Court is back in session — the king's court! Revry's King of Drag — the first-ever drag king competition series — premiered to rave reviews last summer and is poised to continue its history-making streak with Season 2. Beginning on Sunday, Sept. 20, eight drag kings from all across America, from New York City and Los Angeles to Wichita and Des Moines, will enter the show's Man Cave and vie for the highly-coveted title of King of Drag. And presiding over the competition's highly-anticipated return is new host, incomparable queer icon Cameron Esposito.
After winning audiences as a successful standup comedian, Esposito quickly forged her unique own path in Hollywood, starting with standout spots on Comedy Bang! Bang! and Drunk History and continuing with the genre-pushing cult fave sitcom Take My Wife. And her 2020 memoir Save Yourself added "bestselling author" to Esposito's resume.
Now, after a career spent on stages and behind microphones, King of Drag finds Esposito in slightly new territory: a high stakes reality competition show with a devoted fanbase (2.2 million viewers tuned in for Season 1, BTW). Pop Heist editor-in-chief Brett White caught up with Esposito ahead of Season 2's premiere on Revry.
Brett White: You've already had a varied career, and you were a guest judge on Season 1 of King of Drag. What was it like stepping into being the full-time host on a reality competition show?
Cameron Esposito: Oh my god, yes. I do have a ton of hosting experience — television hosting experience, large award shows, huge benefits, all this hosting experience. I think what was different about this is that these folks were really putting themselves out there over a duration of time. It's quite sweet. They're each other's biggest advocates. There were tears that on set make so much sense because people are so genuinely proud of each other. And this is their art, from what they're wearing to the way they choose to present it or how they are on stage. I think that it's a very different experience to be around that energy. And honestly, straight up, I do not know if every reality competition show has that vibe. I know this show did. But that vibe, you're going to see it on screen. I can tell you behind the scenes that it's very real.
How does hosting the show compare to being a fan of the show, and being a guest judge on the show?
The main difference honestly, just straight up: I was at work! I was at work trying my very best with my skillset to provide as much ease and comfort to these performers who are already under so much pressure and feeling so excited to share themselves with the world. It's more that I have to be of service. It's the same show, but I got the incredible privilege to try to show up for these kings with the skillset that I have.
I'm not a king, and also I have worked alongside or hosted events for or gone to see kings for, I don't know, since I was in my 20s. I'm in my mid-40s. For many years. I think watching it as a viewer — to be honest, and this is great news for viewers, I think you really are getting the real deal of what's happening with this show. I know there's a ton of reality shows or reality competition shows where they're really working on an edit to give a certain story. But just having seen and been a fan of Season 1 and then also having come in as a judge just for that one episode, I can tell you: the performances are really big and special in the room. The personalities that you see are really big and full, and this art is totally actualized.
You noted all the different events or shows that you've hosted, but hosting an awards show, you don't have to console the winner or provide emotional support for the nominees. Hosting a show like this, I imagine there's a bit of a therapist role.
Yeah, I think that's what I'm referring to. And they are really doing that for each other as well. In the actual moment of people getting voted off, I really am the person who's looking these kings in the eye. And so I do feel as a community member, as a fellow performer, as somebody who respects the art so much, that I wanted to do my best to provide stability and kindness amidst all the jokes.
I feel like everyone who appears on any kind of drag show or fashion show, be it Project Runway or Drag Race or King of Drag, how much thought do you put into what you are wearing? Do you feel any pressure to bring it?
Oh my god, that's so funny. When I was a judge on the first season, I did wear my full pope regalia. I have a queer, Progress Pride flag pope, full outfit, cassock, hat, all of this that I had made custom. And I got to wear that because I was like, hey man, this is what I'm bringing to the table, like some respect for what you're doing.
For Season 2, it's not really about what I'm wearing the same way that it's about what they're wearing. And at the same time, you know, that throughline and link and professionalism, so I did want to wear some looks and some suiting. And I got a chance to work with the clothing brand Wildfang, who I absolutely love, and they dressed me for the season, which just felt really great. It's a queer-owned brand that does a lot of responsible giving back to the community. And so it did feel like a nice, natural fit, to look put together and fancy and then also I didn't feel like I needed to wear, like, faux peacock feathers because [the kings] were doing that. They should have that opportunity.
I noticed in the promo photos, you're wearing some platform shoes.
