In the galaxy of “RuPaul's Drag Race” superstars, Deja Skye is, without question, a beloved queen.
After a star making turn on Season 14 and now a dynamic return to “All Stars 10,” Skye continued to showcase her talents and, despite a surgery that threatened her life, returned to the main stage brighter and muggier than ever. I caught up with Skye to chat about her “All Stars 10” experience, how her perspective has changed post-surgery, and which “All Stars” queen she truly clicked with.
What was the “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10” experience like for you?
I would say that mine would be a roller coaster. It was mostly positive, but I would say that personally, I got in my own way a lot. I needed to just trust my instincts and talent and know that I was brought back for a reason; your inner saboteur, though, is always your worse enemy. Overall, I did have a good time. My goal going back into “All Stars” was not to win, but to mainly show a different side of me. I think on Season 14, people didn’t really know much about me, even though I was there the whole time. I made sure my story came across and I had some fun moments (this time), and I think I did that.
It was wonderful to see you on “Drag Race” again, but you must be feeling especially thankful after going through such a harrowing and traumatic experience as the surgery you had. It almost must seem like your life now is made up of experiences before that surgery and after. Is that fair to say?
Absolutely. I don't think that a lot of people knew this, but I was still technically recovering while I was filming. My body was still not fully healed, they told me that fully healed would be a full year after and I went back four or five months after surgery. It really didn’t hinder me, there were moments and production was so good about asking if I needed to sit down, or if my corset was on too much they would be like, “Do you need to take that off?” They were really accommodating, so I really loved that.
It was really like going back and saying, “Did I come too soon?” I will say, being around this group of girls, I was very happy because everyone was so sweet and nurturing. We knew that yes we could still compete, but be respectful of one another and just hype each other up at the same time. With me, my talk with Phoenix in Episode 2 really helped me. We had similar experiences on Episode 1 and then she was like, “Okay bitch, turn it around” on Episode 2.
What were your thoughts on the format change for “All Stars 10?” Fans are truly giving it a fantastic response.
I think for us, I’ll be honest, I figured since it was going to be considered tournament style, there is no way we are going to walk in with 25,000 girls. I figured it would be smaller, I didn't realize as small. As you said earlier, I loved that we all got a chance to shine and we all got a moment. There are fewer people in the room, there is less noise, and more chances to really make your mark. I am just glad that the fans came around to the format.
I remember prior to it airing, fans were like, “This is crazy, this is messy” but I’m glad they really like the format now. I’ve seen a lot of fans say that this is the format that they should be going with. I’ve said for years that there should be some sort of point system. Just because you have a bad day as an artist does not mean that you should be kicked out or that you’re any less than. Just like a pageant, a point system gives you that time to say, “I may have fucked up this time, but I can turn it around.”
You and Phoenix truly bonded during the season. What is one word about Phoenix that describes her?
One word about Phoenix would definitely be legend, absolutely. I was going to say “Mutha” but that is in the context of a legend! When Phoenix walked in, she didn’t walk in with an ego or her nose in the air. She honestly didn’t walk in saying, “I have something to prove.” She walked in saying, “Bitch I’m gonna have fun, I’m with these girls, these girls are the tea, and we are just gonna make good TV,” I think that comes with the legendary status of "I know what I’m worth, I know what I've done, and I know what I’m capable of. Let’s do it.”
Follow Deja Skye on Instagram @dejaskye
