Shannel is an American drag performer, character illusionist, makeup artist, Las Vegas showgirl and one of the contestants of the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
Shannel would later return to compete on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars alongside Chad Michaels[1] , forming Team Shad.
Shannel later returned as a Lip-Sync Assassin in All Stars 8. She won her lip-sync against Jimbo, revealing that the group chose to eliminate Darienne Lake.
Drag Name Origin[]
Her drag name comes from her first Siamese cat named Shannel. Bryan thought that it was suiting, sexy, and sensual.[2]
Track Record(s)[]
Statistics | USA Season 1 | USA All Stars Season 1 |
---|---|---|
Ranking: | 4th Place | 3rd/4th Place |
Maxi Challenges Won: | 0 | 3 (Eps. 3, 4, 5) |
Mini Challenges Won: | 0 | 0 |
Times as Team Captain: | 0 | 0 |
Times in Bottom: | 2 (Eps. 3, 6) | 1 (Ep. 1) |
Episode Eliminated: | Episode 6 | Episode 6 |
Memorable Quotes[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1[]
- “Wooh, my God! Look at this! Wow, crazy, crazy, crazy!” (Entrance Quote)
- "My persona has always tried to be a little more on the realistic side, but wearing costuming that is super couture."
- "People call me the Barbra Streisand of drag because I've heard she's a real bitch and she's anal retentive about everything."
- "Holler!"
- "I got a whole roll of duct tape with your name on it, kitten!" (to Ongina because she had to tuck)
- "I am amazed at myself; In my mind... I've already won."
- "I love you too baby. You're going down!" (to Rebecca after voting her to go home)
- "Oprah, for me, is God." (to BeBe when preparing for the Oprah challenge)
- "Well hi there! I am the delicious Miss Mandarin! *gasp* mm.. *lip smacking*"
- "I'm here because I am a professional entertainer. I want to be able to give and create showmanship; for the world to be able to see that the art of drag is not about putting on a dress and prancing around. There is so much more in what we are and who we are, as men, and as well when we are women."
- "I'm so glad you asked me this question! I nominate myself because I don't want to be here anymore." (nominating herself for elimination)[3]
- "Since day one, I have been judged really hard, and I'm very frustrated that you can't see the personality, Because I am so fucking real, you have no idea. And I don't feel that I am being understood here. I am beautiful. I'm a beautiful person internally and on the outside, and its so, so frustrating to me that that image does not seem to be conveyed. Week after week when we come into elimination round, I am so negatively critiqued." (nominating herself for elimination)[3]
- "That sounds so nice to hear." (after the judges' answer to her nomination)[3]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 1[]
- "Hello, Hello, what's up? Do you like it?" (Entrance Quote)
- "To be part of the chosen few, I feel very privileged. When I competed last time, everybody thought I was this arrogant bitch." (intro)
- "When it comes to two anal-retentive perfectionist bitches, that is myself and Chad Michaels" (After picking each other when forming teams)
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8[]
- "Toodles!"
Trivia[]
- When Bryan is not performing, he likes to sit down at home and watch the "Golden Girls" and "Roseanne".[2]
- Shannel started doing drag at fifteen years old when she entered a Halloween drag contest and won. A year later, she began working as a makeup artist, hairstylist, and photoshoot coordinator for glamour photography.[4]
- Shannel owns one of the largest collections of Lucille Ball memorabilia in the world.[5]
- One of Shannel's memorable performances was getting the opportunity to audition as the host for Cirque du Soleil's show "Zumanity". Out of 88 people, she was chosen to be in the top 5 to do the main audition on stage. She had the opportunity to walk on stage in an auditorium that seated almost 3,000 people and perform in Mugler's finest fashions using a million-dollar microphone.[2]
- In her shows, Shannel can do tricks such as juggling, tightrope and stilts.
- She was best known for her makeup artistry, costumes, showing off her body, her tricks on the runway, and for speaking out to the judges about her performances.
- Shannel revealed in Episode 3 of Season 1 that Oprah Winfrey inspired her to lose 60 pounds.
- Shannel is not only a drag queen but she is also a character illusionist. She can successfully create the illusions of many celebrities such as Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Cher, Dolly Parton, Madonna, Lucille Ball, Catwoman, the Evil Queen of Snow White, and even Boy George.
- Shannel is the first queen to...
- ...enter the Werk Room.
- ...lose her wig during a lipsync.[6]
- ...place 4th.
- ...to win three Maxi Challenges in an All Stars season without winning one in their original season.
- ...to make the finale on an All-Stars season without doing so in her original season.
- ...to be from Season 1 and return as a Lip Sync Assassin.
- ...to be eliminated in the same week of at least two seasons, being eliminated during Week 6 of Season 1 & All Stars 1. She was followed by India Ferrah (Week 5), Yara Sofia (Week 4 of All Stars 1 & All Stars 6), and Pandora Boxx (Week 8 of Season 2 & All Stars 6).
