Drag Racefinally came to Brazil last year, and when it was time to bring Brazil to the global stage, it wasMiranda Lebrãowho got the call to represent her country. The girl from Rio wasn’t just about herself, it was about what Brazilian drag was all about. This life-changing opportunity to be the first Brazilian queen to be selected for thisreality competition series. “The drag scene is so diverse.And for me to represent this diversity was my biggest challengebecause I really want to talk about every kind of Brazilian drag queen,” she said. While she couldn’t share it all, she advised we come to Brazil!
RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Starscelebrates the world of drag as 12 international drag superstars compete for the title of Queen of the Mothertucking World and a cash prize of $200,000. Hosted byRuPaulwith judgesMichelle VisageandJamal Sims, the season’s queens showcasing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent includeAlyssa Edwards(RuPaul’s Drag Race),Athena Likis(Drag Race Belgique),Eva Le Queen(Drag Race Philippines),Gala Varo(Drag Race Mexico),Kitty Scott-Claus(RuPaul’s Drag Race UK),Kween Kong(RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under), Miranda Lebrão (Drag Race Brasil),Nehellenia(Drag Race Italia),Pythia(Canada’s Drag Race),Soa de Muse(Drag Race France),Tessa Testicle(Drag Race Germany), andVanity Vain(Drag Race Sverige).
Miranda Lebrão Celebrated Brazil on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars’
After making it to the finale onDrag Race Brasil, Miranda Lebrão headed toRuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Starsto showcase the best that Brazil has to offer. For Miranda, it was a life-changing experience. “I was like just a queen from Rio like a year ago and then Drag Race changed my life, she said. “It felt so right to be on the top. It felt so right to be the first Brazilian global queen and have the opportunity to speak to the world and show my art form and the Brazilian drag art form. For me, it’s like a winning prize.” After noting the diversity that fills the Brazilian drag scene, Miranda noted that when you go to a Brazilian drag show, you never know what you’re going to get. She noted, “To at least try and show a little bit more of Brazil for me, it’s a winning position.”
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Miranda was overjoyed to get to share her art fortheRuPaul, even though Ru neglected saying her surname, adding on other iconic names instead. Miranda has some theories. “I know it’s really hard, uh, for Americans because we, we in Portuguese this “A O' accent that’s really a “ow” inside your throat sound. It was really so cute to hear her saying Miranda Lebrão. Andit was really fun to try to understand what she was talking about when she put all these last names,” she shared. By swapping in something like “Paige Brooks” instead, referring to legendaryDrag RacecontestantNicole Paige Brooks,Miranda felt appreciated by Ru as she knew that she does it with queens that she really likes.
No matter what,standing in front of RuPaul was emotional for Mirandaas she was able to show her unique art form. From a circus act to the Brazilian visuals, Miranda knew this was an exceptional experience. With Miranda noting Ru’s slight difficulty pronouncing her name, I was able to brag a bit by sharing I was just about to reach my 365th day of Portuguese on Duolingo, where I was inspired to learn because of her season of Drag Race.
This Was a Different Experience Than ‘Drag Race Brasil’
With so many queens from around the world, Miranda got to meet and compete with some of the best around the world. Yet, onDrag Race Brasil, Miranda competed against some of her personal friends from around the Brazilian drag scene. This time, it was different. She said, “I don’t think I can compare because…I had a lot of personal friends when I went toDrag Race Brazil.On one hand, it was hard having this feeling that maybe I have to send some friends home. And on the other hand, I had this ‘I can kind of count them’ because they were my friends. And on Global, I really felt like we are a competition. But it was really easy to connect with the girls.”
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With a stacked cast of international superstars, who was Miranda most excited to meet? “I was really excited to them to meet me,” she joked. Having previously met Alyssa Edwards in 2017 when she came to perform in Brazil, everyone else in the cast was new to her. “It was really a proud moment to be around international queens with such high quality work because that gave me the sense that I belonged to the group.” She did give special recognition to Drag Race Philippines' Eva Le Queen, noting thatBrazilians and Filipinos are “like cousins from different countries"and called Eva her “comfort point.”
Miranda Shared Her Inspirational Story With the World
Fans ofDrag Race Brasillearned a bit about Miranda’s backstory regarding her mobility. OnRuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars, fans were granted even more insight into it. Miranda showcased how she can overcome her personal struggles and persevere in the process. Her time on the season certainly inspired viewers watching her. And she knew it. “This is the emotional part for me becauseI never thought of myself as an example of never giving up.All I do is try to push myself a little bit further,” she shared. “In the last 10 years, I’ve lost a lot of mobility, and I’ve been living with so much physical pain. That’s really hard for me sometimes. I’m, I’m always thinking that I want to try a little bit harder as much as I can even try. And to see that I was inspiring people and I was connecting with people with similar stories all around the world. It was like this is the winning point for me,” she shared.
Miranda’s main goal was to bring Brazil to the global stage. With that, she noted during her run that in Brazil, they don’t have the same resources as some of the other queens have when it comes to acquiring fabric and such. She was concerned she had to compare her runway package to that of her Global sisters. Nevertheless, she prevailed. She said, “Money was a concern for me from the very beginning. I had to be smart with how I was spending my money to go to the Global project. But I have the lucky side that I was working withso many great Brazilian artists that helped me to prepare a very strong Brazilian package.” She continued, “As a Brazilian, we count on people that you can rely on.”
Now that she’s conquered the global stage, what’s next for Miranda Lebrão? She’s got a show in the works! “I’m rehearsing and producing my own show here in Brazil.And for me, this is my biggest dream now that I’ve become international,” she exclaimed. “I’m completing 10 years doing drag now and it’s the very first time that I can produce my own show,” she revealed. It’s a huge step in her career and we can’t wait to see it come to life. Obrigado, Miranda!
To hear the full interview, listen toBlock Talkon your favorite podcast platform.
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