RuPaul wants this queer actor to play him in a movie

Now that RuPaul’s memoir The House of Hidden Meanings has flown off the shelves to become a bestseller, it’s begging for the film treatment. But if there were to be a biopic of RuPaul’s life, what actor would portray the iconic drag queen in the early years of his life? Fans aren’t the only ones wondering: RuPaul just weighed in on the conversation himself, naming his own pick to portray himself.

In a video on Instagram, RuPaul gave his answer to the question on everybody’s lips.

“People have asked me who would play me in a movie, and my stock answer was always Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen,” Ru said. “But on a serious note, it’s come up a lot more recently since the memoir has come out.”

“You know, there’s that kid who I just love — his name is Justice Smith. I think he would do a really, really good job. He’s a fantastic actor and I just love his energy. There’s a sweetness about him that I just love,” Ru continued. “I think it would be Justice Smith.”

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For the uninitiated, Smith is a queer star on the rise. On TV, he’s starred in The Get Down and Generation, and his recent movies include Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and The American Society of Magical Negroes. This year, he’ll also star in Jane Jane Schoenbrun’s buzzy horror film I Saw The TV Glow. (Though Ru referred to him as “that kid,” Smith is actually 28 years old.)

On his Instagram story, Smith himself responded to Ru. “Are you absolutely f*cking kidding me!???? I am so gagged,” he wrote. “I would do it in a heartbeat!”

Related:

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But just because RuPaul is rooting for Smith doesn’t mean he’s the only option for the role. Several queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race weighed in too, some suggesting themselves, and some suggesting their Drag Race sisters. 

The most popular girls named in the comments were Luxx Noir London and Symone, while Brooke Lynn Hytes also threw her Season 11 sister Yvie Oddly’s hat into the ring. Newly crowned winner of UK vs The World Tia Kofi wrote, “I would cast me. Final answer.”

Hollywood, are you taking notes? Let’s get production rolling.

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Shantay, I guess you can stay.