- She is the highest placing Season 1 queen to never win a main challenge in the season.
- She lip-synced alongside Mayhem Miller during the Season 10 finale.[7]
- Shannel was a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race: Live in Las Vegas. Other contestants in the rotating cast include Coco Montrese, Derrick Barry, India Ferrah and many more.[8]
- Shannel is a interior design enthusiast.
- Shannel worked as a creative consultant on Secret Celebrity Drag Race alongside Mayhem Miller and Laila McQueen to help the celebrities with their makeup, and also appeared in a bonus "Just the Tip!" scene for the first episode which was released to YouTube by World of Wonder.
- While on the show she helped paint Nico Tortorella, Vanessa Williams, Matt Iseman and Madison Beer (in episode order). After the airing of the fourth episode Shannel caused drama on Twitter by branding Madison a "nightmare" to work with in tweets that have since been deleted.[9]
- Shannel was the first queen to win a challenge on an All Stars season having not won one on her original season. She was followed in subsequent seasons by...
- Aja on All Stars 3,
- Monique Heart and Monet X Change on All Stars 4,
- India Ferrah and Jujubee on All Stars 5,
- Ra'Jah O'Hara, Trinity K. Bonet, Jan and Kylie Sonique Love on All Stars 6.
- Kahanna Montrese, LaLa Ri and Jaymes Mansfield on All Stars 8
- Shannel (with Chad Michaels, Jujubee, and Raven is the fourth-sixth queen to reach the finale and be critiqued in every competitive episode of the season.
- She was preceded by Nina Flowers, and Rebecca Glasscock.
- She would be followed by Année Maywong, Brooke Lynn Hytes, The Vivienne, Lawrence Chaney, Spankie Jackzon, Luquisha Lubamba, and Soa de Muse.
- Shannel appeared as a special guest in Episode 8 of All Stars 8, as a helper around the Werk Room.
- She, and Chad Michaels are the first queens to win two and three maxi-challenges on an All Star season.
- She, and Chad Michaels are the first queens to win two and three maxi-challenges on an All Star season, with the "Teams format".
Gallery[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 1 Looks[]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 1[]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 1 Looks[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10 Looks[]
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race 1[]
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race 1 Looks[]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8[]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 Looks[]
Videos[]
Filmography[]
TV[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Trantasia | Themself | Documentary | |
2009 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 1 | Themself | Contestant (Placed 4th) | [10] |
2010 | Halloween on 6th Street | Themself | Documentary | |
2010 | The Arrangement | Themself | Guest (Season 1 Episode 6) | [11] |
2010 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 2 | Themself | Episode: "The Main Event Clip Show" (Special guest) | |
2010-2012 | RuPaul's Drag U | Professor Shannel | Season 1-3, 9 appearances | [12] |
2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 4 | Themself | Episode: "RuPocalypse Now!" (Zombie), "RuPaul Rewind" | [13] |
2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Season 1 | Themself | Contestant (Placed 3rd/4th) | [1] |
2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Untucked (Season 1) | Themself | ||
2013 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 5 | Themself | Episode: "Reunited!" (Audience) | |
2014 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 6 | Themself | Episode: "The Finale" (Audience) | |
2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 8 | Themself | Episodes: "Keeping It 100" (Special guest), "Grand Finale" | [1] |
2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 10 | Themself | Episode: "10s Across the Board" (Archive footage), "Grand Finale" | [7] |
Music Videos[]
Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | "Queen" | Xelle | [14] |
2013 | "Applause" | Lady Gaga | [15] |
External Links[]
References[]
[]
Winner | BeBe Zahara Benet |
---|---|
Runners-Up | 2nd: Nina Flowers (Miss Congeniality) • 3rd: Rebecca Glasscock |
Other Contestants | 4th: Shannel • 5th: Ongina • 6th: Jade • 7th: Akashia • 8th: Tammie Brown • 9th: Victoria "Porkchop" Parker |
Judges | RuPaul • Santino Rice • Merle Ginsberg |
Pit Crew | Emanuel Palmer • Max "The Body" Philisaire |
Winner | Chad Michaels |
---|---|
Runners-Up | 2nd: Raven • 3rd & 4th: Jujubee & Shannel |
Teams | Team Shad: Chad Michaels & Shannel • Team Rujubee: Raven & Jujubee • Team Yarlexis (5th): Alexis Mateo & Yara Sofia • Team Latrila (6th): Manila Luzon & Latrice Royale • Team Brown Flowers (7th): Nina Flowers & Tammie Brown • Team Mandora (8th): Pandora Boxx & Mimi Imfurst |
Judges | RuPaul • Santino Rice • Michelle Visage |
Pit Crew | Jason Carter • Shawn Morales |