One thing that Gaga taught me was less about makeup and more about how to be just natural through the makeup - really allow your talent to shine through, no matter what you're doing.
— Shangela
I'd love to do a project that falls between drama and comedy - a dramedy with hilarious moments.
You have to know what you're worth and you have to stick with that because you're only going to hurt yourself in the end if you bring your price point way down, as well as impact others in the market.
I would say my biggest piece of advice that I would offer LGBT business owners and people looking to segue their talent into a business would be to utilize all the resources that are available to you.
People around the world get to get a sense of who you are through reality television. They are so engaged with you that if they love you, they will support you for life.
As a 'RuPaul's Drag Race' queen, I meet so many fans from so many walks of life.
Life is about putting forth your best effort and showing up. When you show up to the gig fearlessly and put forth your best, who knows what could come of it?
A lot of times, in other films in the past, you see some drag roles that make you go, 'OK we're the punch line again.' You know, someone comes in and they're like, 'Oh is it a man?' that kind of thing.
When things go wrong, I like to keep on working and move on.
I've been to every Lady Gaga concert.
The way I've always dealt with disappointment or challenges in my life is to find the bright spot and focus on it.
Bradley Cooper was amazing as a director. Like you hope the director is nice, you hope they are cool, and he was at the top of the list.
It's always been my dream, it's always been my vision to work as an actor in Hollywood, in drag and out of drag.
You never know where I'll pop up, I'm Shangela, OK?
Drag Race' is a lot like 'Game of Thrones.' There's a lot of different alliances, queens fight for the crown, they take the throne.
It was a privilege and an honor to work alongside Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Working with people at the top of their game was like a master class.
For me specifically, after travelling around the world I noticed that performers who had web shows had huge international popularity and that segued into a lot of events reaching out to book them.
It's great that we have so many people from so many diverse background in the 'Drag Race' family.
I'm from Paris, Texas, okay! I remember looking up and just dreaming to one day make it on an airplane.
Let the record show I would never turn down a role with Lady Gaga.
A big thing in the LGBTQ community is finding family because some of us have loving families and some of us really don't, so we have to go out there and make our own families.
Lady Gaga is a professional, truly, and someone who I aspire to be like as an entertainer.
I'm not an overtly emotional person.
Honey, you know no matter how much time I spend, I'll never look spot on like Marilyn Monroe.
I've always had the spirit of a survivor.
Honey, I beat down an alien with my purse in the 'X Files.'
I just think there's so many great LGBTQ stories and more that can be told and I want to be a part of that.
And I think I might be one of the first, if not the first, drag queens, in drag, to ever walk down the red carpet at the Oscars. And I hope that means something to somebody out there, because it means something to me.
I am Shangela, I'm a working girl professional who owns her truth.
Listen, I'm a fan, no, I'm a stan of Ariana Grande.
We're in the world right now where self-promotion is very accessible with the Internet and with YouTube and what I've learned is that you've got to utilize all those resources and the relationships that you have in order to make your business a success.
It's not what color you are or how you fare with fans, it's who you are and what personality you have.
As a drag diva auditioning in Hollywood, I've run the gamut.
I'm track 3 with fabulous French dialogue on the 'Star Is Born' album. I'm track 3 'NASA' on Ariana Grande's album. From 'All Stars 3,' went to 'Drag Race' three times, never won. Three is my lucky number.
Any queen who's ever worked in a drag bar, or even been in a drag dressing room, knows that underlying all of that is a sense of family.
I'm a work horse.
I think going into any competition, you feel pressure.
Keep working hard and you will have your day in the sun.
In life, you can't control what other people are going to do; you can't control how they're going to behave. All you can control is how you're going to react.
My dream was always to come to Los Angeles and make it as an actor. I kind of just fell into drag.
I probably got many personalities living in my head and they all have to pay rent, OK?
