She describes herself as “beautiful, spooky and stupid“, but as any ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race‘ fan knows, Sharon Needles is anything but that. Even Lady Gaga has taken notice of this Queen!
From the first episode of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race‘, Sharon Needles grabbed a huge number of fans rooting for what many of the other queens felt was surely the underdog, but then she showed everyone what she had and won beating out all the naysayers. It was easy to see that many Raja fans would instantly gravitate to the stand out queen who truly does drag on her own terms. When Phi Phi O’Hara told her she should ‘pretty it up’ sometimes, Needles does it her way and shows many that drag is still an art form that changes and evolves with the times. Even Lady Gaga has taken notice of her and tweeted this “Sharon Needles looks FABULOUS 2night on drag race. Very Born This Way outfit/fame monster wig. Any rentals for my tour.” Quite the sweet tweet for our Needles!
Born in 1981 in Iowa, Sharon Needles moved to Pittsburgh and her persona was born when she began performing there where she made a niche for herself and the denizens of that steel town. And in her own words “With the look of a cover model and the soul of a shoe, she lives everyday as if it were Halloween…. or her last.”
BEST MOVIES EVER: Right from the start it appeared that many of the queens underestimated you. Was that your intent to play it down and then surprise them with your talent?
SHARON NEEDLES: I never found myself underestimated by the other queens on the show. Did I find myself different? Yes. If you don’t find your own identity, and set yourself apart from the competition, then you don’t belong in that workroom at all. To think that one drag queen is similar to another is retarded. Yes, I said retarded.
BME: Last year’s Drag Race winner Raja was a groundbreaker with the future of drag. Did her win inspire you to sign up for the show to continue that tradition?
SN: No. Although Raja referenced futuristic gender bender at its best, I found that I demonstrate the vulnerable and inflatable side of femininity. If plastic could cry, that would be me. I signed up because I wanted to be a part of drag herstory.
BME: In another interview you said being a compulsive liar helps in being an actor. What’s been the craziest lie you’ve ever told?
SN: I hate you, I love me.
BME: You made Drag Race history in being the first one to impersonate one of the judges for the Snatch Game. Some of the other queens thought it was a bad idea so what made doing Michelle Visage feel right to you? EDIT: It was brought to my attention that actually Jessica Wild was the first to do this when she did RuPaul…but anyone that saw that performance has probably forgotten it too, except for our eagle eye reader DV. We’re correcting it here, but Sharon is still our first!
SN: I planned on doing Cher, but after I saw Chad Michaels walk into the workroom in the first episode, I put my Cher costume in the box that Shangela popped out of and burned it with a wild honey badger inside. I also wanted to show the vulnerable and approachable side of Lady Gaga, unfortunately Phi Phi O’hara took that role and wasted it.
BME: It’s almost like you’re the love child of Michelle Visage and Santino Rice. Is there anything to this soon to spread rumor?
SN: I find Michelle Visage to be a second mother. I find her raven locks and icy stares to be mesmerizing. Disappointing Michelle is like disappointing your own mother.
BME: You’re definitely an inspiration for every kid in school that doesn’t quite fit in to the mainstream. What advice could you give them to not give up hope…and please not that canned ‘It gets better’ answer either?
SN: I was a high school drop out. Feeling sorry for yourself is worse than being bullied. I was bullied my entire childhood and found a way to turn it into something beautiful. Americans have no excuse for not being able to take a terrible situation and turn it into the American dream. These are white people problems. There are people in Ethiopia that can’t find food, there are people in India who cant find clean water. Stop bitching and start a revolution.
BME: You had all of us here at Best Movies Ever holding our breath when it was you and Phi Phi doing the lip sync for your life. We knew you had easily won, but then other things intervened. What was going through your head when you were waiting to hear RuPaul’s Sashay Shante decision?
SN: I’m the kind of performer who lip syncs from the Adam’s Apple up. I perform for the back row. Though I may be biased, I personally believe that lip sync for your life belonged to me. TEAM WILLAM FOREVER. Being kicked off of RuPaul’s Drag Race is punker than winning.
BME: After watching the show, are there any things you said or did that you wish you could take back?
SN: To quote Madonna: “Absolutely no regrets.”
BME: Is Party City happy for the Phi Phi O’Hare endorsement?
SN: Enough about Party City, let’s talk about my endorsement.
And Rick Santorum should be happy that I didn’t mention him in this interview as I did in Michelle Visage’s so his ‘supporters’ can stop the e-mail barrage of hate for including his name in such company!
A History Of Sharon Needles In 10 Minutes – Best Movies Ever
Sharon Needles Intro Video for RuPaul’s Drag Race – Best Movies Ever
Sharon Needles Talks ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’, Michelle Visage & Party City – Best Movies Ever News
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