Quotes from Shangela

I get a daily master class in Jenifer Lewis, and that's been so special to me. If I haven't prepared for something, she'll ball up the script and throw it at me. She'll say, 'You're not ready for this! Go downstairs and work on it.'

I am Shangela, I'm a working girl professional who owns her truth.

I know what it feels like to be on the outside, a place that you don't belong, feeling like you're the only one of your kind.

I grew into who I always wanted to be as a drag entertainer and performer.

I needed to get attention a lot of times - I'm a performer, that's who I am.

As a 'RuPaul's Drag Race' queen, I meet so many fans from so many walks of life.

A big thing in the LGBTQ community is finding family because some of us have loving families and some of us really don't, so we have to go out there and make our own families.

I think everybody should have the right to do drag if they want to. Even if they look busted!

I think that's what happens when drag starts to go mainstream: All of a sudden, you're watching 'The View' and there are three drag queens on there and it's not a joke. Yes, we're here, we're queer and you better deal with it. 'Cause we ain't going nowhere.

I don't have a sugar daddy, I've never had a sugar daddy.

My grandmother will watch any episode of a show I'm on, but she watches her soap operas every day. When I was on 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' you would have thought I had won an Oscar. She told everybody at church that I was on her favorite soap.

I've always had the spirit of a survivor.

For me specifically, after travelling around the world I noticed that performers who had web shows had huge international popularity and that segued into a lot of events reaching out to book them.

Bradley Cooper was amazing as a director. Like you hope the director is nice, you hope they are cool, and he was at the top of the list.

Even though she may not be a physical presence, for me RuPaul is an aspirational presence. Ru is out there doing her job - being RuPaul. That takes a lot of time and a lot of commitment. Besides, I don't need RuPaul standing over my shoulder telling me 'Good Job.'

I think going into any competition, you feel pressure.

As a drag diva auditioning in Hollywood, I've run the gamut.

People around the world get to get a sense of who you are through reality television. They are so engaged with you that if they love you, they will support you for life.

It's not what color you are or how you fare with fans, it's who you are and what personality you have.

You walk in and he's an A-list actor, so you're like, 'Oh my gosh it's Bradley Cooper! Let me make sure my wig's on right!'

A lot of times, in other films in the past, you see some drag roles that make you go, 'OK we're the punch line again.' You know, someone comes in and they're like, 'Oh is it a man?' that kind of thing.

Honey, I beat down an alien with my purse in the 'X Files.'

Life is about putting forth your best effort and showing up. When you show up to the gig fearlessly and put forth your best, who knows what could come of it?

Live your passion, and live it to the fullest.