Oh yeah, dude. I mean, I wear sick platforms and like, here's the thing: I do gender-fuckage if I'm walking a red carpet or if I'm getting promotional photos done, or even if I'm going to an event, like a wedding, right? I have been doing that for a very long time. I have a makeup artist that I've worked with for over a decade who has done a lot of looks for me, whether it's like I'm Rambo or I'm getting a full Bowie makeover to take photos, or I am wearing a sequin, red, black leopard print jacket. And then I say to her, "Could you also make my eyelids sparkle red, black leopard print look? And she's just like, "... I guess."
I definitely feel like just in the way that I present myself, if I have a chance to consult on wardrobe for an acting gig, and certainly when I do stand up, I really feel that, I mean, just genderfuck is a baseline part of my experience. It's how I've always presented myself, and I'm just really glad to have been able to showcase that.
And platforms are part of it, right? Like I am a full, in-the-middle boy. I love to wear makeup and be flitty and fancy. And I love to wear a motorcycle jacket and leather chaps, and we're going to do it all in public, and we're going to do it all for folks to see.
Season 2 also features a new judges' panel, including drag king Vico Ortiz, Drag Race alum Gottmik, and Revry co-founder Damian Pelliccione. What can we expect to see from the judges this season?
Starting witih really highlighting the kings that were a part of the panel: Vico is somebody I've known before the show who takes drag really seriously. Folks like Henlo Bullfrog, Perka $exxx were a huge part of the judges panel. And then there's folks like Big D from Season 1 who got to come in and be judges. And speaking of being emotionally present for these kings: these are folks who've been through it as contestants who understand the art form one-to-one and who are also just smart, kind, interesting people. That was really beautiful to watch.
And then for folks like Gottmik or other folks who are on the drag queen side of things — because this is the first drag king reality competition show, these are folks who, by just nature of what's happened in the entertainment industry, and these are super talented folks, but like Yvie Oddly or Ginger Minj, these are folks who've gotten to experience this kind of television platform in the past. So I think there's also something that they can offer the kings, even though they're not kings themselves, around like, here is a way to interpret drag for television. So I do think that was also very helpful. They had the support and the knowledge of the king community, and then also the support and knowledge of folks who have an understanding of being on TV. And hopefully over time, there'll be a lot more kings who have that understanding because they've gotten to be on TV a ton.
And Damian represents the network that is putting this whole show together and putting itself out there to take this — I don't even want to say risk, to fulfill this need that television has. These are the folks who stepped up to do it, right? Like Revry is the network that stepped up to do it. And so I think there's a lot of strength there.
Since I talked to Damian earlier this year, Canada's Drag Race just had Velma/Johnny Jones on, and they just announced a drag king — Marcus Massalami — for Drag Race España Season 6.
It was just announced, yeah.
King of Drag is pushing the needle. A lot has changed since Season 1 premiered. How would you like to see Season 2 will push things further?
The baseline is that for many of these kings, this is how they make a living or how they supplement their living. Making television is awesome. Making entertainment is awesome. Getting a chance to watch it as a viewer is fun. We're doing it for fun. We're doing it to feel good. All that's so important. For these performers, a chance to be on television expands their audience. It's a live performance market for kings, and I'm hoping that more people come to see them live. This is really a way of changing basic income for kings who really deserve it. These are talented performers, so fun to watch, they've been there, they've been talented, they've been fun to watch, and you know what they should get? Is also paid. I really believe that. We are queer people and we are out here and we're putting ourselves on the line, and how politically motivated kings are, to be financially supported is a huge part of it. We can't just altruistically do art forever. We need to make a living. People need to be able to buy groceries. I hope people understand that as much as they love the show and want to see these kings, guess what, they live in your city or they're touring to your city, so you actually can. It's just great.
And now there will likely be viewing parties for Season 2.
Last year there was a huge swath of viewing parties that popped up, not organized by the network. They were in every city. And because I follow all these kings and am interacting with them from Season 1 and Season 2, I can see many of the events that are gonna happen for the premiere or throughout the season. If you're looking to go just feel good this fall, which you deserve to have some moments of feeling good, go seek out those parties. Go seek out those kings. I know you're gonna have a blast and they live in your city.
This interview has been edited for clarity and content.
King of Drag Season 2 premieres on Revry on Sunday, Sept. 20.
