RuPaul

RuPaul Andre Charles was born on November 17, 1960, in San Diego, California, to Ernestine "Toni" (née Fontenette) and Irving Andrew Charles, both originally from Louisiana. His mother chose the name "Ru" from roux, the French term for the base of gumbo and other creole stews. DNA analysis conducted by Finding Your Roots staff determined his ancestry to be 70% African and 30% European. He grew up in a Catholic household and attended Patrick Henry High School before dropping out in 10th grade. At age 15, he relocated to Atlanta with his sister Renetta to study performing arts.

During the 1980s, Charles worked at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre while pursuing music and filmmaking. In 1982, he made his debut on an Atlanta public access variety show called The American Music Show, and continued appearing on it regularly. He performed at the Celebrity Club, managed by Larry Tee, as a bar dancer and with his band Wee Wee Pole, and also served as a backup singer for Glen Meadmore alongside drag queen Vaginal Davis. His first significant national exposure came in 1989, when he appeared as a dancer in the music video for The B-52s' "Love Shack" and in Tom Rubnitz's video "Pickle Surprise." In the early 1990s, he performed at New York City nightclubs including the Pyramid Club and appeared for multiple years at the annual Wigstock drag festival, which was later documented in the film Wigstock: The Movie. He also appeared on the UK Channel 4 series Manhattan Cable, a weekly program produced by World of Wonder about New York's public-access television system.

In 1993, Charles released the dance and house album Supermodel of the World through Tommy Boy Records. Its lead single, "Supermodel (You Better Work)," peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 39 on the UK Singles Chart, while reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Subsequent singles "Back to My Roots" and "A Shade Shady (Now Prance)" both reached number one on that same chart. In 1994, he recorded a duet with Elton John titled "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." That same year, he was signed to a modeling contract with MAC Cosmetics, becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign, and raised money for the MAC AIDS Fund through the partnership. He also published his autobiography, Lettin' It All Hang Out, in 1995, promoting it with a guest appearance on ABC's All My Children. That year he also appeared in The Brady Bunch Movie, playing Jan's female guidance counselor.

In 1996, Charles launched The RuPaul Show on VH1, a talk show co-hosted with Michelle Visage that featured guests including Cher, Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, Cyndi Lauper, and the Backstreet Boys, among others. He and Visage also co-hosted a morning radio program at WKTU in New York City. Also in 1996, he released his second studio album, Foxy Lady, on Rhino Records, whose first single "Snapshot" reached number four on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. His film appearances during this period include Crooklyn (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), and But I'm a Cheerleader (1999).

Charles appeared on Broadway in 2004 in Hair. In 2022, he received a Tony Award for Best Musical. His accolades also include 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, a Critics' Choice Television Award, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Guinness World Records title. In 2018, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television industry, and in 2017 he was included in Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Charles created RuPaul's Drag Race in 2009, serving as producer, host, and judge. The competition series has run for eighteen seasons in the United States and has generated international editions including RuPaul's Drag Race UK, which launched in 2019, and Canada's Drag Race, which launched in 2020. Spin-offs include RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which began in 2012, RuPaul's Drag U (2010–2012), and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race (2020–2022). His additional television credits include Skin Wars (2014–2016), Good Work (2015), Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul (2016–2017), and RuPaul (2019). In 2020, he created and starred in the Netflix original series AJ and the Queen. His television guest appearances include roles on Girlboss and Broad City, both in 2017.

As a recording artist, Charles has released fifteen studio albums. He has also authored four books: Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995), Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010), GuRu (2018), and The House of Hidden Meanings (2024).