It’s officially All Stars season on RuPaul’s Drag Race, which means that it’s the perfect time to look back at some of the queens who were cast on the series and caused some surprise in the fanbase. From the very first season, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars has been known for showcasing surprising casting decisions – and that tradition hasn’t changed, even five seasons later.
There are several reasons for why certain casting decisions were perceived as shocking ones, such as how they placed during their original season or how many times they’ve already been brought back. So, let’s take a look at the five All Stars casts over the years and spot which ones caused surprise among fans.
India Ferrah (AS5)
When the All Stars 5 cast was revealed, one name, in particular, stood out: India Ferrah. After all, it sounded unlikely that the series would cast a queen who placed 10th on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3 and was mostly known for being picked up during a lip-sync. While India Ferrah was clearly the most shocking addition to All Stars 5, fans are now happy to see her getting a second chance.
Time and time again, viewers have watched queens who got close to the crown on their original seasons falling flat on All Stars. Alternatively, Trixie Mattel and Monet X Change – both of whom are All Stars winners – have proven that your original placement is a mere detail.
Mimi Imfurst (AS1)
Speaking of India Ferrah, the first shocking casting choice in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars was bringing on Mimi Imfurst, the queen who picked up India during their lip sync (and was eliminated for it).
The All Stars 1 cast was a particularly strong one, with nearly all the competitors being runners-up or Miss Congeniality winners. For that reason, the casting of Mimi Imfurst seemed out of place, and the other queens did not hold back from making that very clear.
Five Queens From Season 5 (AS2)
The cast of All Stars 2 was pretty flawless, but it had one caveat: fans were shocked that a total of five contestants from season 5 were cast, which equated to half of the season’s cast of 10 queens. This became a point of contention in the fanbase, with some even initially dubbing All Stars 2 as season 5.2.
Past the initial shock that half of the cast was composed of queens from one season, it became evident that Alaska, Alyssa Edwards, Coco Montrese, Detox, and Roxxxy Andrews were all essential parts of All Stars 2 arc, which means that casting managers did make the right call to bring them all back at once.
Aja (AS3)
Aja was a fierce and iconic competitor on Drag Race season 9, which means that it wasn’t surprising that they’d compete on All Stars one day. However, fans were extremely surprised upon hearing the news that Aja was cast on All Stars 3, which was filmed immediately after season 9 aired. Usually, queens waited a few years before being brought back.
However, Aja hit the ground running and won the first maxi challenge on All Stars 3 (along with BenDeLaCreme), setting a precedent that this casting decision was not ill-advised. The next year, viewers saw Monet X Change and Monique Heart also go from season 10 straight to All Stars 4, and both queens made it to the very end.
Jasmine Masters (AS4)
Many Drag Race fans wanted Jasmine Masters to be given another shot at competing in the franchise. With that said, many of Jasmine’s fans assumed that the queen was not necessarily interested in coming back. She had built a solid career for herself, became a viral sensation on quite a few occasions, and had been somewhat critical of the series in the past.
The casting of Jasmine Masters on All Stars 4 surprised even the savviest and spoiler-friendly Drag Race fans. Unfortunately, Jasmine’s appearance was cut short when she was eliminated on the first episode.
Tatianna (AS2)
It’s hard to remember it now, but Tatianna’s casting on All Stars 2 wasn’t immediately well-received by fans. Many didn’t think that she’d be able to keep up with the newer Drag Race girls, and the Tati fans had known from season 2 was quite inexperienced.
From the very first episode of All Stars 2, it became evident that everyone’s shock regarding Tatianna’s casting was completely unwarranted. If anything, it was Tati who created the blueprint for what a real ‘glow-up’ looks like when queens come back for All Stars.
Ongina (AS5)
Fans had been asking for Ongina to be cast on All Stars since the spin-off’s first season. After so many years of constant disappointments, many assumed that Ongina would never make it onto the show again.
But then, just like that, Ongina was cast on All Stars 5. While this came as very exciting news to a lot of fans, there was also an undeniable level of complete shock in the fandom. Ongina finally made it, right when the fans were just about to give up.
BeBe Zahara Benet (AS3)
All Stars is about queens who didn’t snatch the crown during their original season and were returning for a redemption arc, right? While that’s technically still true, the game was changed when RuPaul decided to bring none other than Drag Race season 1 BeBe Zahara Benet to compete on All Stars 3.
The prospect of having a Drag Race winner competing on All Stars was so strange to fans that, at the time, many theorized that BeBe was not actually competing, and was instead a mole planted by RuPaul for some sort of future twist on the season.
Tammie Brown (AS1)
Tammie Brown placed 8th on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 1, and went home after refusing to lip sync to a song by Michelle Williams. Then, during the season 1 reunion, Tammie fought with the judges and said her peace.
Many assumed that Tammie Brown must’ve been blacklisted within the Drag Race franchise, and it came as a welcome shock when her name appeared among the queens cast on All Stars 1. In many ways, Tammie is the most important character in the legendary first episode of Untucked from that season.
Latrice Royale & Manila Luzon (AS4)
Up until when Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon were cast on All Stars 4, fans understood that queens only got one change to compete on the spin-off. Given that Latrice and Manila had already competed on All Stars 1, it was shocking to see them getting a second chance at second chances.
At this point, bringing back All Stars queens is already normalized, and All Stars 5 decided to cast Alexis Mateo. However, this chance remains exclusive to All Stars 1 contestants so far, given that it was a very different season where the queens could not compete by themselves.