If you’re like most red-blooded Americans, there’s probably one thing on your mind right now. Why the hell was Shangela not in the top two of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars? Sure, Trixie Mattel may have a huge fan base, but Shangela has added roles on The X-Files, Glee, 2 Broke Girls, and Bones to her résumé.
And with no signs of stopping, her latest role may be her most epic yet. She stars alongside Lady Gaga in the highly anticipated upcoming remake of A Star is Born. Although IMDb credits her as “Drag Bar Emcee,” she recently told Billboard that her role may be a little more important than that.
“I’m in drag, I’m kind of Lady Gaga’s drag mother, a bar owner,” Shangela said. “I can’t give much more away than that. But it’s gonna be really fun, it’s not a giant role, but it’s a good role that’s memorable.”
If there’s anyone who can pull it off, we know Shangela can. She also gushed about getting to work alongside Gaga, who’s no stranger to RuPaul’s Drag Race, having judged the season nine premiere after posing as a contestant.
“When you look up to someone, idolize them, and their journey and experience and how they work, and then you get to work with them and see they’re everything you dreamed,” Shangela said. “And she was everything I had ever dreamed she would be. Professional, kind, funny.”
Gaga isn’t the first gay icon to star in the iconic story. Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland have previously immortalized the role of the young ingénue protagonist. But Gaga will be the first to have a proper drag mother. Halleloo!
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