong person to be on Drag Race, because it’s a lot. So yeah, we’re crybabies on the show! [Laughs.] But again, I am so so grateful to be a part of the show.
You established yourself early-on as an incredible look queen — every outfit was polished and styled just right. What inspires your fashion when creating these drag looks?
Oh, it’s very much Top Model-type things — fashion models, genderless trends, women in pantsuits are my favorite thing to this day. But I try to always be versatile, so I can pull off gowns, swimsuits, pants, skirts, all of it. The goal is always to pull off the polished look.
It was also very evident from the moment you walked in that both the fans and the queens on the show immediately deemed you the trade of the season. How does that feel to be near-universally considered the hottest out of drag?
It’s an honor. [Laughs.] At least I won something! I hope at the reunion it comes with a check, like Miss Congeniality — I’d love a trophy for being trade. It’s a huge compliment, though, because I’m a model as a boy, too. I love my male aesthetic, and I love that I transform when I am Alyssa Hunter, so to be recognized for both is great.
On the episode, this acting challenge felt very different from past seasons, where you guys were actively commenting on and parodying Drag Race itself rather than another property — was it a head trip at all to be acting like you’re on Drag Race while competing on Drag Race?
It was weird for sure, but it was so cool. I enjoyed that challenge a lot, I’m not gonna lie, and I thought I was doing a pretty good job! I know Michelle told me that I was doing a good job, but I was doing almost too much. And I was like, “Well, yeah, I was too much, my first language is not English so I had to step up my game.” Also, I didn’t even know that being too much was a bad thing — it’s an acting challenge! So yeah, it sucked a little bit when they told me I was “okay.” But whatever, here we are.
You end up lip syncing with Kerri, and honestly, you were killing it all throughout. And then your money gun stopped working. Tell me about what was happening in your head as soon as the prop stopped working.
I don’t know how the edit turned out, because I haven’t watched the episode yet — but yeah, I think the money gun is what sent me home. It was very much the Valentina thing with the mask, or Asia O’Hara and her butterflies — props don’t help! So yeah, I think in that moment, I was scrambling. Like, “Ok, just pick the money up and make it rain if you have to, just keep going.” I mean, I at least learned that it’s a lip-sync battle, not a prop battle!
But obviously Kerri killed it. And it’s a reality show, after all — I kind of felt, when I saw myself with Kerri and Kornbread in the bottom, I just kinda thought, “Ooh, it might be my time to go.” But I respect the judges’ decision, though!
Before I let you go, I just wanted to ask if there are any songs, albums or artists that are really giving you life right now?
It’s always been Lady Gaga, it will always be her. She inspires me a lot, I started doing drag when she started making music, so I got to watch her grow as I grew. She does it all — she sings, she acts, she’s won so many awards, she can dance, she can write songs, she’s just amazing. I love her. I really hope I get to meet her and have a kiki one day.
