From 'Nip/Tuck' and RuPaul scandal to 'Fashion's a Drag': A look at drag queen Willam Belli's colorful career
When it comes to drag queens, Willam Belli's name firmly resounds among those who have been following the subculture. Even if you are not among drag queen fans, there's still a good chance that you might be familiar with his name. For most queens, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' is the expressway to earning quick fans and book more gigs but Willam participated in the fourth season of the show with a well-padded resume.
Although in small roles, Willam was a constant fixture on American TV throughout the first decade of the millennium, appearing on shows such as 'The District', 'Boston Public', 'Cold Case', 'The Shield', 'My Name Is Earl' and 'Street Smarts'. He also appeared on Ryan Murphy's graphic medical drama, 'Nip/Tuck' in the role of a transgender called Cherry Peck that helped him gain prominence.
In 2012, he went on to appear on the fourth edition of the drag race and even though he was kicked out of the show in a few episodes, it didn't prove to be a setback and Willam stayed afloat in the drag scene with his ever-increasing popularity. He also went on to appear in Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper starrer, 'A Star is Born' along with fellow 'RPDR' alumnus, Shangela.
Willam has always been very honest about every aspect of his life. Right from admitting that he will never give up his business as a stripper wrangler that he runs out of Los Angeles to openly speaking out about his time on 'RPDR', he is not someone known to mince words when it comes to speaking the truth. He even clapped back at RuPaul, one of the most powerful personalities in the drag community and American TV. He's also never shied away from talking about the nature of his gigs that he performs and has admitted to fisting people on stage and performing fellatio on the audience members during his shows.
Even though Willam's experience with 'RPDR' hasn't been great, he has managed to stay in close touch with a lot of participating queens over the years, often appearing in their web shows, for example, Katya and Trixie's popular show 'UNHhhh' and a number of other shows presented by 'RPDR' producers, World of Wonder. He will now be seen hosting his own show titled 'Fashion's a Drag' on the soon to be launched short-form mobile video platform Quibi. Drawing inspiration from pop culture, 'Fashion's a Drag' is a daily fashion review talk show wherein Willam will be joined by a saucy and opinionated panel of fellow drag queens along with a fashion expert from Elle Magazine. Willam will be seen giving viewers the lowdown on current hottest celebrity fashion trends, while candidly dishing about what others on the panel are secretly thinking.
Speaking about his new venture, Willam mentioned, "People have looked up to drag queens for style cues for years and that's not just a joke about men being taller in heels and wigs and since red carpets need a recapping, Quibi decided to give me a show which will utilize the two things I'm known for - my style and my mouth. Get ready to salute and dispute each week with me and my fabulous friends!"
Willam has always taken the beaten path since the beginning. He never had it easy for him. He was a fat kid and was constantly bullied for it while growing up. He got his parents to drive him to court at age 16 to complete the emancipation process as he completed school early and just wanted to go out into the world. He was not afraid to be on his own as working from a tender age of 12 had prepared him for everything.
Apart from booking back to back gigs in various parts of the world, Willam also launched his makeup line called 'Coverboy' last year. He also became a published author in 2016 with his book 'Suck Less: Where There's a Willam, There's a Way'. He also has an online merchandise store which can be accessed here.
Willam's show, 'Fashion's a Drag' will be available to stream on Quibi from April 6, 2020.
