For the third time, Roxxxy Andrews has returned to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” for “All Stars 9” and this time, we are seeing arguably the most realized Andrews yet.
Through experience and mentorship, we are seeing an Andrews that has her eye on the prize, but is also not afraid to give a hand to her fellow competitors (and struggles with blocking them, as we saw on the runway in a now-legendary moment)! I caught up with this Sunshine State stunner to talk about her latest “Drag Race” run, the key to mentorship, and who can truly, read the doll!
With a superhero themed promo for “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” 9, the question has to be asked; who is your favorite superhero of all time?
My favorite superhero of all time is Wonder Woman! She is the doll!
What is it like returning to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” for a third run, after both Season 5 and All Stars 2. Why come back now?
I felt like when I came back for my Rudemption, I was so worried about people seeing me how all of my friends see me that I was in my head and not able to compete to my full capability. I feel like I went back on “All Stars” to show people how fun and silly I could be and not so much in the game, but it hindered me. I didn’t perform my best, I know that could do better in those challenges and I know that I could go in there and kick butt and compete and not be messy competing, so that was on my mind. This time around, baby it's balls to the wall 100% Roxxxy! How she is personally, emotionally, and how she can compete to her full capability.
You seem to be succeeding so far; the reads that you offered up during the reading mini challenge were absolutely scorching!
Those reads baby, she’s still a doll! A lot of people like to say “Season 5 Roxxxy” and they refer to her as a different person. I’m still the same person, it’s just that my mental view is different. I see things so differently and drag has evolved. When I went into Season 5, drag was about who looked more like a woman, that was your talent right there. It wasn’t about being funny, it was about looking like a woman and being passable. Now drag and “Drag Race” in general has helped drag evolve to what it is today. You can do anything you want to do and still be competition.
I’ve seen you on television and live in person, and you have always been polished to death! Coming from being under the tutelage of Erica Andrews, is it surreal to see that drag has changed and evolved so much into so many facets?
It is very trippy because I come from a pageant world. It was who is the most put together, who has the most beads on their gown, who spent the most money, that was a way of people looking at talent; and that’s not talent. Anyone can get a sponsor to buy you an expensive gown, but now you have to walk it. The way that drag has evolved, it has really opened the eyes to how much art and creativity drag actually is.
To be on an international platform where you have all of these different “Drag Race” franchises in so many different counties and all over the world, for them to see it as well. That it is such an art form, it’s so much about creativity. It’s never boring, there is always a new character and a new kind of drag aspect that people bring into the competition. No matter what season or what franchise you watch, there is always something new.
The charity layer is such a unique and refreshing change for “All Stars” 9. Tell me about your charity.
I chose The Miracle of Love in Orlando, FL. They are here in the city and I have seen the work that they do personally first hand. I know that they don’t get the funding that I wish that they could get, they are not an international charity. So the fact that I could go onto a season of “Drag Race” and support a charity that has individuals that love drag and try to win as much money as I can for them, that was all the reason that I needed to pick them. I see the hard work that they do and I believe in their mission of getting information and safety out to people. I just see them do it and it means so much to me. If I could give them my bank account I would, we don’t get to have the opportunity to drop off a huge check so I am going to fight for them.
Having the ability to go through the season with your “Drag Race” sisters without eliminations definitely changes up the game completely. As for the strategy, it looks like you are one of the competitors showing them the mathematical equation portion of the competition when it comes to deciding eliminations!
That is the thing, we are all fighting for or charity and fighting for ourselves. We do crack under pressure because we want to show those fans that we still have it and we’re still sickening. The fact that we don’t get eliminated, I think is something that we should have on “All Stars.” Let the girls come in as an All Star, you picked us for a reason. Once we get eliminated especially if you are first eliminated, it’s like, “I was really happy to see so and so come back, but now I only got to see her for one episode because they had to make an outfit and she’s not good at sewing.” It’s like, we deserve the respect to be there the whole time. Make the game as messy as you want, but let the girls present their packages, I feel like we deserve that.
Seeing people compete from very different seasons who they have never competed against is always an interesting facet of “All Stars.” Who were you the most interested in competing against once you looked around that workroom at your full cast?
Let’s start with this: I came into the werkroom knowing that I was a veteran from 11 years ago, Season 5. I had a hindrance which was that I was in a room full of girls that have watched me, that look up to me since they were probably 13 or 14 years old. If they look up to me, how can I go in and hurt them in any way and take something from them? I just looked at things differently; show up and show out because these girls look up to you. I don’t know if that played into how hard I was playing and making sure that I did so well and performed the way that I did because I knew that they were watching me.
Shannel was the first one to ever walk in and I looked up to her when I was watching Season 1. It was just all different emotions walking into the werkroom, there were younger girls. I had never worked with Angeria (Paris VanMicheals) before, I had never met here. Jorgeous I had met a couple times, and Vanjie and Gottmik I had met a couple of times. It was definitely hard for me because I didn’t want to let down as fans and people who looked up to me and then I wanted to perform to my full potential and show them that I am still Mother!
Last summer, I took a mini road trip with your son Axel Andrews and he spoke so lovingly of you and your influence on him. That mothering facet of your personality definitely translated into the werkroom and with your fellow competitors also. What do you think it is about you that makes you such a wonderful mentor?
It’s just sharing what I have learned, knowledge is power. In this business, I tell anyone that, even we don’t share the same last name. In Orlando, we have all of these kids that do drag and they look just like “Drag Race,” they’re kids to me. I never want to let the kids down so if I have learned through my troubles and tribulations things that make things easier even from a business aspect, because this it’s a business. Just share knowledge, at the end of the day that is my answer. Share the knowledge with them and they can take the knowledge and either listen and go their own route or maybe they even learn a better way of doing something and they end up teaching me. You can teach an old girl a lot of things (laughs)! These kids have a way around the internet and a way of learning things and I love to learn from them, but I always teach them the things that I have learned.
It’s been 11 years since I’ve been on “Drag Race” and I am still top dollar paid, still traveling fully booked. I let them know that all you have to do is go out there to these cities, know that you are not Beyoncé or Madonna. They put every dollar together to bring you there, so treat them as such. Let them now that you are happy to be there, never let them forget it and that you are thankful for what you get to do for a living with Axel, he watched me do my makeup and watched me sew and he took that knowledge and made it his own. Now he is his own person and he does things better than I do! I’m like, “How did you do that?” He shows me and it’s just so amazing what you can teach and just by being nice.
This is going to be one of the most important questions you have yet to receive. Who can truly and actually, read the doll?
There is one person that can read the doll, it’s RuPaul (laughs)!
Follow Roxxxy Andrews on Instagram @roxxxyandrews.
