Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race is widely considered one of the strongest years in the history of the franchise. Not only was the series finally finding its footing in terms of format, but it was also perfecting its casting abilities. What’s more, season 3 is perhaps the hardest season in history, with several incredibly demanding design challenges.
The noteworthy achievements of Drag Race season 3 include its very diverse and competitive Top 3, Shangela becoming the first-ever returning contestant on the show, and the addition of Michelle Visage as a permanent judge on the show. If you’ve ever wondered what these contestants have been up to, it is your time to find out!
Carmen Carrera
Since being a contestant on season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Carmen Carrera has become a very successful model and an activist for trans women. She has been photographed by David LaChapelle, was featured in an episode of Jane The Virgin, and has done countless interviews advocating for trans rights and speaking on her experience as a contestant on Drag Race.
In many ways, Carmen Carrera is responsible for Drag Race adopting the “She done already done had herses” name for its message segment. The previous name of that segment was considered a slur for trans women, and Carmen is credited as the person who spearheaded the initiative for the show to change it.
Venus D-Lite
Venus D-Lite may have been the first eliminated queen on Drag Race season 3, but that didn’t stop the queen from succeeding after the show. In 2020, Venus is still entirely committed to impersonating Madonna and just commemorated her 18th drag anniversary.
Besides attending DragCon events and being a guest on later Drag Race seasons, Venus D-Lite was once again seen on TV appearing on Botched! and Skin Wars. Moreover, she is a fully booked queen who travels the country to perform.
Stacy Layne Matthews
Season 3 contestant Stacy Layne Matthews is one of the most iconic queens in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Besides her several bookings around the world, Stacy was heavily featured on All-Stars 4, where the contestants had to perform a “henny”-themed musical number. In 2020, Stacy Layne Matthews went across the pond to star in Sinderella, a drag show starring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestants Divina De Campo and Cheryl Hole. In it, Stacy played the Fairy Drag Henny.
Mimi Imfurst
Drag isn’t a contact sport, but carrying a queen on her back surely made Mimi Imfurst famous! After Mimi’s time on season 3 of Drag Race, she came back for the first season of All Stars, where she was paired with Pandora Boxx. Unfortunately, Mimi and Pandora were sent home in the first episode. Mimi Imfurst is often seen on DragCon events and on drag shows across the country. However, the queen is mostly based in Philadelphia, PA, so you’d have a higher chance of seeing her there if you’re ever in town.
Alexis Mateo
Alexis Mateo spent a significant portion of her years after RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3 helping up-and-coming queer artists find their footing and become professional drag queens. As a result, we got season 10 sensation Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, who credits Alexis as her drag mother. Thankfully, Alexis Mateo has been making a triumphant return since early 2019, traveling across the country and being more active than she had been in years. What’s more, this Puerto Rican queen is looking better than ever in 2020, with costumes and makeup that convey a much higher budget than they were allowed to have back on season 3 days.
Shangela
Shangela returned to the show after making waves for being the first-eliminated contestant on Drag Race season 2. On season 3, Shangie went much further, and that was only the beginning of her stellar career after RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Besides competing on All Stars 3, Shangela has starred alongside Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born, became the first drag queen in history to walk the Oscar red carpet, and is about to start her own HBO series with Bob The Drag Queen and Eureka, which is called We’re Here.
Phoenix
After being the second queen on season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race to go home, Phoenix hit the road and started to perform on various drag shows across the country. What’s more, Phoenix was featured in an episode of Teen Wolf in 2012. In 2020, Phoenix is still a hard-working Atlanta-based queen who performs on a weekly basis on drag shows of all kinds. While there haven’t been any rumors of the queen competing on a future season of All-Stars, fans can certainly hope for that to happen one day.
Delta Work
Delta Work is one of the most successful queens to have come out of RuPaul’s Drag Race. During seasons 9, 10, and 11 – as well as seasons 3 and 4 of All-Stars – Delta was chosen to work on RuPaul’s wigs, following in the footsteps of longtime RuPaul collaborator Mathu Andersen. For her work on season 10 of Drag Race, Delta Work won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special. After season 11, Ru decided to go in a different direction and hired a different hairstylist. However, this hasn’t stopped Delta from working hard on different endeavors. In 2019, for instance, Delta Work was featured as an Adele impersonator in the music video for Taylor Swift’s “You Need To Calm Down.”
India Ferrah
It is a fact that India Ferrah never stopped working since appearing on season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but it is certainly also true that the queen is more active than ever in 2020. Nowadays, India Ferrah is starring on RuPaul’s Drag Race Live, a Las Vegas residency that is taking place at the Flamingo resort. After a trial run, the show was extended for the remainder of 2020. Moreover, the queen has appeared on several DragCon events over the years and keeps touring the country with drag shows.
Manila Luzon
Season 3 runner-up Manila Luzon competed again on seasons 1 and 4 of All-Stars. Unfortunately, something always got in her way and preventing her from taking the crown.
Nonetheless, being repeatedly “robbed” from winning Drag Race never stopped Manila Luzon. The queen released the album Rules! in 2019, and was featured on scripted TV shows such as EastSiders, General Hospital, and AJ and the Queen. Besides all the roles and personal projects, Manila is still touring the world and performing on a constant basis with her Drag Race sisters.
Yara Sofia
Yara Sofia is one of the most creative contestants that have ever been on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and that’s what landed her a spot on the first-ever All-Stars. After her time in the franchise, Yara kept working nonstop and toured the world with her fierce performances and outlandish looks. If you were a fan of season 3 of Drag Race, you should probably know that Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia are still the best of friends. What’s more, there are rumors that the pair might compete on a future season of All-Stars, just like Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon did on All-Stars 4.
Mariah Balenciaga
Devoted Drag Race fans love Mariah Balenciaga, who’s one of the fiercest queens to have ever competed on the show. Besides touring the country to perform at various events, Mariah appeared on Netflix’s AJ and the Queen and is rumored to compete on a future season of All-Stars. On the WOW Presents Plus streaming service, Mariah Balenciaga is a recurring co-host on both Fashion Photo RuView and Wait, What?. In addition, Mariah impersonated one of the Spice Girls on Lip Sync Battle in 2018.
Raja
Raja is one of the most consequential winners in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Since winning the crown, Raja became the only contestant to be animated alongside RuPaul in a drag-themed episode of The Simpsons. The queen is also the host of Fashion Photo RuView, a weekly web series that critiques the looks within the Drag Race universe. After years of being a makeup artist for celebrities such as Tyra Banks, Adam Lambert, Iggy Azalea, and Dita von Teese, Raja is now a full-time drag personality on TV who stands on her own.