RuPaul's Drag Race was an instant hit in the LGBTQ community upon its premiere in 2009. A few years later, the show had become much more mainstream with audiences from all walks of life tuning in to see who would become America's next drag superstar.
Nowadays, Drag Race is a global phenomenon and has crowned numerous drag queens who have gone on to have flourishing careers, such as Bianca del Rio and Trixie Mattel. But the series has also been a platform for many other queens. Though only a select few have ever won, many have gone on to make lucrative and lasting careers thanks to their time on the show and popularity with its fans.
Latrice Royale
Although she's never won a Drag Race competition, Latrice Royale was an instant fan favorite. Her first appearance was on season 4, and though Sharon Needles took the crown, Royale was awarded Miss Congeniality. After that, Royale was brought back to compete three more times on Drag Race, in All Stars seasons 1 and 4, as well as the Holi-Slay Spectacular. This means that while Royale has never won a competition, she's continually been competing on the show for almost a decade. Outside of Drag Race, Royale also hosted the documentary Gays in Prison, which chronicled the unique challenges incarcerated LGBTQ+ people face.
Detox
Detox first competed on season 5. She performed moderately well, taking fifth place in the competition, but was unforgettable as part of the iconic "Rolaskatox" storyline. She later came back for All Stars 2, in which she performed much better, becoming a runner-up. Because she was in the final four, she also took part in the now-famous performance of "Read U Wrote U," which has been viewed almost 17 million times on YouTube.
Aside from Drag Drace, Detox is also famous for her parody music. In the early 2010s, Detox, along with fellow Los Angeles-based RuPaul's Drag Race queen Willam (and Vicky Vox, who hasn't been on the show) had a string of hit songs that parodied popular music, including "Boy Is a Bottom," "Chow Down," and "Blurred Bynes."
Peppermint
Peppermint was the runner-up of season 9, losing the final lip-sync battle to Sasha Velour. After Drag Race, Peppermint went on to make history as the first openly trans woman to originate a lead role in a Broadway musical, thanks to her performance in The Go-Go's musical, Head Over Heels.
Peppermint is also a fierce advocate of civil rights, both for the LGBTQ+ community and people of color. She regularly gives interviews and writes op-eds for publications such as The Guardian, USA Today, and Business Insider to discuss civil rights issues. Recently, she even joined the ACLU as an ambassador.
Eureka O'Hara
Eureka is another queen who has never won Drag Race but keeps coming back to compete. In her first appearance on season 9, she had to leave the competition after just a few episodes due to a torn ACL. After undergoing physical therapy, she returned for season 10 and made it all the way to the finale, becoming the runner-up. O'Hara returned once more for All Stars 6. The finale premieres in early September and could prove to be Eureka's first win.
Even if she doesn't win All Stars 6, O'Hara can still be seen by fans on her hit HBO show We're Here. In the series, she, Bob the Drag Queen, and Shangela visit towns across America to help transform everyday people into drag superstars. Season 2 of We're Here premieres later this year.
Willam Belli
Willam is easily one of the most beloved yet controversial queens in Drag Race herstory. She was sent home early from the show's fourth season after she broke a rule. Belli was disqualified during episode 8 after it was discovered that her partner had been visiting her while the show was filming.
Despite being disqualified, she was an audience favorite for the season. She later went on to release numerous hit singles like "Boy Is a Bottom" with fellow Drag Race alum Detox. Willam is also extremely successful on YouTube and has amassed hundreds of millions of views. She's enjoyed a successful acting career since before her time on Drag Race, appearing in 2018's A Star Is Born, the digital soap opera EastSiders, and the popular drama Nip/Tuck.
Alyssa Edwards
When Alyssa Edwards first appeared on Drag Race in season 5, she was known for being one of the most awarded pageant queens to compete on the show. Before her time on the show, Edwards had been competing in drag pageants for almost a decade, winning many of them. Sadly, she didn't perform as well on the show as she did in her pageants, only making it to sixth place. She returned for All Stars 2, in which she placed fifth.
That didn't stop Edwards from becoming a fan favorite though. Thanks to her enduring popularity with Drag Race fans due to her larger-than-life personality and unforgettable RuPaul's Drag Race lip-sync battles, she remains a staple in drag culture and has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows. In 2018, she starred in her own docuseries called Dancing Queen on Netflix that chronicled her life as a dance teacher in a small Texas town.
Shangela
Shangela has competed numerous times on RuPaul's Drag Race. She first appeared in season 2 after having been a drag performer for only a few months. Despite her winning personality, her inexperience showed, and she was the first eliminated from the competition. However, she was invited back to compete again in season 3. She fared much better, coming in sixth place. Shangela returned once more for All Stars 3, in which she made it to the final four.
Since Drag Race, Shangela continues to be a high-profile name in drag culture and pop culture in general. She's appeared in various movies and TV shows, including A Star is Born, and currently stars in HBO's We're Here. Shangela also has a massive social media following, with 1.5 million followers on Instagram alone.
Miz Cracker
Miz Cracker is a RuPaul's Drag Race queen who was already famous in New York before her time on the show. When she was announced as a contestant on season 10, it was instantly assumed that she'd be a frontrunner. She went on to place fifth, but was invited back for All Stars 5 and fared much better, becoming the runner-up.
Since appearing on Drag Race just a few years ago, Miz Cracker's fame has skyrocketed. She's already amassed over 1 million followers on social media. She's also released a hit single, "She's a Woman." She's appeared in Hulu's Eater's Guide to the World and is regularly featured in digital content for publications like Harper's BAZAAR, Bon Appétit, Allure, Beauty Insider, and more.
Courtney Act
Courtney Act has a long history of competing in reality television. Years before she was on RuPaul's Drag Race, she was a finalist on Australian Idol. During her time on RuPaul's Drag Race season 6, one of the show's most memorable seasons, Act faced fierce competition, including Bianca del Rio, Adore Delano, and BenDeLeCreme. Courtney managed to make it to the finale, ultimately becoming a runner-up.
After Drag Race, Act entered the Big Brother house in the U.K.'s Celebrity Big Brother. After staying in the house for 32 days, Courtney Act was declared the winner, beating out 15 other contestants. Following her victory, Act returned to her home country of Australia to compete on Dancing With the Stars, in which she came in second place during the finale. Aside from her time on TV, Act is also a singer who has released numerous singles, both solo and as part of the AAA Girls.
Katya Zamolodchikova
Katya first appeared on season 7, where she met Trixie Mattel. While Mattel performed terribly, Katya went on to make it to fifth place and was even awarded Miss Congeniality. Katya then returned for All Stars 2, in which she was the runner-up. Yet it was her meeting with Trixie Mattel in season 7 that ignited her career.
After their time on the show, Trixie and Katya launched their own wildly popular web series, UNHhhh. The duo became so famous that Netflix took notice and gave them another web series called I Like to Watch, in which Trixie and Katya watch whatever's trending on Netflix and give their unique and snarky commentary.